River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-02-27
CHAPTER VI.
Despair.

Despair.
NAO the very dawn Of Mans wed
ding dag Stuart had refused to
give up hope.
The little fnancier had sent
him an invitation, and. worst of all,
had called to ask that he act as his
best man He refused so CURLY that
Bivens was deeply wounded
But | say, Jim. that's all rot. l
want you to stand by me- I've always
taken as much Of your friendship as
you would give and been grateful for
ii don't make new friends easily.
| want you. and you've just got to do
it."
Stuart shook his head and firmly set
his jaws A grim temptation flashed
through his imagination If he should
accept it might be the one thing which
would prevent Mans betrayal of her
love at the altar Might he not by the
power Of his personality. the hypnotic
force of his yearning passion and will,
stop the ceremony? In the moment Of
dcathike silence which should follow
the minister's words asking if there
were any cause known why these two
should not be made one. might not
single movement Of his body at that
moment, a groan Of pain, sob, cry
OF agony in a supreme act of his will
cause the white figure to reel and fall
at his feet? 1t was possible But it
would be too cheap. 1t would be
worthless victory, a victory of the flesh
without the spirit. and he refused to
take the body without the soul
With a frown he turned to .Bivens:
Its no use talking. Cal, I've made
up my mind. | won't do it,
We'll if you won't you won't" the
little man said with a sigh at least
you'll come TO the church For Gods
sake, let me get glimpse of one friend
ly facet I'll be scared to death. You
know, I'm not used to this"
Stuart smiled:
"All right I'll be there"
But when the fateful morning came
Stuart was stunned by the feeling of
Incredible despair which crept into his
heart The day was chill and damp
Dull. grayish. half black clouds rolled
over the city from the sea-clouds that
hung low and wet over the cold pave
ments without breaking into rain
He knew that Nan was as supersti
tious as the old black nanny of the
south who had nursed her Aunt Sal
lie had come to New York for the we'd
% no ut nf
the old saying, Happy is the bride the
sun shines on" AS the hour of noon
approached despair slowly settled over
his heart
How could he reconcile himself to
the horrible reality? A marriage sor-
did. cold, vulgar to such a man-this
little tobacco stained. bead eyed wea
sell
He rose. breathing hard and brushed
a tear from his eye-a tear that had
come unbidden in spite of his iron
will
His heart fairly shrieked its cry Of
despair He moved mechanically to-
ward the church and walked from his
reverie to find himself damned in a
solid mass Of humanity. Never before
had he realized the utter vulgarity of
n public wedding He forced his way
into the side door and stood waiting
the arrival of the bride and groom.
When Bivens came the sight of him
reused the slumbering devil in Stuart
The excitement of his triumph had
evidently Steadied the little mans
nerves. Never had his shrimplike fig
ure looked so slippery and plausible.
He extended his slender hand and
touched Stuart's in passing To save
his life the lawyer could not repress a
shudder In that moment he could
have committed murder with joy. The
agony of defeat was on him He felt
IN that moment his kinship with all the
rebels and disinherited Of the earth.
At last the bride came and the sur
pliced choir moved slowly and solemn
ly down the aisles through a sea of
eager faces as the great organ pealed
forth the first bars of the wedding
march from ''Lohengrin.''
Nan was leaning on the arm of a
stranger he had never seen before, an
uncle from the west She was pale
deathly pale, and walked with a hest
tuting movement as though weak from
Illness. Suddenly his heart went out
to her in a food of pity and tenderness.
He tried to make her feel this, but she
passed without glance. She had not
seen him.
Stuart listened to the ceremony with
a vague impersonal interest as if it
were something going on in another
world A single question was burning
itself into his brain-the price of a
womanl Have we all our price," he
asked. searching deep into his own
soul Something pathetic in the white
face of the bride had touched the deep
est sources of his being.
Have L, too, my price. oh, boastfui