The herald., 1915-06-10
ON TIE RIVER BANK
BY JUNE GAHAN.


per SyndicateJ
Gong to be married." echoed
Barry Miles.
Ned King nodded triumphantly.
Sure as fate,' he smiled III hold
you to your old promise, Barry; you'll
be my best mani
Barry thrust out a friendly hand.
"Of course, you can count on me, old
man? Congratulations who Is
the girl?'
Ned redeemed. but his eyes were
bold.
Della Adams" he said carelessly.
Barry whitened and all the light
died out of his face. Della Adams
he repeated in a curious tone. You
are to be congratulated indeed, Ned"
Thanks Barry Remember, it's to
be very quiet affair-perhaps a doz-
en- guests. Next Wednesday evening
at seven-and you're to be best mani
Barry did not vince now. Il shall
not forget" he said gravely as he
turned away.
Was Ned King his friend? Barry
asked himself this question over and
over as he made his way toward the
village hotel
Surely Ned had known that Barry
Miles, the young salesman for whole
sale grocery firm in a neighborins
city, was IN love with Della Adams,
and Della could have told Ned, if she
cared to listen to something especially
interesting when Barry paid his next
visit to Grasston.
Meanwhile, Ned King had hurried
toward the Adams house and told
Della of the best man arrangement
Ned You asked him, Barry, to
| be your best man." she faltered.
Why not? He was willing. Said
J / was a lucky chap to get you-and l
guess | am" confidently.
! Della smiled strangely. I'm going
to send you home now, Ned. If we
are to be married next Wednesday l
have a thousand things to do"
Della watched him striding down
the village street, his stocky figure
covering the distance in absurdly long
steps Why, she asked herself, had
she engaged herself to Ned King when
she loved another man?
Because the death of her uncle had
left her singularly alone in the world
and she had learned that Barry Miles
was engaged to a Drayton girl.
Della put on her jersey and went
out into October sunset. The way to
the river led along a narrow path
ankle deep in autumn leaves. She sal
down beneath a bending willow.
Two men were sitting on great fiat
stone. One of them was young, anC
the dark head was buried in his hands
He was listening to the words of the
stern-faced rector of the church.
I'm sorry, Barry" Mr.. Fraser wa'
saying in his deep voice. I've known
Della all her life, and if she said sh'
would wait for you-that she would
listen to your story-there must b.
some mistake-some misunderstood
ing. Have you an enemy?"
Not that l am aware Of SAT-
Barry drearily. Perhaps she didn'
care for me. l hope you'll forgive m.
whining about it, but l wanted to tall
to some one, and what you've said t.
me has done lot of good" The TIVE
men shook hands.
Barry laughed uncertainty. Il wa
SO sure" he said, that even brough
the marriage license down with me
1t was sort of a comfort to have il
you know. The firm has given m
a raise in salary and extended m
, territory to the northwest And
, thought could persuade her to MARI
, me at once"
He took a folded paper out of hi
pocket and tore it across. But befor
he could complete its destructio
Della's slender form stood before hir
!, and her hands grasped the marriag
license.
, "Della!" he gasped, falling back
! step
The girl turned a blushing face
, the minister.
"Mr. Fraser" she pleaded, pleas
tell him it Is all a mistake"
Ten minutes later Ned King cam
whistling down the path in search
l. his fiancee By the rivers brink, III
y der the bending willows, he found he
n standing with her hand in Barry
while Mr.. Fraser pronounced bles
y ing on their marriage.
l. For a moment Ned watched then
l Then silently, with CHASTITY face, L
g turned and disappeared.