Middletown transcript., 1912-12-28
When the Petals Mingled
BY PHILIP KEAN

sons progress in his love making
not because his son was happy,
but because the outcome would
make his enemy unhappy. Ell
yira's mother smiled when she
saw her daughter start for the
trysting place. She knew how
bitter the thought of the mar
riqge of these two would be to
the man across the way. And
so the summer waned and the
fall came, and in October the two
were to marry-David wi h his
fathers consent, Elvira with
her mothers, and yet neither
parent knew of the willingness of
the other. Revenge was the
sword with which each hoped to
pierce the heart of his opponent,
On The morning of the wedding
day Elvira's mother helped the
girl to dress. There was no veil
no white satin; but Rlvira In her
filmy null, with her fair hair in a
golden coronet around her head
and with a bunch of white roses
from the garden, was thing of
beauty.
The mother was in a flutter Of
excitement over the supposed
runaway. You go on and meet
David, she said, and 1 will come
after you to the church. 1t won't
do to let David's father suspect.
On the other side of the fence
the old man was giving similar
advice. You go and meet your
girl, he advised, and I'll go down
10 the church after you. 1t won't
do to let her mother know Then
he brought out q bunch of red
roses. Shed better have a
brides bouquet, even if is a run-
away match.
Into the dim county church an
hour later came the young couple
The bride was fresh and sweet
in her snowy fnery; and in her
arms she carried great punches
Of roses-red and white and
fragrant. The bridegroom, with
his head up, looked as if he de-
fed the world to take her from
him. The minister brought with
him a couple of servants to act
as witnesses and the footsteps CT |
the five persons echoes through
the stiffness. Then as the young
fair stood before the man Of |
God, the silence was broken by |
a careful tiptOeing in the aisle to
the r'gbI and a careful tip-toeing
10 the left. The red famed into
David's face but Elvira was |
white. The minister began the
service, and back of that happy |
trio two old persons, caught il,
the net of their own evil passions
glared at each other across the
empty ptws.
But as the service went on the
glances softened-none
could hear the beautiful words
that Joined youth and beauty t.
youth and strength and remain
hardened. Into the eyes OF
Elvira's mother came tears. SHE
leaned her head on the back of
the pew in front of her and wept.
David's father cleared his
throat.
What God hath joined together
said the minister, let not man put
The service over. .Elvira almost
ran down the aisle. But it was
he aisle to the left, and it was
20 David's father that she ran.
Forgive US; oh, please forgive
IS, she said.
In the aisle to the right David
leld a weeping woman in his
rms, a little woman with the T
Iatred all gone out of her heart. t
Nnd presently the couple in the j
eft aisle went to meet the couple Il
n the right aisle and the old
woman was saying, My son, and
he old man muttered, MY
aughter.
Then they all went out of the
hurch together, and as they
vent their way was marked by
be falling petals of the roses p
ed and white, and white and c
ed intermingling now in perfect