An Interrupted Wedding, or Marion Marlowe as Maid of Honor — page 16: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

a Fee Bras Was aa outside,” MY QUEEN. -A little scream of delight from Alma cut short her words. She was holding out a jewel case upon which lay a dainty locket. “Isn’t that just sweet! Diamonds and emeralds and such a neat design! Your lover has perfect taste!” murmured Marion, de- lightedly. —“T have the dearest lover in the world, haven’t I, Marion?” asked Alma, eagerly. “Could any one be more thoughtful and considerate than my Henry?” A. deep red flush mounted to Marion’s brow and for a moment she could only re- strain her words with difficulty. “Oh, Marion! I forgot that you were in - love!” cried her friend, penitently. “In my own happiness, I forgot yours, but I'll take it all back, dearie! Are not our two lovers the sweetest, dearest fellows in creation?” She put her arm around Marion’s shoul- ders as she waited for her reply, and as the fair girl was blushing furiously she bent and kissed her. “T know just how you feel! You don’t want to talk about it, do you, Marion?” she went on, quickly. “Such happiness cannot find expression in words at first, but you will have to talk soon, Marion, or the very hap- piness will kill you. There must be an es- cape valve, and it is only found by talking.” “T don’t mind talking to you one bit,” be- gan Marion, stoutly. “Of course, it is hard to say just how one feels, but oh, Alma, dar- ling, isn’t it perfectly heavenly !” There was a silent embrace and another kiss, then Marion rose, for it was time to go back to Dollie. “Tl be here in time to help you dress,” 13 course, he has thought of that, hasn't he, Alma ?” “Oh, yes, there will be detectives, but they could never stop Gladys!’ was the answer. “Why, the Evil One couldn’t stop that girl when there is a drop of whisky in her! Such scenes as I have gone through you could never imagine, Marion.” “And yet I don’t despair of her reforma- tion,” said Marion, quickly; ‘the secret seems to be to keep her in good company.” “And that can only be done by locking her in,” was the reply, “and the saints forbid that I should ever be her jailer.” , “Well, [’'d do it and pretty quick, too, if it was necessary for her good,” exclaimed Marion, stoutly. “‘I’ d shut her up in a room and keep her there for a month if for no e she said, gayly, “and, of course, I'll bring my - own finery with me. As I am to be the maid ‘ sof honor, I shall try to look as nice as pos- sible, and the doctor sent me up some ex- quisite flowers to wear in my corsage.” “Tt will seem more like a funeral than a wedding, if this suspense is not ended,” said Miss Allyn, wearily. “Tl just shake in my shoes when I enter that church for fear Gladys awill come reel- ing in and do something to disgrace me.” “Mr. Fairfax must have a detective or two said Marion, decidedly. “Of other reason than to get her thoroughly so- ber.” “Tt can’t be done, girlie; the law won’t permit it. No matter how bad she is, she has a right to be bad. The ones I’d like to jail are the ones who offer her liquor. What a lot of knaves they must be! How abso- lutely without honor! Poor Gladys, with all her wicked ways, I can’t help pitying her!” “You must not cry on your wedding day, Alma!” said Marion, quickly, as she saw her friend’s lips tremble. “I shall not cry upon mine no matter what happens! I think I shall be so radiantly happy that nothing will affect me! I shall be insensible to anything but my own great rapture!” | “You do love him dearly, don’t you, Ma- rion?” asked Miss Allyn, eagerly. “Then you can imagine, perhaps, what the tempta- tion would be if Dr. Brookes were to coax you to forget your honor!” She was thinking of Gladys as she spoke and her voice had grown tender. It was one of the moments in-which she loved and pitied her sister. The blood left Marion’s cheeks and her frame trembled convulsively and for just a moment she could not trust herself to an- swer. ~ These great loves are dreadfully danger- ous,’ went on Miss Allyn, softly. “We give heart and soul into our loner s keeping, then how catr we be expected to have the streneth to d o deny our bodies: econniclbooks.ecO©