The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1912-11-07
THEIR SENSE OF HONOR
A Double Wedding Where Only
One Was Planned.
BY TEMPLE BAILEY.


church Hilda practiced the wedding
march. Now and then tear dropped
on her fingers, but she went bravely
on, repeating the hard passages, never
resting until the music seemed to drip
from her fingers as she touched the
keys. When the crash of the last
chords came, she rose, and stood lean
ing over the choir rail, looking down
into the stiffness and shadow beneath.
| "Oh, dear" came her little signing
complaint. "Oh, DEAR" and with that
she dropped down on one of the cush-
ioned seats and sobbed, tempestously.
but silently
She raised her head as quick step
sounded in the aisle beneath.
up there, Hilda?" called a mans
voice.
She Strengthened herself and wiped
the tears from her eyes with
rolled-up wad of wet handkerchief.
Yes"
81 heard you outside" He looked
up at the girl. Il heard you practic
ing the wedding march. Do you know
simply can't see myself keeping step
TO that thing.
why not pee Hilda demanded.
He laughed sheepish1y. "Oh, don't
know-perhaps because the bride
Groom always looks like such a fool
It's the bride who counts, you know"
And such BRIDE" breathed Hilda.
Then, after a moments silence. she
made her generous effort, Such a
beautiful bride'
"Leok here" said the man below.
come down, want to talk to you"
With another furtive wipe of her
eyes, Hjlda descended and selected a
pew In tie darkest corner of the
church. Kent Cartwright sat down
beside her. Il want to talk to you" he
said There's something dreadfully
wrong, Hilda."
Her heart seemed to stop beating
What do you mean??"
Just this-a bridegroom ought to
go happily, joyously to his wedding
why, Hilda, l know Margaret's the
loveliest girl in the world, know I'm
lucky fellow, and yet dread to-
morrow feel that, IL there we're any
way on earth to get out of it without
dishonor, without hurting Margaret
that I'd do IT,"
| Hilda trembied in the silence which
followed the fierce, tense sentences.
| "Oh, how did it happen?" she began,
] finally
1T was the usual thing" he said,
wearily. She came here In all the
wonder Of her city ways-and she
seemed like being from different
planet. You know how went mad
over her-and how l forgot the claims
even of my friendship for you.
didn't come to see you for weeks and
it's wonder you did not break our
compact of good fellowship then and
there, but you were so sweet about
Margaret"
Hilda remembered the agony of
those days when Kent, the friend of
her girlhood, had deserted her for
Margaret Wainwright. OF course, she
had not blamed him.
You were so sweet" he repeated.
Something in his tone startled the
listening girl. You have stage
fright, Kent" she said "it's just the
'tToHiOuy you are QTeduluS.
Don't" he interrupted her, don
try to smooth 1t over. I've done an
awful thing, Hilda Ware-I am going
to marry Margaret Wainwright tomor-
row, yet there's no one in the world
love but YOU"
For one moment Hilda's heart
Ieaped. 1t seemed to her that all the
years she would go happily because
she had heard Kent Cartwright say,
Il love YOU" Then she rose with
quiet dignity. 81 don't think you
know what you are saying" she said
Il know" he stood up beside her
and looked down into her pale face.
"Hilda," he said, sharply. you've been
crying.
Yes" she said simply, but we
mustn't talk about that. We must talk
about what you are to do tomorrow
There is only one way, Kent. You
| can't break Margaret's heart"
so | must break my own" His
eyes were blazing in his white face
81 had to tell you, Hilda Oh, it's all
muddle," Kent said. Sometimes |
think that she doesn't care for me-
she seems to care only for herself"
Hilda had thought that Pretty Mar
garet had lived such a butterfly life,
and Kent had followed bewildered in
her wake. Il suppose I've got to go
on with it," he said, heavily.
Hilda knew that the decision lay in
her hands. If she said YES" Kent
would do his duty. but II she let him
know that his feeling was recipro-
Gated nothing could avert a catas-
trophe.
She tried to speak steadily. "Of
course" she said, you must go on.
Tomorrow morning you will feel as
brave as lion. Go. take long walk
and get back to normal"
Come walk with me-" he begged.
"No"