Year: 1875

Maud herself told fifty confidential
friends. Reporters would have an &C
count of it for their papers. It was not
| Ike Maud to desire such publicity. but
she had made sure of this for some
private reason, and the happy pair were
to meet at the church. It was
church. which at an early hour of the
appointed day was crammed from one
end to the other with people in full
dress. 1t took two cleTgymen to man.
age SO fine an affair. They were there.
What a hustle, what a crash And now
they are coming No; only the bride
groom and his party-not the bride
yet. She must be here in a few
moments. The ladies grow more rest
less. Ten minutes passed-tWenty-
| thirty


" The hairdresser," said one. "That's
the delay"


'' No, the gloves. They are always
tight" whispered another.


An hour. There must have been an
accident. She must be dead, or al
least dying, otherwise she would come


People are on their feet now. They
look at the door. Some one is coming.
1t is only fOotman, but he wears Miss
Herman's livery.


He advances to the bridegroom and
hands him a little note. He tears il
open. This is wha5 he reads, as the
eyes of the great throng turn upon
him:


Poor fool do you forget that there
is no demon like a woman scorned z
When ' Ou Tilted me lOUg ago you turned
my love to hate. When you courted
me again because 1 was an heiress you
made me burn for revenge. I know
you love me now, and know you are
a proud man. am sure you will suf-
fer very much, for I shall not meet you
at the church, or ever again, I hope.
leave to-day for the continent.


Maud had written this sitting IN her
room, in the brides dress she had al
lowed her maid to dress her III that
there might be no suspicion of her plot,
and she had called her footman and
sent him to the church with this note
in its white envelope. And now revenRe e
was satisfied she had punished him /;
she was triumphant she had avenged
the wrong done to the other self who
loved him so.


They stood at the window looking
down the street, watching the groom as
he hurries away, when suddenly dusty
u an "AA44 a hCtCu1CA ONCL LlCL uOdNAs
stepped out into the middle of the
street, and began to sing an o d tune
Maud knew well, an old love song that
she had never heard before:


1 strove to tear thee from my heart


The effort WAS in vain:


The spell was ever on my life,


And 1 am here again.


Oh! have ranged in countries strange.


And vowed no more to meet,


But power WAS in thy parting glance


To bring me to thy feet.


We cannot go against loves will


When he has bound us fast;


Forgive the thought that did thee wrong


And be mine own at iast.


Maud listened the tears stood in her
eyes. Suddenly her heart softened.
What years had not done this song had
accomplished in a few moments. She
was a girl again. She loved Paul Red
law once more. All this fiendish long
ing for revenge was gone. Yes, she
loved him, she would be his wife. She
could Overtake the messenger yet. Her
carriage stood at the door. She rushed
down the stairs and hurried into if.


"Drive for your life, " she whispered
to the goodman. ''Overtake Thomas;
he has a note that must have back.


The coachman obeyed. He drove her
as bride was never driven yet. But the
footman's feet had crossed the thresh-
old of the church ere they had neared
it.


She stepped from the carriage as
bride has seldom stepped, unattended.
She had forgotten those who were to be
with her; she thought only of him-of
her lover. The crowd did not turn at
her entrance. It had massed itself in
the aisles and stood on the pew cEsh-
ions.


Let me pass, let me pass" she
pleaded. What is it-what has hap
pened ?"


Then some one said, ''The bride, p"
and they all looked that way but in
stead of making room they tried to bar
her advance, and then somehow the
clergyman had made his way to her and
took her by the arm; and the voice of
an hysterical woman rent the air:


"The doctor says he is dead"


Maud knew no more.


There is an odd, half-crazed woman
wandering from place to place with a
maid aud a courier. They call her old
Miss Herman, and tell how the bride
groom died in church on his wedding
morning, but they do not know all. No
one ever guessed the contents of the
little note tha was swept away next day
when the church was swept, or guessed
why Paul RedlaW died.