The Ordway new era., 1915-01-15

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with vehicles (for the most part mo
tor cars) bringing to the hotel gayiy
dressed men and women. TIE 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 b the husband Of her
sister.
She had told hssself she was ~
signed: bat she was not. and he
would never b. Hsr heart vas brsak-
Ing n hsr besen - she sat thefA.
vAtsAiak. 1aitlRg. listeaias p the
stsr ,Asevisr datoaations OF ne ap-
preaching thundsfstorm and to the
jubilant psaling q . great organ down
below
The had told hsrsslf that. thosgh
resigned, - ceald not bear TO Wit
ness u ese6mbut. Now ~ the NO.
nent drew near wAsn the marriage
would b . thing finished. hxsE
irFst1iev6bls. she found hegsslf m
abs 70 sndurs the strain atnne.
Slowly. eontnst hsr viii. Ahs roe
and stols seross The door TO her D.
Tiers chair.
HIS .breatAing vus slow and rsgu-
lar; stsysad doISt 10 slept: unquss.
tionsbly there was NO reason Why ehe
should n6t lssve him for ten minatss;
even thodsA hs vsked It could not
harm him to await her return At ths
cad Of thst scant period.
Lie . guilty thin6. on test ~ noise
Less - any sneak thiefs. she crsDt
from ths room. eaossd the door =
lsntly, ran dowu the hall and de-
scended b. . back way. . littis-used
staircase, to the lower hall. approach
ing the scene of the marriage.
Constructed In imitation Of an old
spanish mission chapel. II contained
one OF the finest organs in the world;
1t this eIoss ssnes fts dssp-throatsd
tones vied with the warnings OF the
storm. Judith. lurking in . passage
way whoss open door revealed the
altar steps and chsncel was shaken
to the very marrow Of her being By
the majestic rsvsrbsrations Of the
music
Since they had regained contact
with civilization h . section OF the
country where ths Law estate had
vast holdings Of land. the chapel was
thronged with msh and women who
had known Alan's father and wished
to honor his son. -.
Above stairs, In the room Judith
had quilted. seneca Trins opened
both syes wide a1d laughed silent
laugh Of savage triumph when the
door closed behind his daughter.
At last he was left to his own de-
vices-and at Q time the most fitting
imaginable for what he had In mind.
With grin. Seneca TriEe raised
both arms and stretched them wide
apart
Then, sfaspins the arms Of his
chair. he lifted himself from It and
stood trembling upon his own feet for
the arst time in almost twenty years.
Grasping the back Of the wheeled
chair, he used II -, . ssuteh to guide
his feeble and uncertain movements.
But these became momentarily
stronger and more confident.
This. then, was the secret he had
hugged to his embittered bosom. .
secret unsupported even BY the at.
tending surgeon; that through the
motor accident three days ago he had
regained the use Of limbs that had
been stricken motionless-
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: a
Then. with this hidden in the
pocket Of his dressing gown he
steered . straight II very deliberate
couIse to the door. let himself out
and like materialixed 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.
The lobby Of the hotel was deserted.
As the ceremony approached its end
every guest and servant In tho house
was crowding the doorway 70 the
chapel. None opposed the progress
OF this ghastly vision IN dressing
gown and shppered fsst, cAueklins
insanely to himself - he tottered
through the empty halls and corri.
dors. finding an almost supernatural
strength to sustain him TIL he found
himself face to face with his chosen
enemy and victim.
The first that blocked his way into
the chapel. . bellboy Of the hotel.
looked round at the first touch OF the
claw-lfke hand upon his shoulder and
shrank back with q cry Of terror-a
cry that was echoed from half .
dozen throats within another instant.
Al II from the path Of some grisly
visitant from the world beyond the
grave. the throng pressed back and
cleared way for Seneca Urine. ~