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Show I 'The Sartngjf Collie. )BY HOWARD DEVINE. (Copyright. 1902. by Dully Story 1Mb. C.) "Dolllo!" crlci Mndam, sharply. Dld you hear? Miss Hayes Is waiting wait-ing to have nor wedding dress fitted. Didn't 1 tell you to watch for her nd V attend to It. Aro you asleep?" M ) "Yes, mam no, mam; I mean, t H t will attend to It. 1 I did not hoar, m ' Madam, I 1 beg pardon," nnd tho girl mL sprang to her feet, Hushed and trom- Wing, gathered Into her arms tho H priceless gown ot tho heiress and H vanished through tho door leading I Into tho dressing rooms. Hi Thcro was a snicker from the other girls and an angry snort from Mndam. H "I don't know what's coming over Hf Miss Culver." bIio exclaimed. "Sho seems to ho )n u trance." W In tho mcantlmo tho pretty blue-H blue-H yed girl with tho pink cheeks that -were tho envy of all the great dreus- i making shop of Mndam Gervnls, had H disappeared through tho door of tho Hi -work-room and emerged Into a dainty H, dressing-room, where awaited a - haughty damsel with flashing orbs of , tho deepest brown and the regal flguro ft of a born queen. This was Florenco P Hayes, easily tho bcllo of all tho city H nnd tho greatest heiress as well M superb young woman, with all tho hau-B hau-B teur ot tho born aristocrat added to M feat'ircs and form and carrlago of a M beauty of nature. Sho had reigned H. long and with a high hand, but at Hi last had Fjccumbod to the ardent M, court ot Howard Dunton and tho wed-V wed-V ding da had been set and prepara-R prepara-R tlons tvete In progress for tho cere-K cere-K mony hlch was to bo by far tho B most pretentious affair tho town had "- " ver seen. H Dunton was young, ardent, and ot H.. acknowledged ability, already a power H' at the bar and In politics; not of B L.s known family nor fortuno but dls-Jj dls-Jj ' tlnctly ono of tho coming men of tho H Tilaco and recognized as ono ot tho H nr-st deslrablo catches. It was, In H sooth, a model match, and society B reveled In It. H , Tho work of fitting tho wedding B, .garment was soon In full operation. W There was all tho pulling and haul- K, lng, ripping and pinning and smooth- Vi' lng and tucking so necessnry to a H successful gown nnd finally all was B t as it should bo and the two women H tho heiress with her cold and claasl- H cal faco traced with lines of prldo H nnd hauteur, and tho round-faced llttlo H dressmaker with her voluptuous fig- H. uro and her slmplo, trusting counto- H' nance faced each other, tho task fin- HHV lshed. H And then a strango thing occurred. H "Without tho sign of n warning tho H llttlo dressmaker stepped forward, tho H lost color blazing In her check and H grasping both hands In tho (limy laces H In tho front of tho prlcoloss gown tore H out two great hands full. H "Your wedding gown," sho BCrenmed H hysterically. "Your wedding gown. H .You shall not wear It. I)o you hear, H 5 oti ahnll not wear It. Yoti havo no VM right In tho sight of God, you havo H so right. Tho law and tho priest may H Tho llttlo dressmaker toro out two great handfuls. H iglvo you tho legal right, but In tho H sight of God ho belongs to mo and H I to him. Of courso ho cannot marry Hl mo I am not of his world nil I can H do Is to lovo him and bo loved some H doll horn with a gold spoon In her H Tiiouth must bonr his namo," and then H tUa girl laughed a long and ghnstly B laugh. Then clenching hor hands: H "Yen, you can bear hta nnmo, hut H " Jyou can never havo his henrt and nl- H I) vays you must know Mint you nro H X second thPt i was Urat yea, and am HHrVM3sx aC """"""w 'wff first now and will be. Ho Is mlno and 1 nm his. All you can do Is to rldo In his carriages nnd live In his housD and hear his name. Much Joy to you," and tho girl laughed and cried hysterically as sho stamped her pretty feet on tho carpet. Tho faco of tho other woman was a drama during this tirade. With tho solf-posscsslon of the born aristocrat sho maintained her entire dignity and Kulf-posscs8lon; but It was evident from tho first how strongly s'ao was moved and how deeply sho was shocked. When tho dressmaker paused for breath sho stepped forward for-ward and laid hor hand Imperiously upon DolIIo's shoulder. "Is this true?" sio demanded In a voleo so Intense as to awo tho girl. "I must know tho truth. Do not trlllo with me. If you toll tho truth I will bo tho best friend you over had. If you are merely after money ou can (, ;3fH I WA "My God, Florence, what does this mean!" exclaimed the groom aghast. havo all you want only If you tell mo tho truth. But do not attempt to trlflo with me. I will not stand It and I warn you for your own good." Sho paused, and tho other woman mot her eyes without flinching. "I toll you tho truth," sho said simply. "I want no money. All I want Is htm Howard. 1 am not hero testifying to my shamo for money. I do not need money why, ho gives mo enough money to keep mo from that. But It Is not his money that I want It is him. I lovo him yes, I do I lovo him a thousand times better than you or an other woman knows how and you aro going to steal him from mo." Sho sank on her knees nnd burled her faco In a sofa thon rose suddenly and fiercely fierce-ly nnd went on: "No. you aro not. You cannot. 1 will wnlt nnd watch-yes, watch-yes, nnd pray, and I will keep him, I know I will. You will havo all tho honor and tho namo and r-ldo, hut I will havo him see It I don't him and his lovo. You will havo tho husks and I tho Kernel." "Wnlt, girl," cried tho other flerco-ly, flerco-ly, forgetting her position, hor dignity overytning but tho words of tho woman before hor. "Listen to mo." And sho grasped hor arm so fiercely that Dolllo winced. "Provo to mo what you say and I will do for you what you never can do for yourself. I will ho tho best friend you over had." A few moments later tho two womon left the placo togethor and rotln away In tho magnificent equip-agu equip-agu of Miss Hayes. Never had there been such a gorgeous gor-geous wedding scene In tho social annals ot tho city. Tho church was crowded with the fashion, beauty and chlvnlry of tho most excluslvo circles. Tho llornl decorations were something marvellous; tho coHtumes beyond oven tho female society reporter. At tho appointed hour tho groom stepped from tho room assigned to him, accompanied ac-companied by his best man, and moved toward tho nltnr, Just as tho bride, arrayed only na wealth enn array its favorites, moved up tho alslo preceded by a pretty Mower girl and followed by a splendid array ot bridesmaids, brides-maids, all vollod. They mot at tho altar and tho ceremony began. Tho great audlenco craned its collective neck to hear tho responses. 'Do you, Florenco, tako this man to bo your weddod husband, to elenvo unto him, forsaking all others, to love, honor and obey him until death you do part?" read tho clorgyman solemnly li- his most sonorous voke. Ha patife'n nnd comfortably awaltodN thd response. ' Then came tho crash from tho clear sky. "No. I do not," replied tho woman j nt tSo nltar In n clenr, tenso tone, throwing aside her veil and disclosing a faco of ashen coier strangely set. "God help mo, I ennnot. 1" "My God, Florence, what does this nanl" exclaimed tho groom aghast "Silence," commanded thi votnan, turning upon htm with flnsnlng cyo. "I will not because I cannot In tho sight of God and man. I will not and ennnot bemuse this man belongs to another to a girl whom ho has doccUed and Intended to betray. But, good friends, ou will not bo chentod of tho wedding you catno to soo. Tho bride tho rral bride Is bore, and tho ceremony will go on," and with an lmpcrluus gosturo sho motioned forward Dolllo Culver from her bridesmaids, brides-maids, lifted tho veil from her frightened fright-ened faco and, turning to tho clergyman, clergy-man, said: "Proceed, sir, tho brldo nnd tho bridegroom nio ready." Tho reverend father caught tho poetic Justlco of tho occasion and sternly begnn tho scrvlco over again. Tho Btanlcd groom, unnblo to gather together 1 Is scattered senses, mumbled mum-bled along tho responses nnd In n trlco tho closing words wero spoken and tho Four Hundred wero making their way to tho door nmld a rattlo of tongues that would hnvo put tl3 tower of Babel to sleep In a cradle. |