Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-07-07
THE BEST MAN
A Charmi*g And Wholesome Romance b. Grace L. III. Lats
sxxorsm

Cyril Gordon Of the United states
secret tSa s .sia - N w, W1shtnItSn y ordered q
he is to dine with = NJ. Holman Who
will know him only as IN expert In read
ing m,s.s s aps wh; and M II to H sSs.ssct 2 ciph her
him to read, which really belongs to the
secret service department.
Gordon reaches Holman's home After
cipher message during dinner. Although
the real message has been markad on
the back by Holman with . large red
s sueSsstii he gets : au ii ,nt9 m hts pr essss:s' on.
rangement with his chief he is then
called to the telephone. He goes. and
almost at the same moment Holman
have been tricked. Gordon takes to his
heels out of the door. with the real
message, which he realizes ts of great
Importance to the government, in -his
Seeing a carriage in front of the house
he leaps into it and is driven Oft, pur-
sued by the men he has Just left. Dor
mistaken for tie missing "se.t, Man.
] n a wedding which - about to begin.
He realizes that his only chance for es-
cape is to play the part thus thrust up
on him.
Mechanically Gordon fell into place
beside the man Jeferson, who was a
1 pleasant-faced youth, we'll groomed
and handsome. Looking furtively at
his fnely-cut. happy features, Gordon
wondered 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 were going to be, married
now-going into the face of this great
company of we'll dressed people to
meet Miss Julia Bentley and be Joined
to her for life? Instinctiyely his s0ul
Ishrank within him at the thought.
But now the door was wide Open,
the organ pealing it's best, and he sud
denly became aware OF many eyes,
and of wondering how long his eye
brows would Withstand the perspira-
ton that was trickling softly down his
forehead. His Observation-Disclosures
appendage! why had he not removed
it?-was it awry? Dared he put up
his hand to see? His gloves! Would
n one notice that they were not as
Strictly fresh as a best mans gloves
should DE? Then he took his first
step to the music. and it was like be-
ing pulled from a delicious morning
nap and plunged into a tub OF icy wa
ter.
He walked with feet that suddenly
weighed like lead. across a church
that looked to be miles IL width, in
the face of swarms of curious eyes.
He tried to- reflect that these people
were all strangers to him. that they
were not looking at him, any way, but
at the bridegroom by his side. and
that It mattered very little what he
brayed 1t o4t. IL only the real best
al d~idn't'turn up until he was well
~ of the church. Then he could
vanish d the dark. and go by some
back .WaA to a q or a taxicab and SO
to the-station. The thought of the
;6aper inside the gold pencil-case Allied
4 him with q sort Of elation. II only he
could get out Of this dreadful church,
he would probably get away safely
Perhaps eson the incident Of the we'd
ding might prove to be his protection,
for they would never seek him In q
crowded church at a fashionable we'd.
fding.
The man BY his side managed him
admirably, giving him a whispered
hint. a shove. or q push now and
then. ana getting him into the proper
position. It seemed as II the best
man had to occupy the most tryins
spot in all the church, but as they put
him there, Of U it was right. He
glanced furtively over the faces near
tho front. and they all looked quite
satisfied, as II everything we're COINS
as 1t shouid. so he settled down to his
fate. his white, strained face partly
hidden by the abundant display oil
mustache and eyebrow. People wills
pered softly how handsome he looked
and some suggested that he was not
SO stout as when they had last seer
him. ten years before. His stay in a
foreign land must have done him
good. One wozna went so far as Il
tell her daughter that he was faa
more distinguished looking than shs
had ever thought he could become.