The Hayti herald. (Hayti, Mo.) 1908-1922, 1915-03-11

blings.
Nor WAS this all; q considerable de-
gree Of restlessnsss was surely par.
donable in one who, from her window,
watched . carriassdrive populous
with vehicles (for the most part mo-
tor cars) bringing 70 the hotel gayly
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 brea.;-
ing In her bosom - she sat there,
watching, waiting, listening to the
ever heavier detonations Of the ap-
preaching thunderstorm and to the
jubilant pealing Of q great organ down
below.
The had told herself that, though
resigned, she could not bear to wit
hess the ceremony. Now 40 the mo.
ment drew near when the marriage
would be . thing finished, liked.
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-
tionably there was no reason why she
should not leave him for ten minutes;
even though he walked It 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 thiefs, she crept
from the room, closed the door 81.
lently, ran down the hall and de-
scended by q back way, little-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 passage
way whose open door revealed the
altar 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 section Of the
country where the Law estate had
vast holdings Of land. the chapel was
thronged 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 a 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 THINE raised
both arms and stretched them wide
apart. .-.r
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.
This. then, was the secret he had
hugged to his embittered bosom, a
secret unsuspected 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- 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 a straight II very deliberate
course to the door. let himself out.
and like a materialized 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 the house
was crowding the doorway to the
chapel. None opposed the progress
Of this ghastly vision In dressing
gown and slippered feet, chuckling
insanely to himself as he tottered
the empty halls and corri'
dors, finding an almost supernatural
strength to sustain him till he found
himself face to face with his chosen
enemy and victim.
The first that blocked his way into
the chapel. a bellboy of the hotel.
looked round at the first touch of the
claw-like hand upon his shoulder and
back with a cry OF terror--a
cry that was echoed from half
dozen threats within another instant.
As II from the path Of some grisly
yisitant from the world beyond the
grave. the throng pressed back and
cleared way for Seneca Trine. ia
thar ~ tha hrtda