The Denison review., 1914-12-09

Goodness only knows" the young
man answered cheerfully He would
insist on rambling off down the can
yon in search of an alleged town
where We could hire a motor car
somewhere down there. tried to
make him understand that we had
plenty of time. but he was mulsh as
he generally is when he gets foolish
notion into his head. So daresay
we'll meet him on his way back-or
else asleep somewhere b. the road
side!"
Taking the seat next to the chauf-:
feur, he gave the word to drive on;
and they slipped away from the loca.
tion of the mining camp, saluted by.
cheers from the miners.
The road dipped sharply down the;
mountainside to the bed OF the canyon
The car moved smoothly and swiftly.
coasting: only now and then was 1t
necessary to call upon the engine for
power with which to negotiate an up,
grade or some uncommonly long
stretch of level read.
Half an hour passed without a word
spoken by any member OF the party.
Each was deep in his or her own es-.
pecial preoccupation: Alan turning
over plans for an early wedding; Rose
hugging the contentment regained
dressed men and women, the guests
invited to the wedding OF Rose Trine
and Alan Law.
Within another ten minutes the
man Judith loved with all her body
and soul would be the husband Of her
sister
She had told herself she was re-
signed; but she was not, and she
would never be. Her heart was break
ing in her bosom as she sat there.
watching, waiting. listening to the
ever heavier detonarions OF the ap-
preaching thunderstorm and to the
jubilant pealing Of o great organ down
below.
The had told herself that, though
resigned, she could not bear to wit
ness the ceremony. Now as the mo.
ment drew near when the marriage
would be q thing finished, fixed.
irretrievable, she found herself un.
able to endure the strain alone.
Slowly, against her will. she rose
and stole across the floor to her IA.
ther's chair.
His breathing was slow and regu-
lar; beyond doubt he slept; unques-
tiouably there was no reason why she
should not leave him for ten minutes:
even though he walked 1t could not
harm him to await her return at the
end Of that scant period.
Like q guilty thing. on feet as noise
less as any sneak thief's. she crept
from the room. closed the door ST.
lently. ran down the hall and de-
scended by back way. q llttle-used
staircase. to the lower hall. approach
ing the scene Of the marriage.
Constructed In imitation OF an old
Spanish mission chapel. It contained
one OF the finest organs in the world:
at this close range its deep.throated
tones We'd with the warnings Of the
storm. Judith. lurking in o passage
way whose open door revealed the
e!..:::. steps and chancel. was shaken
to the very marrow OF her being by
the majestic reverberations Of the
music.
Since they had regained contact
with civilization in a section Of the
country where the Law estate had
vast holdings Of land, the chapel was
thropged with men and women who
had known Alan's father and wished
to honor his son.
Above stairs. in the room Judith
had quilted. Seneca Trine opened
both eyes wide and laughed q silent
laugh Of savage triumph when the
door closed behind his daughter.
At last he was left to his own de-
vices-and at time the most fitting
imaginable for what he had in mind.
With grin. Seneca Trine raised
both arms and stretched them wide
apart.
Then. grasping the arms Of his
chair. he lifted himself from 1t and
stood trembling upon his own feet for
the first time in almost twenty years.
Grasping the back OF the wheeled
chair. he used 1t as crutch to guide
his feeble and uncertain movements.
But these became momentarily
stronger sand more confident.
This. then. was the secret he had
hutStd to ) his emhittsred bosom. .
secret unsupported even by the at.
| tending surgeon: that through the
motor accident three days ago he had
rssained the use Of limbs that had
been stricken motionless-strangely
enough, by motor car-nearly two
decades since.
Slowly but surely moving to the
bureau in the room. he opened one
Of its drawers and took out some
thing he had. without her knowledge.
seen Judith put away there while she
thought he slept.
Then. with this hidden in the
pocket of his dressing gown he
steered straight II very deliberate
course to the door. let himself out,
and like q materlalized specter Of the
man he once had been, navigated the
corridor to the head Of the broad
central staircase and step by step,
clinging with both hands. negotiated
the descent.