Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-02-18


much as he could do to hold it
against the wind, which came with
such a rush upon us when we stepped
into the porch that my veil and the
coronal of myrtle and orange bios
SONS were torn off my head and
blown back into the church.
God bless my sowl," said some
body-it was Tommy's friend, Johnny
hristopher-"theres some that
would be calling that bad luck
though"
A band of village musicians, who
were ranged up in the road, struck
UP 1.-THE Black and Gray" as we
stepped out of the churchyard, and
the next thing / knew was that my
husband and | were in the carriage
going home.
He had so far recovered from the
frightening effects of the marriage
service that he was making light Of
it, and saying:
when will this mummery come 70
an end, / wonder"
The windows of the carriage were
rafting with the wind, and my hus-
band had begun to, talk of the storm
when we came upon the trunk OF
young tree which had been torn up by
the roots and was lying across the
road so that our coachman had to get
down and remove it.
"Beastly bad crossing, I'm afraid.
Hope you're a good sailor Must be
in London tomorrow morning, you
know"
The band was playing behind US.
The leafiess trees We're beating their
bare boughs in front. The wedding
bells were pealing. The storm was
laundering through the running sky
The sea was very loud.
At my fathers gate Tommy the
Mate, with a serious face, was stand
ing, cap in hand, under his triumphal
arch, which Gas we'll as 1t could for
the wind that was tearing its flowers
and scattering them on the ground)
spelled out the words God Bless the
Happy Bride"
When we reached the open door of
the house, a group of maids We're
waiting for us. They were holding on
to their white caps and trying to con-
troll their aprons, which were swirling
about their black frocks. AS l stepped
out of the carriage they addressed me
as my Lady" and your Ladyship.
The seagulls, driven up from the sea,
were screaming about the house.
Face Deadly White.
| My husband and l went into the
| drawing room, and as We stood to-
gether on the hearthrug I caught
glimpse of my face in the glass over
| the mantelpiece. 1t was deadly white,
and had big, staring eyes and a look
of faded sunshine. l fixed afresh the
pearls about my neck and the dia-
mond in my hair, which was much
disordered.
Almost Immediately the other car
riages returned, and relatives and
guests began to pour into the room
and offer us their congratulations.
First came my cousins, who were to-
much troubled about their own be-
draggled appearance to pay much at
tention to mine. Then Aunt Bridget.
holding on to her half-moon bonnet,
and crying:
You happy, happy child! But what
wind There's been nothing like IT
since the day you were born"
NV father came next, like gale OF
wind himself saying:
I'm proud of you, gel. Right proud
am. You done we'll"
Then came Lady Margaret, who
kissed me without saying many
words, and finally large and varied
company of gayly dressed friends and
neighbors. chiefly the "aristocracy" OF
our island who lavished many UNI
necessary '1adyships" upon me, as II
the great name reflected certain
glory upon themselves.
l remember that as l stood on the
hearthrug with my husband. receiving
their rather crude compliments.
vague gayety came over me, and
smiled and laughed. although my
heart was growing sick, for the e.
feet of the wedding service was
ebbing away into cold darkness IKE
that Of a night tide when the moon
light has left it.
II did not comfort me that my hus-
hand without falling in good man
ners, was taking the whole scene anu
| company with a certain scarcely
yelled contempt which / could not
help but see.
And neither did it allay my uneasi-
ness to glance at my father, wnere ne
stood at the end OF the room, WstJ III.
ing, with look Of triumph IN MS
glistening black eyes. his proud guests
Seeming to say to himself. Theyre
here at last, I've bet them! Yes, by
cough, I've bet them!"
MANY a. time since have wondered
IL his conscience did not stir WITHIN
him as he looked across at his daugn-
ter in the jewels of the noble mouse
he had married her into-the pale
bride with the bridegroom he had
bought for her-and thought of the
mockery of a sacred union which ne
had brought about to gratify mis-
pride. his vanity perhaps his revenge.
But it was all over now. L was
married to Lord Raa. In the eyes
equally of the law. the world and the
church, the knot between us was ire
vooably tied.
Memorandum by Martin Conrad.
am no mystic and no spirituallst,
and I only mention it as one OF the
mysteries of sympathy between far
distant friends, that during part OF
the time when my dear one was going
through the fierce struggle she de-
scribes, and was dreaming OF frozen
regions and of broken pen, the ship
I sailed on had got itself stuck fast
in field of pack ice in latitude IS
under the ice barrier by Charcot Bay,
and that while we were lying like
helpless logs, cut off from communi-
cation with the world, unable to do
anything but groan and swear and
Kick our heels in our hunks at every
fresh grinding of our crunching sides,
my own mind, sleeping and waking.
was forever swinging back, with
sort of yearning prayer to my darling