LITMIR.BIZ

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free and easy and happy that no one even remembered to think of Minnie Lazarelle and wonder why she had not returned. They were having the delightful evening together that they had all anticipated, and even Link forgot the incident of the early evening that had made a few unpleasant moments for himself and their hosts.

      It was only after the young men had returned to Paul’s house and were merrily arranging themselves for sleep that the incident was mentioned.

      “Good old Link!” said Luther Waite, sleepily, pausing beside Link and patting him clumsily on his head as Link was about to pull off his shirt. “You’re certainly my good angel, Link. Under ordinary circumstances that act you put over, taking that poor goof away, would have been left to me, and boy! I tell you if it had, they would have had to drag the river for my poor body, for I would have run to the ends of the earth before I would have escorted that dame anywhere. I certainly would not have remained to see what became of her in my absence, either, and that’s the truth.”

      “Yes, Link, I’ll give you the credit of doing a very nice job in a most discreet manner,” said Paul with a smile of commendation.

      “Yes,” chimed in Reeves Leighton, “how did you do it so neatly and with such expedition? I’ve seen others fail utterly who were almost as well equipped mentally and physically. Tell us your secret. What mysterious power did you invoke? We might get caught in some such a jam ourselves some day.”

      “Oh, forget it!” said Link with a yawn. “Let’s turn in. I did a big day’s work this morning before I drove to town, and I’m not sure but I may have to do another tomorrow morning before I jump into my glad rags and go to the wedding, so have mercy, lads, and let’s get some sleep!”

      They were up early, nevertheless, and Link was off to get his necessary work out of the way so that he could be on hand with the others that afternoon.

      The hours seemed to move too swiftly as the day drew to a close, and excitement ran high. There were more and more presents to unwrap and place with the others, and Sydney sat at her little desk in the upper hallway and wildly dashed off notes of thanks. The girls hovered over the presents, admired and sometimes envied, and rejoiced over them all. Then suddenly they scurried to their rooms to get dressed, and the boys dashed back to Paul’s to do likewise, and not long after they appeared again as dignified well dressed ushers hovering around the church door, smiling and escorting the ladies to their places, and dropping back again to the door to gaze down the long awning-covered approach to see if the girls were coming yet.

      It was Luther Waite who almost caused a panic among them. His station had been the vestibule at the left hand door, under the great curved stairway that led to the left galleries.

      “Holy Mackerel, fellas,” he said under his breath, furtively peering out from the shadows. “If you see me beating it you’ll know that Minerva baby has come. If she turns up you can’t expect me to go on with my part. You’ll hafta get me a substitute quick! Because if she gets here she’ll freeze onto me and take me up the aisle, and smirk at me all the way, and that’s one thing I can’t take, fellas, I really can’t!”

      “Oh, shut up, you goop!” laughed Lincoln Silverthorn. “She’s not coming, don’t you worry! Get back on your job and forget you ever saw her.”

      “Oh, but I can’t forget, Link,” said Luther sadly. “She’s got my goat, and she might come, you know she might!” He was comical in his assumed distress. “And Link,” he added in sudden excitement, “I thought I saw her then, I really did. Right behind that man with the goatee. There! Isn’t that the gal with those pink doodads on her head?”

      “Calm yourself, Lutie!” said Link, lowering his voice. “you take that gray lady and go on about your business. Don’t let any more fool gals get your goat. Besides, they don’t allow goats in this church, and you’ve got a job to walk back up the aisle with Sue Richards, so you’d better watch out. Get going, kid, and stop your nonsense!”

      A few minutes later Link discovered the girl in question sitting far up in the back of the gallery, out of sight of the wedding party, but in a position where she could see the whole ceremony herself.

      He had thought he recognized her slight form scuttling up the gallery stairs just after Luther had marched his gray lady in to her seat on the groom’s side of the church. When he could snatch a moment he hid himself for an instant behind the banks of palms up by the altar and searched the gallery until he discovered her pale wistful face. He only gave her a glance, but the impression he got of her was that she was sad and unhappy. Her lips were not vivid as he remembered them, her face was very white, and her eyes were big and tired looking. Also her attire seemed very plain, not at all bright and dashing as she usually was. And this for a wedding! It somehow gave him an uneasy feeling. He was suddenly reminded of the sharp words he had said to her last night and felt that perhaps he was to blame for her unhappiness. She deserved them of course, but it hadn’t entered his head that they would make any deep impression on her. A girl who broke every rule of courtesy wherever she was, who had barged into Sydney’s wedding unbidden, and come back again after she had been sent away! Could this be just another act she was putting on, with herself for persecuted heroine? Well, he was glad he had said what he had, anyway. It was good she should know for once what one young man thought of her.

      She was wearing a black dress with a simple white collar, and a small black hat, not a crazy one. It wasn’t like her to dress so simply at an evening event. Well, he couldn’t bother his brains about her. He was only glad she was keeping in the background. So when he went back to the vestibule he whispered to Luther Waite.

      “Don’t worry, Lutie, the bane of your life is sitting away up in the gallery back by the organ console. And she can’t get downstairs till after you’ve marched out with Sue Richards, so you’re safe.”

      Luther answered with a relieved grin and the wedding came to order as a quartette of gorgeous voices began to sing:

      “Fair bride and groom, greetings to thee,

       Heaven’s choicest blessings descend rich and free,

       Long may you live, loyal and true,

       Happy in love ever rich, ever new.”

      The last notes blended into the good old wedding march that always has a special thrill for the audience no matter how many weddings they have attended, and a breathlessness went over the church.

      Now came the bridesmaids slowly, delicately, in all the colors of the rainbow, leading the procession. And how handsome the groom was, so happy-looking, with his pleasant stranger-best-man beside him! The groom was watching his approaching bride, and his face was as if a great happy light was over it. Did he know what a wonderful girl he was getting? Did he really know her well enough to take her away from them all? Would he treat her as a grand girl like that ought to be treated?

      Sydney’s maid of honor wondered as these thoughts and questions surged about the electric atmosphere of the church, how he dared to face them all and just look happy that he was getting her. He wasn’t afraid that he wouldn’t have a happy marriage. He meant to have it. He looked as if it was all in his hands and he had entire confidence in himself. He had on his face the smile that was perhaps the sweetest and most childlike that he had worn for years, or might ever wear again. At least that was the impression Rae Silverthorn got as she looked at him from the vantage point of the aisle, and realized that he was looking straight over her beautiful pink maid of honor dress, back to his lovely white bride behind her. She was glad for Sydney’s sake that his eyes were all for her friend, and not at all for the general beautiful effect of everything, colors and flowers and pretty girl faces.

      And the girl in black away up in the gallery saw his look, too, and her hungry heart winced. Would any young man, a nice young man like that, ever look at her that way?

      The wedding party drifted into place and arranged themselves with no seeming effort, and then came Sydney on her father’s arm and the solemn service began.

      Rae stood there sweetly beside her friend, her gorgeous sheaf of roses and delphiniums lying over her left arm so that there would be plenty of room without shifting

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