Show A A WONDERFUL WOMAN BY MAY AGNES FLEMING I C Wore going to have a n storm Sir John said our OUI guests must reach each us through h a tempest tonight The storm broke at noon noon rain sleet and anti roaring wind win Katherine shivered as she listened to the wild whistling of or the blast She usually the least nervous and superstitious of ot human human human hu hu- hu- hu man beings felt little cold colli creeping over her as she hearkened to tp p pits Its wintry howls It sounds like the cr cry of a banshee ban han shee shoe she said Fald with a shudder to Edith Talbot Such Ruch a n. wild willi black sleety wretched winter day And last nl night ht there was not a cloud in the sky Edith do you believe belle In omens omon I 1 belIeve c this is a disagreeable lla day as it Is In the nature of December days to be and antI that you are arc a nervous goose for Cor tho ho first time in your 11 life fe You dont don't suppose e Mr Ir is sugar ugar or or- salt or-salt salt sail to melt In the rain or a n feather for the lie wind 1 to blow away Dont Don't be bo so 50 restless restle q and fid fidgety ety Kathie or you'll make malic me as nervous as yourself The he short dark darl winter afternoon dragged on With the fall Call of the night the storm seemed to Increase Tho The roar of the winds deepened tho the dull thunder of the sur surf on the tho shore reached them the trees waved in tho the high gale gate like hike human thin things s in pain and ana tho ho ceaseless ceaseless cease cease- Ic less sleet lashed the glassAn glass An dAn awful nl night ht for tor a wedding oven fIo the servants whispered No won wonder lieI poor l II Miss Katherine looks s like a ghost host She was Vas pale beyond all the time ordinary ordinary ordin ordin- ary nry pallor of ot strangely strangely ely restless rogUes strangely ely silent Da Darkness fell feU the whole house houe was lit up flowers bloomed everywhere as though It had been midsummer warmth and luxury everywhere within contrasted with the travail of or the dyIng dying dy lly- dy- dy ing year Under the the hands of her maid Katherine sat mt sat passive to all changes The rho supreme hour of her life liCe had hind como come anti and In every wail of or wind every dash of the frozen rain she seemed to hear the warning words of her old nurse False as fair Calr False as fair fall Eight o'clock The Rector nector of or Castleford Castleford Castle Castle- ford and his curate list ha arrived Nine The Tho musicians had hlll come nn and th the earliest of or the lie nuptial guests the roll 1011 rollof nf or carriages could be e heard through h the tho tumult of or the storm past Half nine And I r wonder If Gaston has yet ot arrived Kath Katherine Katharine rine said It was the first time lime she Rhe had hall spoken for Tor over an hour Her attendant bridesmaids five live besides Miss 1 Talbot were all an there The Tue dressing rooms were bright with ith fair fall girls s. floating tulle ulle and anti laces J am and amid fragrant with flowers s Miss Talbot and anti the French maid were ivere alone with w the bride bl The Thelast last ast touch had hall been ben given to the toilet The rho robe of white dead d silk mt swept in ints Its ts richness m s far fat behind the HIP tall slim figure looked taller and anti slimmer than ever er tho the iJ virginal orange orang blos blossoms om crown the long light ht brown hall hair he the bridal boil bil floated like hike a mist over 01 all 11 Th The Tho last lat Jewel jowel was placed the thelast tm last ast t ribbon tied tlell the last a t fall Call of lace ace arlan ed She stood before the time mirror fair air pale pen pensive a I e a bride ready for fOI forthe the he altarA altar altan I IA A quarter of ten term The Tho S clock ton tellIng of time the l thi mn 11 til IT S kih cL P r J t. t m I uh tho storm lorm Tho rho roll 1011 of carringi's rog was as almost almost al- al most incessant ant now and lifting her dreamy reamy eyes ees repeated her he- inquiry I wonder if it Gaston has conic ome What hat a question cried Miss I s Talbot Tal- Tal bot bot ot A bridegroom ll oom late and that bridegroom Mr Mi 11 of or all al men muon Of course ourse he lie has come and is wailing Ina Ina in ina a fever of impatience downstairs Ninon run and amI sec The French l gi-l went and came camel back br l lying hying breathlessly Mademoiselle how strange Monsieur Mon Mon- on- on leur ec Danti-ec has not od arrived Mon Mini seigneur the thc abbe is ready and wait wait- wal- wal lag ins ng all the guests are arc assembled but hut hutmon mon non Diet Dieu the bridegroom is late hate Miss Talbot rabot looked at her friend Neither spoke nor mini moved mo The he hock flock of oC f bridesmaids a rose bud garden b of oC g girls gills ls came caine floating in iii with their misty drapery their soft sott voices and subdued lau laughter It I was ten o'clock and the lie wedding hour There was a tap at the door Ninon opened il it f anti and old Sir Si- John white as ashes and trembling on his staff star el- el on- on ered and approached his daughter Katherine has not come I lImo know It father Something has hap pe tied Her IeL voice olce was quite q stead steady but hut n n. gr gray ashen terror te-roi- or blanched her he face faco Had lIati you not better helter send to Morecambe Morecambe More More- cambe Edith Talbot interposed Ito Io was quite quie well Avell wel when I left lef this morn morn- morl- morl lug ing ng Has George Georga rived arrived Your brother l' l is 18 here hem Miss 1159 Talbot And what does docs he sa say Sal Nothing to the point Before Defore dark lark ec Danti-ec left eC him to ip tp go to his room and anti dress drs Your YoU brother when starting for Tor here e sent him word and found his room deserted Taking ln a it for granted ranted he lie wished ed to be alone and had left Jef for Sc rR before him your brother came over o er at once olce 1 Ho He astonished when hen he ho arrived ari was wa-s at not finding him him hero here And then dead silence s lence fell What did it i mean Below the tho guests had gathered in groups whispering ominously in th the bridal bower bride and amid bridesmaids looked ool ed at each ech others other's palo fa faces o and anti I never spoke One b by ono one the time moments told off orr A quarter past pat ten temi and amid still sti no bridegroom Then all al at once wheels dashed up I to the door In doom in the entrance amice hall hal there thore was the tho sudden bustle buste of an on arrival al Katherine's Ines heart gave gave one ono great eat bound and amid Edith Talbot unable to endure the tIme suspense unla le to loo look ut at her friends friend's tortured face turned an and ran out of or the tho room Wait Wail Tal she bald hl I I 1 will bo ho back in a moment moment She he new lieu down the stairs stair Some one ono had hod arrived a a a gentleman but nan but not Gaston The new nosy palo pale I breathless eager was only Peter Dangerfield But nut lie he mI might ht bring news hc news he looked as though ho lie did lid Sho She was b by hIs side in a a moment her hel- hand on his arm What is l it H 1 she he said Has las anythIng anything any any- thing happened to Mr Ir ec Danti-ec I an Y Yon Yes R exclaimed Captain Captain Cap Cap- tam tain De Dc Deore ore Vere coming forward As I best second man I have a n right to I know Shorten the agony agon if I pos possible ible and out out with wih it IL It What's What up The rho hour hoU is past anti and the bride is waiting I where the DEVIL is the tho bridegroom bi zoom CHAPTER XII Nil XI i The Telling of lime lite lie SlI t. t Where was the bridegroom Gaston Gaton D bade hade good by to I Kathorine and anti rode rolle down that noble avenue of elms leading to toI I the ponderous gates His footsteps footsteps foot Coot steps rang clear alit and sharp through tho the still frost frosty air all time the siver silvery mist of L moonlight bathed all al things in its Is IsI L I palo lahe mystic glow He lIe paused iTh Instant to look Jook back I ere em-c he lie rode awo away What a fair tah do dol doI domain do- do l I main It was what was what a I sweep of park 1111 and amid glade and woodland woolland- fairer falmer than ever er er e In the time pearly e light of or the time Christmas moon How noble nohle the theold old house bouse looked with its ts turrets Its It peaked ed gables its is massive stack of or chimneys And Anil tomorrow all al this would be his he be his he an outcast o of the New Now York YOI-k streets He lie laugh laughed ll softly sory exultantly to himself himself him him- self sl as he lie turned an and rode s swiftly away Its better bolter beter to be bo born lucky than rich lob its its it's better beter to b be- be born handsome than lucky A clear complexion completion and anti a aset aset aset set o of regular features a a tenor voice and insinuating manners havo have done more mOl for mo me than they do fa for I most men They have hav made mare my fortune Half HaI the thc men and women in tho the world arc are fools tools at best bet and dont don't know how to use the gifts with wih which nature I endows them I was sias born in the tho gutter gutier brou brought ht up In tho time streets adopted out of charity turned out ro romy for formy formy my shortcomings to starve or steal to go to state state- prison or become or-become become the time literary hack of or a sporting paper ill ill- 1 paid and ul l-ul Ill uI And now now tomor tomor tomorrow row Is my wedding day and amid a u baronets baronet's bare baro nets net's laughter daughter and the heiress of eight thousand a year to be e my bride Gaston T I congratulate you again an and still again youre you're one of 01 the v very ry ele cleverest rest fellows I ever eer know knew in the whole course of my life And Anti then as Mr rode ov over r tho the moonlit highroad he lie astonished belated wayfarers s by uplifting his voice In melody metody so gO sweet weN anti and clear cicar that even e the time sleeping steepIng nightingales nightingale had hall there been any In December might have awakened to listen and envy The wheels of the world were greased on their axles for him A bride and a fortune and anti a life of perpetual per per- pleasure lay beyond tomorrows tomorrow's tomorrows tomorrow's tomorrows tomorrow's tomor tomor- rows row's sunrise There Thele was only one thorn in all nI his bed of ot roses Marie If I she should come after all al anti and IDl Satan himself I r believe can cn never tell tel what a woman may do You may be beas beas beas as thin certain as that you live Jve she will wili wl take one course and ten to one she takes the direct dut opposite For Marie De Ie Ln Lansac c to pursue any man maim though he heat sat at on the time throne thione of ot the time Caesars Is IR the time most unlikely thing liming on earth and for that very ver reason she may nifty turn up now If It I she should appear tomor tomorrow tomorrow tomorrow tomor- tomor row and forbid the time bans Such tImings things s happen sometimes Or It if 81 she sije 1011 should turn up a year hence hence anti and anI proclaim my secret and her tier wrongs And Anti bigamy's a devilish ugly wor word vord The shadow of ot the time avenger avenge pursued Mr MI Into dreamland Ills His visions this nuptial ante night were all al dark and ominous He lie le fell fel asleep to see seo Ref the face of ot the lie woman he lie feared lark dark an anti and menacing he awol awoke ant and fe fell n asleep leep again to 8 see e it i pal pallid and despairing I ng wJ wild with wIh womans woman's utmost woe He started out nut of or hell bed at last at some seine abnormal hour hiou in the clisma dawn lain dawn with itt wih a curse upon his Ups tips Sleeping or 01 waking the time face fae of oC Marie De Do DL Lansac haunted him like an ai avenging avenging ghost The Time storm stem had hall come with wih time the new day rain day rain and s sleet loet beat tim th tho glass Ia time the tH wind howled around al the house hOlse a and 11 up and down the lie passage c Mr Ir scowled at the distant prospect prospect- ic ic Influences did 11 not riot affect him much as a rule but the they affected him 0 today 0 I 1 suppose the least sensitive ensi- ensi tire tive t e of human beings likes les bright ight sunshine sunshine sun sun- un- un shine balmy breezes and cloudless skips kl J ti r hl hI dm h Da r lj d h th ct I th the pursuing memory that drove him from Lom his bed lied cum cursed his own n folly in Col Colin letting fears trouble tm him anti and nd having finished his litany many produced pro pro- smoke colored a moe bottle of or French brand brandy a case of manilas manias and anti flung fung himself elf into an easy as chair be he- fore fon the time still fire He lIe le primed himself with wih cau eau de tie vie until the time breakfast fast boil bell bel rang anti and then d descended to meet his host and his sister Rister and get the tho vapors s of the night dispelled in thou thou- society Miss ss Talbot departed for for COI almost Immediately after breakfast 11 Mr ted escorted h her to the carriage carriage car car- and moodily watched her drive away I suppose I 1 am to give your love lovo lovoto loveto to Katherine the tho young lat lady said arid and I 1 suppose e we wont won't see you ou until the time hour Try rl and wear a aless aless aless less dolorous face signor when you ou do present yourself Its It's s a serious sellous occasion oc oc- oc- oc casion caslon beyond doubt but not mint even en e matrimony can warrant rant t so gloomy a countenance as that How the long interminable hours of that da tiny day wore mot on Gaston Gason never afterward knew Something was going to happen happen lie ho simply felt fel that that what what he lie lid dill not know Mario Marlc might come or 01 she might not but whether or no something would hap hap- pen lIen The Time dark dam sleety hours dragged slowly along along lie he smoked furiously furiously- he ho drank moro more brandy than was vas at all ni prudent or or- usual for bridegrooms roomS roomS-he he went In and out in a restless fever that would not let him sit It down Ho paced up and down the leafless leaness aisles the time sleet hiving sharply sharp In his face the keen wind piercing him for he lie heas was as of oC ofa oCa a chilly chiy nature Were ere presentiments presentments true None had over troubled him before Was as it I a guilty ul conscience It I was tho the first time lame ho lie Ie over evee realized he lie had a con conscience lence or was It I a a worse demon than either time either the the gloomy gloom fiend of Indigestion of-indigestion oC A sluggish liver lver has made mado men hl blow w their brains brain out before now no and anda a dyspeptic stomach has seen ghosts Presentiments ar are sentimental hum hum- bugs bugs f its bugs its it's time the heavy dinners of or Scars- Scars wood and the Fm-ench Fm cookery coolter at combined with wih a leaden sl sky and a miserable December day a If I the infernally long bug lonG day lay wore e ended and armi this hour come comae I should feel all allright allright al right I know His host watched hh him curiously from the tho window Inlo wandering about in the thc storm like an unquiet spirit Bridegrooms mi may be le restless as a a. a rule on the tho happy da day but not such restlessness rest rest- s as this Theres es something on that feLlow fel feL- lows low mind mini the young Sussex e thought He Ho has the lie look today of or a aman aman aman man who is hs afraid and I 1 dont don't think he hes he's 8 a coward as a rule Ive I've Ive thought from om time the first Ilist this marriage would bo ho boa boi i a deucedly bad Job and Its It's Its no end of or ofa ofa ora a pi pity She's such a trump of a girl gin little little Kathle no no nonsense e about lout her you know Jenow rides to hounds like a born berm ess NImrod-ess dances like a fairy plucky and ammi tIm thoroughbred ore from to |