Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1916-10-26

uAtA Will lll6 RASoC1ll
makeup and all. perhaps it was natu-
raj. Could he possibly hope to bluff
1t out for a few minutes until the cere-
mony was over and then escape? It
would OF course be the best way i'm
aginable to- throw that impudent little
man IN the doorway off his track. II
the real best man would only stay
away long enough it would not be q
difficult part to play. The original
man might turn up after he was gone
ana create a pleasant little mystery,
put nobody would be injured thereby.
All this passed through his mind while
the usher kept up his sepulchral whis-
per:
Why, there are Just the usual ar
engagements. you know-nothing new.
You and JEFF go in after the ushers
nave reached the back of the church
and opened the door, Then you just
stand there till Celia and her uncle
come up the aisle. Then follows the
eeremony.yery brief. Celia had all
OUT on account of not being able to re-
hearse. It's to be just the simplest
service, not h usual lengthy affair.
Don't worry, you'll be all right, old
man Hurry! they're calling you. Leave
your a right here. Now I must go.
Keep cool. It'll soon be over"
Inc breathless usher hurried through
S'o"N ~ SlIlS llllO Il SOll VI x
alted Mobile to the time of the wonder
lui ohengri music. Gordon turned,
thinking even yet to make a possible
escape, but the eagle eye Of his pur-
ster was upon him and the man JET
ferson was by his side.
Here we are!" he said, eagerly grab
bling Gordon's hat and coat and dump
ing them on a chair. "Tll 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 me dandy. No need to worry
about anything. It'll soon be over and
the knot tied"
AUTOMATICALLY Gordon fell into place
beside the man Jefferson, who was a
pleasant faced youth, we'll groomed and
handsome. Looking furtively at his
1lnely cut, happy features, Gordon Won
dered If he 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 IL he We're
going to be married now-going into
the race OF this great company Of we'll
dressed people to meet Miss Julia Bent
ley and be Joined to her for life? In
stlnctlvely his soul shrank within him
at the thought.
NS N LIN aoOl "oS WlQS OpGl, Ill0
organ pealing its best, and he suddenly
became aware Of many eyes, and Of
wondering how long his eyebrows
would withstand the perspiration that
was trickling softly down his forehead.
His Observation-Disclosures appendage!
why had he not removed it?-was 1t
awry? Dared he put up his hand to
see? His gloves! Would any one no
tlce thai they We're not as strictly fresh
as a best mans gloves should be? 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.
He walked with feet that suddenly
weighed like lead, across a church that
looked to o. 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 it out, If only the
real best ma didn't turn up until he
was well out Of the church. Then he
could vanish in the dark. and go by
some back way to a car or a taxicab
n SO to the station. The thought Of
the paper inside the gold pencil case
filled him with a sort of elation. If
only he could get out Of this dreadful
church, he would probably get away
safelV. 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 q whispered hint,
a SHOVE, or a push now and then, and
getting him into the proper position.
1t seemed as If the best man had to
OccnDV tna most irvine c,aNf to- II %Lo
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 If
everything We're going as it should, so
he settled down to his fate, his white,
strained face partly hidden by the
abundant display of mustache and eye
brow. People whispered softly how
handsome he looked, n some suggest
ed that he was not 80 stout as when
they had last seen him, 10 years before.
His stay in q foreign land must have
done him good. One woman went so
far as to tell her daughter that he was
far more distinguished looking than she
had ever thought he could become, but
1t was wonderful what a stay in a for
eign land would do to improve q per-
son.
The music stole onward: and slow
ly, gracefully, like the opening Of buds
into flowers, h bridal party inched
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 disrasedabout 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 n Of the front seats, and
Gordon found himself standing beside
the bride. He felt sure there must be
something wrong about 1t, and looked
at his young guide with an attempt to
change places with him, but the man
named Jefferson held him in place with
a 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 a wedding party
came in and stood and got out again.
If he was only out Of this how glad he
would be. 1t seemed one had to be a
pretty all around man to be a member
Of the secret service.
The organ had hushed its voice to @
sort of exultant sobbing. filled with
dreams of flowers and joys. and hints
Of sorrow; and the minister In a voice
both impressive and musical began the
ceremony. Gordon stood doggedly and
wondered IL that really was one eye-
l,roxu coming down Over his eve or nn1v