The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-10-26

hnulner uian--hHu Win uib presenS
makeup and all, perhaps II was natu-
raj. Gould he possibly hope To bluff
1t out for q few minutes until the cere-
mony was over nj then escape? II
would OF course be the best way inn
aginable to throw that impudent little
man In the doorway off his track. II
tho real best man would only stay
away long enough 1t would 0 be O
difficult part to play. The original
man might turn up after he was gon
and create q pleasant little mystery,
but nobody would be injured thereby.
All this passed through his mind while
the kept up his sepulchral whiS-
per: Il
why. there are Just the usual ar
rangements, you know-nothing new.
You and JEFF go I'm after the ushers
have reached the back OF the church
n opened the door. Then you just
stand there till Celia and her uncle
ceremony-very brief. Celia had all
that repeating after the minister cut
out on account Of not being able to re-
hearse. It's to be just the simplest
service, not the usual lengthy affair.
Don't worry. you'll be all right, old
your hat right here. Now I must go.
Keep cool. It'll soon be over"
The breathless usher hurried through
the door and settled into a sort of ex-
allied hobble to the time OF the wonder
full L~ohengrin music. Gordon turned,
thinking. even yet to make a possible
escape, but the eagle eye OF his pur-
suer was upon him n the man JEFF
ferson was by his side.
Here we arei" he said, eagerly grab
bling Gordon's hat n coat and dump
ing them on o chair. 'Pll look after
everything. just come along. It's time
we went In. The doctor Is motioning
for us. Awfully glad to see you at last.
Too bad you had to rus so. How many
years Is 1t since ! saw your Tent
you've changed some. but you're look
ing fine and dandy. No need to worry
about anything. Itll soon be over and
the knot tied"
Mechanically Gordon fell into place
beside the man Jefferson. who was q
pleasant faced youth. well groomed and
handsome. Looking ~furtively at his
finely cut, happy features. Gordon won
dered IL ne would feel as glad as this
youth seemed to be, when he walked
down the aisle to meet his bride. How,
by the way. would he feel If he were
going to be married now-going into
the face or this great company OF well
dressed people to meet Miss Julia Bent
ley and be Joined to her for life7 In
stinctively his soul shrank within him
at the thought.
But now the door was wide open, the
organ pealing its best. and he suddenly
became aware Of many eyes, and OF
wondering how long his eyebrows
would Withstand n Precipitation that
was trucking softly down his forehead.
His mustache-ridiculous appendagei
why had he not removed it?-was II
awry? Dared he put up his hand to
see? His glovesi Would any one no
tice that they were not as strictly fresh
as a best m ans gloves should be2 Then
he took his first step to the music, and
1t was like being pulled from a delicious
morning nap and plunged into a tub Of
icy water. y
He walked with feet that suddenly
weighed like lead, across a church that
looked to be miles In width, In the face
OF swarms Of curious eyes. He tried to
reflect that these people were all stran-
gers to him. that they were not look
Ing at him. anyway, but at the BRIDE
groom by his side, and that 1t mattered
very little what he did SO long as he
kept still and braved 1t out, IL only tho
real best man didn't turn UP until he
was well GU OF the church. Then he
could vanish In the dark, and 70 by
some back way to q car or q taxicab
and so to the station. The thought Of
the paper inside the gold pencil case
filled hin with a sort Of citation. II
only he could get out Of this dreadful
church, he would probably get away
safely. Perhaps even the incident Of the
wedding might prove to be his protec-
ton, for they would never seek him in a
crowded church at a fashionable we'd
ding.
The man by his side managed him
admirably, giving him a whispered hint,
a shove, or q push now and then, and
getting hin into the proper position.
1t seemed as If the best man had to
occupy the most trying spot in all the
church; but, as they put him there. Of
course 1t was all right. He glanced fur
lively over the faces near the front, and
they all looked quite satisfied, as IL
everything were going as 1t should, so
he settled down to his fate, his white,
| strained face partly hidden by the
abundant display Of mustache and o
brow. People whispered softly how
handsome he looked. and some suggest
ed that he was not so stout as when
they had last seen him, 10 years before.
His stay In q foreign land must have
4 done him good. One woman e so
far as to tell her daughter that he was
1 far more distinguished looking than she
had ever thought he could become, but
| 1t was wonderful what q stay in a for
eign land would do to improve a per-
son.
The music stole onward; and slow
ly. gracefully, like the opening Of buds
/ into flowers, the bridal party tnched
along UP the middle aisle until at last
the bride In all the mystery OF her white
veil arrived. and all the maidens in their
flowers and many colored gauzes were
suitably disposedabout her.
The feeble old man on whose arm
the bride had leaned as she came up
the aisle dropped out OF the procession,
! melting into one of the front seats, and
| Gordon found himself standing beside
the bride. He felt sure there must be
something wrong about II. and looked
at his young guide with an attempt to
change places with him, but the man
| named Jefferson held him In place with
o warning eye. You're all right. Just
stay where you are" he whispered soft
ly. and Gordon stayed. rejecting on the
strange fashions of weddings. and WON
dering why he had never before taken
notice Of just how q wedding party
came In and stood and got out again.
II he was only out of this how glad he
| would be. 1t seemed one had to be q
| pretty all around man to be q member
Of the secret service.
The organ bed hushed its voice to a
sort of exultant sobbing, filled with
draama of f1npvers and lows. and hints