Evening star., 1922-04-16

lnto nightmare. Yet he could de-
wise no means Of escape consistent
with honor. He@ had plighted his
troth and must perform his part of
the contract. There was no adequate
reason to justify his withdrawal at
the last moment. Besides, should he
do SO. there was the possibility of a
breach Of promise suit.
The bitterest thought OF all was
the suspicion, which, had lately grown
upon him, that this was not Carlot-
ta's first love affair. At times he
considered the possibility of sending
a legal acquaintance to disclose sur
reptitiously to Eisenmuller some
imaginary episode in his career that
might render him ineligible, but the
thought of sharing his predicament
with his friends seemed worse than
going ahead. After all, he wasn't
going to marry Eisenmuller. but only
Eisenmuller's daughter. So he drift
ed toward the evil day. hoping
against hope that some unforeseen
circumstance might Nset him free, yet
convinced that fate had marked him
down for her own.
The eventful morning dawned. He
rose with f1uttering heart and
donned his festal garments. Some
how his frock coat appeared to him
to be unconscionably long. and the
gray trousers he had purchased on
Fifth avenue were turned up foppish-
ly at the bottom, as if 1t were rain
Ing in London. He spent an hour
getting his hair cut. The hour set
for the wedding was IL o'clock. The
trip to Hackensack, including the
ferry, would occupy about forty min
utes. There was boat at 11:lo, and
that would give him just leeway
enough to reach the house in time.
Carlotta's cousin was to act as best
mantle Sussman girls as brides
maids.
He checked the bag at the ferry
house and boarded the boat. 1t was
an exquisite spring morning. and the
river sparkled in the breeze. to which
he barred his head. removing his new
silk hat for that purpose. Presently
the bell rang and the boat started.
He was the only passenger. except a
comely young Italian woman in hat
trimmed with bright red flowers, who
was leading a toddiing and rather
dirty baby up and down the deck.
The woman had a Madonna like face,
upon which played a roguish smile, as
if she would not mind having the
signore speak to her. He speculated
as to where she was going-to some
railway camp. probably, where her
husband was working. The woman,
seeing that ne eyed her, wished him
a good morning in Italian.
Obadiah simply nodded and turned
quickly away to the other side of the
boat.
\ X X
~ the day stirred in his veins. After
all, he was bridegroom going TO
meet his bride. And was she not a
bride any one might be proud of:
Where was there another like her. in
her slender. girlish beauty? What
were her little vulgarities compared
with the beauty of her soul? Inter
course with cultured people would
quickly tone down her manner OF
speech and crudities of expression.
For instance. how easily she could
get over exclaiming. Listen here"
and "oh, Mamma He would take
her in hand as soon as the wedding
was over.
The wedding, He looked at his
watch. Already it was twenty-five
minutes past II. Carlotta would be
in her bridal dress waiting in the
parlor for him. Eisenmuller would
be in his broadcloth suit, white tie
and his gold chain. There would be
the same old smell of cabbage in the
front hall. All the relatives would
be there-from Paterson. Hoboken
and Newark. The hacks that brought
them from the station would be Els
enmuller's. He shuddered.- Even the
vision of the orange blossom crown
ed Carlotta filled him with dismay.
He wished devoutly that the solemn
Eisenmuller had been justified in his
suspicious had discovered some
thing in his past to render him un-
fit. He regretted the immaculate vir-
tue of his youth. Some slight pecca-
dillo might have saved him from this
; astonishing and ridiculous marriage,