An Interrupted Wedding, or Marion Marlowe as Maid of Honor — page 17: what you’re looking at

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14 “I thought of that yesterday,” ‘stammered Marion, faintly. “I could not help thinking of it, Alma, when Reginald kissed me! Oh, I would have given the world to have been his wife at that moment, and yet, Alma, do you know that if he had really tempted me I think my soul would have revolted at such a dreadful thing and I believe—yes, I know, that I would have hated him instantly!” Her eyes flashed as she spoke and a flush of pride dyed her cheeks as Alma gazed’ at her admiringly. She held out both hands to her. “God help those poor creatures who have not your sense of honor, Marion Marlowe,” she said, solemnly. “Neither you not I know how bravely they struggle nor can we measure the depths of their agony when they have fallen!” “{ have always pitied them, even when I did not know,” said Marion, sadly, “but, now that. I understand how they tremble upon the very brink of shame, I thank Heaven that I[ have a little strength of char- acter and also for gtving me so noble a lover!” CHAPTER VII. 7 AT? HE CH Ae CO e.: “Well, here we are! Now, where is the bridal party?” Bert Jackson consulted his watch as he asked the question. “There's five minutes yet, Jackson! Don’t get impatient,” was the laughing answer, as Howard Everett, an old friend of Alma’s, joined him in the vestibule of the church, which was prettily decorated with flowers for the coming wedding. The organ was already pealing from the loft above and a dozen or more curious pe-. destrians had ventured in, for Miss Allyn’s circle of friends was not so large as to make tickets a necessity. Rert and Mr. Everett were to act as ush- ers, while Dr. Brookes was best man and Marion the maid of honor. Dollie and Miss Ellis, Bert Jackson’s sweetheart, were to act as bridesmaids, and Archie Ray had laughingly offered to fill a MY QUEEN. father’s place and “give away’ the bride at the proper moment. “Poor Alma! She has no parents and worse than no sister,” said Bert, as he and Everett conversed together. “Now, if that girl Gladys don’t turn up all will go as merry as a wedding bell, but if she arrives on the scene Heaven help the lot of us, for she’s bound to kick up the deuce of a racket!” “There are two detectives outside,” said Everett, thoughtfully, “and I heard Fairfax tell them to keep a mighty sharp lookout. If Gladys comes to the wedding, ‘clothed and in her right mind,’ she is to be admitted, but if there is a trace of ‘Oh, be joyful’ about her, she is to be Si but firmly ex- cluded !”’ “Gee whiz! That sounds easy, old man,” said Bert, laughing, “but ain’t you shaking hands with yourself that you don’t have to do the excluding? I give you my word I'd rather buck up against the police force and the militia combined than to tackle one plain, ordinary, everyday drunken woman.” “Poor Miss Allyn! I pity her,” was Ev- erett’s answer. “It is a wonder that she can smile on her wedding day. It must be a perpetual grief to her to have such a sister.” Three or. four more women entered just then, and Bert escorted them to seats, look- ing them over carefully, for fear that one of them might be Gladys. There was a rustle of silk near the door. as he returned and Flora Villard, Mr. Ever- ett’s sister, entered upon the arm of her hus- , band. “We are horribly early, I bse: but I just couldn’t help coming,” began Flora, softly. “T do so want to see the bride come in. Marion wrote me that her wedding dress was a dream of beauty.” “Marion presented it, T believe,” said Mr. Everett, “and Bert decorated the church— how do you like it, Flora?” “Simply exquisite! T always did love an Faster wedding,” was the enthusiastic an- ewer. “There is no flower so appropriate for a wedding as the lily in my opinion, But come on, Tom, we must take our seats. It isn’t a bit proper to be standing here chat- ting.” Gomicbooks.com f q