The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-11-02
CHAPTER nv.

What had he done? Was II some
great unnamed, unheard of crime he
had unc~onsciously committed2 Gould
any one understand or excuse such
up his head again. though he fled to
the most distant part Of the globe
Was there nothing the could save the
situationf Now, before they left the
church, could he not declare the truth,
and set things right, undo the words
that had been spoken in the presence
Of all these witnesses, and send out to
find the real bridegroom Surely
neither law o gospel could endorse
a bond made in the ignorance Of either
participant. 1t would, Of course, be q
terrible thing for the bride, but better
now than later. Besides, he was
pledged by that hand clasp to answer
the appeal in her eyes and protect her
This, then, was what 1t had meants
But his commission! What of that?
"a matter Of life and DEATH" All! but
this was more than life or death!
While these rapid thoughts were
flashing through his brain, the bene-
diction was being pronounced, and with
the last word the organ pealed forth it's
triumphant lay. The audience stirred ex
triumphant lay. The audience stirred ex-
citedly, anticipating the final view of
the wedding procession.
The bride turned to take her bouuet
from the maid of honor, and the move
ment broke the spell under which Cor
don had been held.
He turned to the young man by his
side and spoke %hurriedly in a low tone.
AN awful mistake has been made
he said, and the organ drowned every
thing but h word mistake" 'T don't
know what to do" he went on. But
young Jefferson FASTENED to reasurre
him joyously:
Not a bit Of It, old chap. Nobody
noticed that hitch about the ring. 1t
was only a second. Everything went off
slick. You haven't anything more to
do now but take my sister out. Look
alive, there! She looks as IL she might
be going to faint! She hasn't been a
bit well all day! Steady her, quick,
can't you? She'll stick 1t out till she
gets to the air, but hurry. for goodness
sake!"
Gordon turned In alarm. Already the
frail white bride had a claim on him.
His first duty was to get her out of
this crowd. Perhaps. after all, she had
discovered that he was not the right
man, and that was the meaning Of her
tears and appeal. Yet she had held her
own and allowed things to go through
to h finish, and perhaps he had no
right to reveal to h assembled multi
tuucS WlidI BIG CNlueIliy Whnteu kept
quiet. He must wait till he could ask
her. He must do as this other man said
this brother Of hers-who was OF
course the best man. Oh, fool, and
blind! Why had he not understood at
the beginning and got himself out Of
his fix before II was too late? And
what should he do wher he reached the
door, How could he ever explain2 His
commission! He dared not breathe a
xuTnr6 nf fhaf0 yUhnk Axstnta - NN.,r
he possibly offer for his-his-yes-
his criminal conduct? Why, no such
thing was ever heard of in the history
Of mankind as that which had hap
pened to him. From start to finish II
was-it-was-He could not think OF
words to express what 1t was.
He was by this time meandering
Jerkily down the aisle, attempting to
keep time to the music and look the
part that she evidently expected him
to play. but his eyes were upon her
face, which was whittier now and, IL
possible, lovlier, than before. -.....
"Oh, Just e how devoted he is"
murmured the eldest of the two dear
old sisters, and he caught the sense OF
her words as he passed, and wondered
down the aisle with the terrible eyes
of scorn upon him, he seemed to feel
the presence Of Miss Julia Bentley
leading onward toward the church
door; but he would not take his eyes
from that sweet, sad face of the white
bride on his own arm to look. He some
how knew that if he could hold out
until he reached that door without
looking up. her power over him would
be exercised forever.
Out into the vacant vestibulo, under
the tented canopy. alone together for
the moment, he felt her gentle weight
grow heavy on his arm, and knew her
footsteps were tagging. Instinctively,
lest others should gather around them.
he almost lirred her and bore her down
the carpeted steps, through the covered
pathway, to the luxurious motor car
waiting with open door. and placed her
on the cushions. Some one closed the
car door and almost Immediately they
were In motion.