The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-04-04
A STRANGE NEW
PEACE AND JOY
By CORONA REMINGTON

&C. 1924. Mcclure Newspaper syndicate.)
A I A sign from one of the ushers
"A the dreamy melody Edith VII
liams was playing changed into the
rich full tones of Lohengrin's We'd
ding March and everyone in the church
tried to surreptitiousiy twist around
so as to get glimpse of the wedding
procession.
To the girl at the organ 1t seemed
like some impossible thing, some I'M
reality that was yet terrifyir.ly real.
As she looked in the little mirror
above her and saw the bride and groom
standing at the altar strange terror
gripped her. Would she be able to
keep-on playingt How frightful, how
awful II would be If she should stopl
Her icy fingers fumbled for the keys
and it was only her thorough training
that kept her going. That and a
dres iful fear of letting others know
her secret. Automatically, as 1t were,
her fingers fell over the right keys,
pulled out the right stops. while her
feet worked the pedals with the same
instructive precision; and all the time
her staring eyes remained riveted to
the little mirror above her head. She
saw John Gruner take Felicia Marin's
hand, saw him slip the ring on her
finger, saw him reverently lift her
veil and kiss her. Actually saw him
kiss her, and yet, only last winter he
had held her, Edith Williams, in his
armC and had asked her TO marry him.
The little mirror showed part of the
best man standing beside the groom.
Edith looked at the clean-cut face so
serious and grave, and as she looked
he lifted his eyes and she could have
sworn that he caught her glance and
smiled at her-a smile so slight as to
be almost imperceptible. Nice old
Cheston Cooley, what a friend he'd
always been! Why couldn't she love
him. she wondered; he had loved her
so long and so faithfully
At last the ordeal was over, the
bride passed down the aisle on the arm
of her husband, followed by her at
tendants. Slowly the crowd rose and
moved toward the doors. The tension
relaxed, the people began to talk In
low murmurs-a greeting here,
greeting there, remarks about the
bridal couple: How beautiful she
is ]" isn't he handsomel" The
voices drifted out into the brilliant
sunlit street When the last one had
gone through the door Edith jumped
up from the organ and, putting on her
hat and wrap, left by side door.
I'm going for a long walk" she
toId her chauffeur, barely stopping be-
side the waiting car you may take
the machine home"
Just as she reached her own drive
way late that same afternoon car
ran up to the curbing and stopped.
"come along, Edith, lets take
little spin," said a cheerful voice.
"Oh, Cheston," she said as he
jumped out and helped her in. "TIl
be such a stupid companion. FL
don't know what's the matter with me
today. but I'm all upset"
81 don't care what sort of COM
panion you are so long as you are
with me-" he answered quietly.
"Dear old Ches,'' said Edith, and
looking up she saw that same tender
light in his eyes that he so often had
when he looked at her
81 know just how you feel. Edie. I
went to the wedding of a girl thought
/ loved last year anil l haven't for
;< b.r% Of orIc fQl h0f
and / was glad that she had married.
I felt somehow freed from her, and
suddenly it came over me that had
not really loved her at all. Other girls
whom I had ignored became more sig
nificant and it was then that l knew
I absolutely knew that you were the
one. We get our minds set on some
particular person and it takes big
shock to wake US up and get US out of
the habit of thinking Of him or her in
that way. That's what happened to
me when my girl married" -
Edith listened as he talked and
strange new peace and joy came over
her. She, too, felt freed. freed from
something that had been unconsciously
holding her. She gave sigh Of re-
lief and leaned toward him.
"Oh, Ches," she said. I'm awfully
glad Johns married, only / wish he'd
done it sooner. / haven't been as
happy in ages. and l do believe I'm
falling in love-"
Fall away, so long as you fall right
here" he said. drawing her unresist-
ingly against his shoulder.
'TEThis is the very place I want
to fall" answered Edith dreamily.