Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-10-25

these people. or vsuld they be thrown
Oft the rae for q little while n
give him opportunity yet to get away?
He looked around wildly for a place
the insistent ushers. One of them
chartered to him in a low, growing
whisper, such as men use on solemn
occasion:
ut must have been rough on you.
being anxious like this about getting
here, but never mind now. It'll go all
right. Come on. Here's you cue and
there stands Jefferson over there. You
and he go in with the minister. you
know. The groom and the best man,
you understand. they'll tell you when.
jeff has the ring. all right. SO you
There's absolutely nothing for you to
do but stand where you're put and go
out when the rest do. You needn't feel
Il bit nervous"
Was it possible that these crazy peo-
pie didn't recognize their mistake ever
yet here in the bright light? Couldn't
they see his mUsrachs was stucS on
and one eyebrow was crooked? Didn't
they know their best man We'll enough
to recognize his voice? Surely, surely.
some one would discover the mistake
soou-that mar jeff over there who
be sure to know this was not his friend.
Yet every minute that they continued
TO think so was q distinct gain for
Gordon. puzziing his pursuers and Civ
ing himself time to think and plan and
study his strange surroundings.
And now they were drawing him
forward and a turn of his head gave
him a vision of the stubbed head of
the Thick Set man peering in at the
chapel door and and watching him
eagerly. He must fool him il possible.
But 1 don't know anything about
the arrangements faltered Gordon.
rejecting that the best mar might not
be very well known to the ushers and
perhaps he resembled HIM. 1t was not
h first time he had been taken for
another mainland with his present
makeup and all, perhaps it was metz
raj. Gould he possibly hope to bluff
it out for a few minutes until the cere-
mony was over and then escape? It
would Of curse be the best way i'm
aginable to throw that impudent little
b real best man would only stay
away long enough it would not be a
difficult part to play. The original
NAL might turn up after he was gone
and create q pleasant little mystery,
but nobody would be injured thereby.
All this passed through his mind while
the b kept up his sepulcllral whis-
per:
why, there are just the usual ar
engagements, you know-nothing new.
You and JEFF go in after the ushers
have reached the back OF he church
stand there till Celia and her uncle
come up the aisle. Then follows the
cerenony-very brief. Celia had all
that repeating after the minister cut
out on cou Of not being able to re-
hearse. ITS to be just the simplest
service. not the usual lengthy affair.
Don't worry. you'll be all right. old
man. Hurry! they're calling you. Leave
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 4 sort Of ex-
allied hobble to the time Of the wonder
ful Lohengrin music. Gordon turned.
thinking even yet to make a possible
escape. but the eagle eye Of his pur-
Suer was upon him and the man JEFF
ferson was by his side.
Here we arel" he said. eagerly grab
bling Gordon's hat and coat and Dump
ing them on q chair. III 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 rush SO. How MANY
years is it since I saw you? Ten!
You've changed some. but you're look
ing fine and dandy. No need to worry
about anything. It'll soon be over and
the mot tied"
Mechanically Gordon fell into place
-S'A> 49, A&sA S1oI&s WI4o wa Il
pleasant faced youth. we'll groomed
handsome. Looking furtively at his
tfnely cut. happy features. Gordon Won
dered it he would feel as glad as this
youth eene TO be, when he walked
Town the aisle to meet his bride. How.
by the way, would he feel if he were
going to be marri.-d ~nGw-gOing into
the face OF this great company of we'll
dressed people. to meet Miss Julia Bent
ley and be joined TO her for life? In
s~tinctively his soul slrani within him
at the Thought.
But now the door was wide open, the
organ pealing its best, and he suddenly
became aware of muay eyes, and of
wondering how long his eyebrows
would withstand the perspir,ation that
was trickiing softly down his forehead.
His; Observation-Disclosures appendagei
aWry2 Dared he put up his hand ia
see? His glOvesii Would any che mo-
y tioe that they were not as strictly fresh
as u best mans gloves should DC? Then
he OOk his first step to, the music, and
it was like being pulled from a deliuiOls
morning nap and plunged into a tub Of
icy water.
He, walked with feet that suddenly
WeiEhRl like lead, acr0sBsas church thai
tlOOkeds to be. miles in width. in the face
of swarmss of curious eyes. He tried To
reflect that these people weres all stran,
= gers to him. that they We're not look
ing at him., anyway but at the bride
u groom by his side. and that it mattered
very little what lie did SO long as he
Kept still and brslvedl it; out, il only the
rsal best man didn't turn up, until he
81 WIS we'll out of the, church,. Then he
: could vanish in the dark, and go by
SOME back way to- a. car or a taxicaf
anti so to- the station The Thought o1
u; the paper inside the gold penuill case
: HlietssI1iml with IL sort of alattOn. II