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Show The Savinijf Collie. . I1V HOWARD . DKVINB. 'tCnpAint. M Iiv Dally 8lorV I'ub Cnf "Dolllo!" cried Madam, enarply. "Did you hoar? Miss Hayoa l wait-Uig wait-Uig to have her wedding dross fitted. Didn't I tell you to wutoh for her end alh'nd to It. An- ycui asleep?'1 "Yon, mam no, main; I mean. I will altrnd to It. I I did not hear, Mailam, I I bog pardon," and the lllrl sprang to her (wi, Unshod and trembling, trem-bling, gathered Into Iiit arma tli prli -rli'U gown nt tho hclrrsi and vanished through tile door loading luto tho dressing run in". Thoro was a snicker from Inn other Klrla and an angry unnrt from Madam. "I don't know what 'a coining ovit Mite Culver." aim exclaimed, "tine stoma to In' In a train'"1." In tho meantime tlm pretty tiluo-eyed tiluo-eyed girl Willi the pink cheeks t!iat wrro tho envy of nil the groat droits-malir.g droits-malir.g shop of Minium tiorvuls. had disappeared through tho door of the work room nnd oii'orp.:i d Into a dainty droHKine room, whoro awnlt1! a LaiiKhty dnninol with naxhliiK orlm of tlie doi'poHt brown and the repnl tlKiira of a born quoon. Thla win Floroni o Hayon. onally the hollo of all tha rlly and the itrealcm bolrona aa woll a uporb younR woman, wltb all tho hau tour of the born arlatoorat added to . loaturca and form and rurrlaKe of a beauty of tiaturo. Sho had reigned t long and with a hlnh hand, but at laat had aurcumhed to tho ardent court of Howard Uuiitoa and the wod-dlliK wod-dlliK day bad boon aet and propara-tlona propara-tlona wore Id proKroSta for tho cera- nionr which waa t ba by far tha J raoat pretvntloua allflr tba town had ' " 5' WTr HfD. Uunton waa younR. ardenl, and of acknowledKed ability, already a power at the bar and In poll!lra; not of known family nor fortune but dla-tlnctly dla-tlnctly one of tha coining men of Ilia jilara and rooognlrel aa one of tha ort dealrable catohea. It waa, In ootti, a niodol matrh, and aocloty reveled In It. The work of fltllnn tha wedding gunnvnt waa soon In full operation. Tbero w all the pulling and hunting, hunt-ing, ripping and pinning and amooih-lug amooih-lug and ticking ao neconKary to a mi'i'oimfiil gown and Dually all waa aa It aliould bo ai:d the two women Wia helreaa with her cold and claHHl-ral claHHl-ral fuce traced with line of pride and hauteur, and the round-faced little droHamnker with her voluptuoua flg-urn flg-urn nnd her Implo, truatlng cnunto-nnnce cnunto-nnnce faced each other, the task flu iHhod. And then a trani:o thing iirrurmd, tVlthout tho algn of a wnrnlng tho Utile ilrotuniukor atoppod forward, the loat rolor blaliig In nor cheek and Kntxplng both hnnda In the flliny lacca III tho front of tho priceless gown tore out two grout hands full. "Your wedding mun," alio screamed hysterically. "Your wedding gown. You shall not wear It. lo you henr, you shall not wear It. You have no ! right III tho sight of Cod. you htivo so right. Tho law and tho prlext may Vi ''jj Trr"fb Tha I'tlle dressroakor tore out two great handfuls. give you tho IokuI right, but In the sight of Ood he belongs to mo and I to him. Of course he cannot marry I mo 1 am not of bio world all I ran do la to love him and bo loved somo doll horn with a gold spoon In her mouth must bear his name," and then tha girl laughed a lng and ghastly ' laugh. Then clenching her hands: 1 "Yes, you can bear his name, hut ioo can never have hla heart and ai-Vays ai-Vays you must know that you are ocond-thst ' 1 ratyea. and am first now and will bo., lie (a mine and I am bis. Alt you ran. do Is -to ride In hla rarrlngoa 'ainl live" In Ills honst- anil hoar hla name. Much Joy Co you." gnd the girl -Inughed and crlod hysterically as she atnmppd her pretty feet on the curiirl. The fnce of the olher woman was a drama during thla tirade. With the self-possession of the born aristocrat she maintained her entire dignity and aclr-posscsslon; but It waa evident from the first how s.rongly aio was moved and how d-eply she was shocked. When 4 he dressmaker paused for breath s!io stopped forward for-ward anil Inld her hand Imperiously iixn IMlle's ahniildor., "Is this true?'1 a ie demanded In a voice so Ictonpo as to nwe tho girl. "I must know tho truth. Do not trifle with mo. If you toll tho truth I will be the lit-H friend you ever had. If you ore morely uficr money ou can mm "f i ; "My Clod, , FloreiK-e, what dooa thli mean!" exclaimed the groom aghast. have all you want only If you tell mo the truth. Hut do not attempt to trlllo with mo. I will not aland It and 1 warn you fur your own good." She paused, and the other woman met ber eyes without flinching. "I tell you tho truth," alio said simply. "1 want no money. All 1 want la him Howard. I am not ber testifying to my ahamo for money. I do not need money why, he glvea mo enough money to keep ma from that. Hut It la not his money that I want It la him. I love him yea, I do I love blm a thouiand times better than you or an other woman knows how and you are going to atoul him from me." She sank on her knees and burled her face In a aofn then ror.o auddouly and flerco-ly flerco-ly and went on: "No, you are not. You cannot. 1 will wiilt and watch-yes, watch-yes, and prny, and I will keep him, I know I will. You will have all the honor and tho namo and pride, but I will havo htm see It I don't him nntl hla lovo. Yuu will have the husks and I tho kernel," "Walt, girl," cried the other fiercely, fierce-ly, forgetting her position. Iter dignity everything but tho words of tho woman bofore her. "Listen to me." And alio grasped her arm so florcely that Dollle winced. "Trove to me what you aay and I will do for you what you never can do for yourself. I will be the best friend you ever had." A few momenta later tbo two women left tho place together and rode away In the niagnlilcent equipage equip-age of Miss Huyps. . Never hail thero been aueh a gorgeous gor-geous wedding scene In the social annala of the city. The church waa crowtlad with the fashion, beauty and chivalry of the most exclusive circles. The floral decoratlona wero aomolblng marvellous; tho costumes beyond even the female society reporter. At the appointed hour the groom atepped from the room assigned to him, accompanied ac-companied hy hla best man, and moved toward the altar, Just aa th bride, arrayed only aa wealth ran array Ita favorites, moved up the aisle preceded by a pretty flower girl and followed by a splendid array of brldoa-nialiis. brldoa-nialiis. all veiled. They mot at tha altar and the ceremony begHn. Tlia great audience craned Its collective neck to bear tho responses. "Do you, Florence, take thla man to bo your wedded husband, to cleave unto him, forsaking all others, to love, honor and obey him until death you do part?" read the clergyman aolemuly In his most sonorous voica. lis ranswl and comfortably awaited tin1 response. Then i sine the crunh from tin clear l.y. 'So. ! do avtt," replied the wonian at t to .altnr In a clear, tense tone, thmwliut oMile her veil and disclosing a fai e of nsben ro'.jr itrangoly aetl "tlod help nio. I catdiot. I "My liod. Florcnrej what doe this tr--an!" exclaimed tiie groota aghast. "'Silence, " commanded the woman, turning upon him wltb ilaanlng rye. "I will not because 1. rannat la the sight of t'.od and man. . I will, lot and cannot because this man belongs to another to a girl whom' ha haa deceived and Intended to Itetray. Hut. good friends, you will not be cheated of tbo wedding you came to seo. Tha bride Ihe rt'al bride la here, and the ceremony will go on," and wltb an Imperious gesture nb9 motioned forwnrd liolllo Culver from her brldeg-maids, brldeg-maids, lifted Ihe veil from her frightened fright-ened fnen and, turning to the clergyman, clergy-man, raid: "Proceed, air, tha brlda and tha tiiidegriMiin are ready:''- 1 ') Toe reverend" father caught the poetic J'istic nf the .occasion and sternly began the service over again. The mm Med groom, unable to gather together lis scattered setjsoa, mumbled mum-bled along the Tcsionsra and In a trlco the closing viorda wore spoken ami" tlie Four liuhdred were making their way to the door amid a rattle nf tongues thgt would have put thJ tower of Kabul to sleep In a cradle. |
