The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-09-04

| lc Oh lear tnat the strong arms
would descend on her and carr,
her off before her purpose was &C
complished.
AS they sang. their faces grew
a little solemn something Of tn,
sob of the tune caught in theil
Threats. And, tho they did no
like this kind of song, 1t clutchet
them, and they knew they wer,
being dominated by it, and wer,
a little ashamed over coming un
der its spell---a spell that grew al
the hymn rolled on:
Almost persuaded'-harvest Il
pastl
almost persuaded"-doom comes
at lastl
Almost" cannot avail;
Almost" Is but to fall
Sad sad. that bitter wall
Almost-but lost!"
One person was not solemn
Peggy's husband. He was grin
ming broadly. With hands In peck
cts and back braced against the
rear wall, his twinkling eyes
watched Peggy's shoulder. that,
little by little, was forcing the
shrinking girl at her side nearer
to the aisle. And no voice was
quite so mournful, none quavered
so, and brok@ and sobbed and
sighed out the Cost as did Peg
gy's. in Lily's ear.
"The plucky little cuss!'
ohuckled Trowbridge in his throat
If it's left to her, there'n be q
wedding here tonight. all right.
Dave, watching with eyes now
hopeful, now respondent, began to
think this, too. He moved out In
the aisle on the note of the 'lost.
Lily staggered sidewise toward
him. propelled by a heavy on
launching of Peggy's shoulder.
Knowing It was now or never,
Dave gripped Lily's limp arm and
half walked, half pushed her to-
ward the altar. The minister left
the pulpit and came quickly to the
foot of the altar steps.
1t was a moment before the con-
gregation understood. Then 1t be-
came singularly rigid; not at the
fact of a wedding-big meeting
was a favorite occasion for this
ceremony-but over the amazing
combination. Lily Updown and
Dave Coburn! Why-whyi And
Biddiwell Updown was there! And
AL Rodinl Bid would stop the
ceremony, and make short work
of it, too. Their spines, still vi
brating under the hypnosis of the
music, took on delicious CULVER
ing. Their hearts almost stopped
beating as they counted the steps
that led Lily opposite the seal
where her father set his feet part.
ly in the aisle, as usual; but, con-
trary to his custom, he was very
wide awake and was looking about
him very alertly. Did he know!
Was he ready to snatch Lily as
she went by?
And-who was that striding uI
the aisle? Big Ed! And he was
whispering to Bid! And now Bid!
Lily gave .stifled cry, and
hung, a dead weight. against her
lover. Her palsied feet chung to
the floor. Half swooning, she
awaited the touch of her fathers
hand that would take her forever
away from Dave. Big Ed was at
his side. Would he discharge Dave
for this?
Peggy gazed at her husband and
Lily's father, towering over poor
Lily, then her forehead dropped
weakly against the back of the
seat ahead. She did not want to
see anything more. That Ed
should do this cruel thing! Sac
rifice helpless little Lily, and her
dearest friend, to preserve AMIGA
BILE business relations with miser-
| ly Bid Updown!
"O-oh! O-oh!''
"Sick. Peggy"
ED, how could your" she
moaned, without looking up.
"o-ohl O-oh!"
Twas something of a strain, "
he whispered, chuckling. "But
cOulQn Slduu Dy anu Sco ali tnat
energy and ingenuity Of yours go
to waste, pet. I put Bid next to
the best land bargain he's had for
ten years, and told him about
Dawes new job as foreman, and
the prospective farm-on easy
terms. Bids there now. waiting
with her, and I'm booked for best
to say God bless you, my chill
dren.' Lily wants you to stand up
man. Come, we'll send this thing
off with a flourish"
At first Peggy didn't write in
the diary about the marriage OF
her friend. Then something that
she overheard Ed say made her
fly to the secret book.
For it belongs" she wrote,
because Ed told Daddy that his
sense of humor saved the day for
Dave and Lily
"a sense of humor is splendid
thing for a husband to have"