Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-07-05
THE BEST NAN
A Charming AID Whole;one Romance By Grace i. II. Lats
nance By Grace Z. III. Lats

~ OVV0 SSS f.=t.t Iii. ii
he come either?" And al II In answer
one Of the men by the carriage door
wheeled and called exct'edty: Yes
he's come! Tell him-tell Jen-teli
him he's come" Then turning nace
more to Gordon he seizei him BY the
arm and cried: Come on quickly
There isn't a minute to wait. The Or.
ganist is fairly frantic. Everybody
has been just as nervous as cou!d De.
We couldn't very we'll go on witnout
you-you know. But don't let nat
worry you. It's all right now you've
come. For get it, old man, n
above the sound of subdued huhbuo
that an organ wa playing, and even
as he listened 1t burst into the JOY
GUS notes Of the wedding march. ~
dAwned upon him that this was not q
prison to which he had come but a
church-not q court room but q wed
ding, and horror Of horrors! they
took him for the best man. His dis
guise had been his undoinE. How was
he to set out of this scrape? n
with his pursuers just behind
Let me explain" he began,
and wondered what he could explain.
There's no time for explanations
now, al I tell you the organ has
begun the march. We're expected to
be marching down that middle aisle
this very minute and Jeff is waiting
for us in the chapel. I sen the sig
nal to-the bride and another. to the
organist the minute we sighted you.
Come on. Everybody knows your
boat vas late in coming In. You
don't need to explain a thing till aft
erwards."
At that moment one Of the ushers
moved aside and the short, thick-set
man stepped between, the light shin
ing full upon his face, and Gordon
knew him positively for the man who
had sat opposite him at the table a
few minutes before. He was peer
Gordon saw his only escape was into
the church. With his heart pound
ing like a trip hammer he yielded
himself to the six ushers, who swept
the little pursuer aside as If het had
been a ny and literally bore Gordon
up the steps and into the church door.
A burst of music filled his lenses,
and dazzling lights, glimpses Of how-
ers. palms and beautiful garments be-
wildered him. His n thought was
for his p%ursuers. Would they follow
him into the church and drag him
out in the presence Of all these peo-
track for a little while and give him
opportunity yet to get away, He
looked around wildly for a place of
exit but he was in the hands of the
insistent ushers. One of them chat
tered to him in a low, growing whis-
FER. such as men use on solemn &C.
caSions:
1T must have been. rough on you
beingLanxious like this about gettine
here. but never mind now. It'll go all
right. Come r. Here's our cue and
there stands Jefferson over there.
You and he so 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 won't need to bother about that.
There's absolutely nothing for YOU to
do but stand where you're put and. re
out when the rest do. You needn't
feel q bit nervous"
Was it possible that these crazy
people didn't recognize their mistake
even vet here in the, bright tight?
Couldn't they see his mustache wal
stuck on and one eyebrow was
crooked? Didn't they know their
best maxwell enough to recognize his
voice? Surely, surely, some one
would discover the mistake soon
that mar JEFF over there who was
cycling him SO intently. He would be
sure to know this was not his friend
Yet every minute that they continued
70 think so was a distinct gain TO,
Gordon. puzzling his pursuers ano
giving himself time to think and plar
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 peerinx In. at the
chapel door and Watching him eager.
~. He must fool him il possible.
But I don't know anything about thu
arrangements" faltered Gordon. re.
Meeting that the best. mar might not
De very well known to the ushers anc
perhaps. he ~resernbled him. It was
not the first time he had been taken
|fcr another rnan-and with his pres.
ent makeup and all, perhaps It was
natural. Could he possibly hope tc
bluh It out for a few minutes until
the ceremony vas yer and then es-
cape? 1t would Of course be the besr
way imaginable to throw that i'm.
pudent little man in the doorway of
his track. IT the real best man would
only stay away long enough it woult
not be 4 Gificult part to play. The
original mar might turn up otter he
was gone and create a pleasant little
mystery, but nobody would be injured
thereby. All this passed through hi,
mind While the usher kept up hi
sepulchral whisper:
why. there r just the usual ar.
engagements. o know-nothing new
You and jeff 90 in after the usher:
have reached the back ofsthe church
and opened the door. Then you JUS
stand there till Celia and her uncle
come, up the aisle. Then follows the
ceremony-very brief. Celia had all
that repeating after the minister cut
out on account of not being able t.
rehearse. It's to be Just the simples,
service, not the usual lengthy AFFAIR
Don't worry. you'll be all right, ole
man. Hurry! they're. calling YOU
Leave your hat right here. Now
must 30. Keep cool. TIN soon be
over"
The GREATNESS usher hurried
through the door and settled into a
sort OF exalted hobble to the time a
the wonderful Lohengrin music. Cor.
don turned. thinking evan yet to make
q possible escape, but the eagle,eye o,
e Tr.T&f