The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1915-03-11
bloke the news when he came. home
Tor the holidays. His mother desired.
70 keep him here, but he protested that
ne .co0ld not desert his wife.
on TIE RIVER BAAk
NsuNE oAHAn.

Copyright. 1914. by the Mcclure Newspa-,
per Syndicate.l
Going to be marrted?" echoed
Barry Miles.
Ned King nodded triumphantly.
Sure as, fate" he smiled. .Ill hold:
you to your old promise, Barry; youll
be my best man?'
Barry thrust out a friendly hand.
of course. you can count ON me. old
man? Congratulations---and who IL
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'ss to
be a very quiet affair-perhaps a dog,
an guests. Next Wednesday, evening
at s%eyen-and you're to be best mani"
Barry did not vince now. 81 shall
lRt 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 a whole.
sale grocery firm in a neighbortng
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? lie was willing. Said
l was a lucky chap to get you-and I
guess | am" confidently.
Della smiled strangely I'm going
to send you home now, Ned. II we
are to be married next Wednesday /
have a thousand things to do"
Della watched MIN striding down
the village street, his stocky figure
covering the distance in absurdly long
staps: 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 sat
down beneath a bending willow.
Two men were sitting on a great fiat
etore. One of them was young, and
the dark head was buried in his hands.
lie was listening to the words of the
stern-faced rector of the church.
I'm sorry, Barry" Mr.. Fraser was
saying in his deep voice. I've known
Della all her life, and if she. said she
would wait for you-that she would
listen to your s~tory-there must be
some mistake-some misunderstand-
Ing. Have you an enemy?"
Not that l am aware Of" said
Barry drearily. Perhaps she didn't
SNAo liz. l AOHC JOu IL vi give NY
whining about it, but wanted to talk
to some one, and what you've said to
me has done a lot of good" The two
men shook hands.
Barry laughed uncertainty. II was
SO sure" he said, that l even brought
the marriage license down with me.
1t was sort of q comfort to have it,
you know. The firm has given me
a raise in salary and extended my
territory to the northwest. And I
thought l could persuade her to marry
ME at once"
He took a folded paper out of his
pocket and tore it across But before
he could complete it's destruction
Della's slender form stood before him
and her hands grasped the marriage
license.
1Della!" he gasped, falling back q
step.
The girl turned a blushing face to
the minister.
Mr.. Fraser" she pleaded, please
tell him it is all q mistake"
Ten minutes later Ned King came
whistling down the path in search Of
his iancee. BY the rivers brink, un-
der the bending willows. he found her.
standing with her hand In Barry's,
while Mr.. Fraser pronounced a bless
Ing on their marriage.
For a moment Ned watched them.
Then silently, with CHASTITY face, he
turned and disappeared.