CHAPTER XVIII
THE WEDDING MORN.
Love retired into his room and sat down beside the window to brood overhis great happiness.
Something like humility blended with his grateful thoughts.
Who was he, what had he done, that Heaven should be so good to him,giving him the fairest, truest, sweetest girl in the world for hisadored and loving bride?
He lifted his dark, dreamy eyes to the moonlit heavens and prayedreverentially:
"God make me worthy of the prize I have won!"
From the next room he could hear the low murmur of voices, as Daintyconversed with her mother in happy tones; but by and by all grew silent,as the fair girl sank to sleep, nestling against her mother's heart forthe last time, for to-morrow would give her to her husband's arms.
Love heard the clock in the tower chime the midnight hour, and retiredto dream of the happiness that would be his to-morrow.
And never came fairer dreams of the future to any lover's heart, assurely no lover's heart had ever been so bound up in its beauteous idol.
"Love thee? So well, so tenderly Thou'rt loved, adored by me, Fame, fortune, wealth, and liberty Were worthless without thee. Though brimmed with blessings pure and rare Life's cup before me lay, Unless thy love were mingled there, I'd spurn the draught away.
"Without thy smile the monarch's lot To me were dark and lone, While, _with_ it, even the humblest cot Were brighter than his throne. Those words for which the conqueror sighs For me would have no charms; My only world thy gentle eyes, My throne thy circling arms."
Wrapped in blissful dreams, he slumbered on till the night passed away.The morning dawned and the sun rode high in the heavens ere he started,broad awake, remembering that this was his wedding-day, and that he hadoverslept himself.
Indeed, at that moment, some one tapped on the door, and the voice ofHarry Chilton, his cousin and best man, called out, gayly:
"Heavens, man! what can you mean by sleeping to within two hours of yourwedding?"
"Is it possible?" cried Love, looking at his clock, and finding that theassertion was quite true.
He opened the door to his cousin, and they became immediately immersedin preparations for the ceremony which was to take place in thelarge parlor at nine o'clock, to be followed by the splendidwedding-breakfast.
The great house was in a hubbub of excitement with the finalpreparations and the dressing of the guests; but the bride's door hadnever opened yet, though no one thought strange of that, for she hadgently declined all offers of assistance at her toilet, saying thatmamma would do all that was necessary.
Never had there been a fairer morn for a birthday bridal. Not theslightest cloud marred the deep-blue sky; the sun shone in radiantsplendor on the dewy flowers and the green earth, and the little birdsseemed almost to know that there was to be a wedding, they warbled sopersistently in the joy of their little hearts.
Time wore on till it lacked but fifteen minutes to the ceremony. Thehouse was thronged with the wedding-guests, and the bishop of thediocese had arrived to perform the ceremony. The musicians were gettingready to play the wedding-march.
Love was all ready, looking faultlessly handsome in his wedding-suit,and he began to grow impatient because he had received no message fromhis darling that morning.
"How strange if she and her mother have overslept themselves! I will goand knock on the door," he said, suiting the action to the words.
He could not hear the least sound in the room, and he received no answerto his knock. He rapped impatiently again.
"Dainty! Mrs. Chase!" he called, anxiously, several times.
But there was no reply.
He bent his ear to the key-hole, but there was not a sound within thebride's room--all was still as the grave.
The handsome bridegroom grew pale and alarmed, crying out to his bestman, who stood by his side:
"Surely something has happened, for I have heard not a sound from theroom. We must force the door."
They put their shoulders against it; the lock yielded, it flew open, andthey stood within the room.
The curtains and the shutters were closely drawn, and the night-lampflickered dimly behind a screen. At one end of the room several chairswere littered with the wedding finery--the tiny white silken hose andslippers, the satin gown, the misty thread-lace veil.
In the midst of it all, Mrs. Chase lay on the bed, sleeping heavily, butDainty was nowhere to be seen.
Love stood looking about him, pale and alarmed, but it was Harry Chiltonwho first caught sight of a note pinned on the pillow, and drew Love'sattention to it.
"She is gone. Perhaps that may explain," he said.
Love caught up the note from the pillow, and read with staring eyes:
"DEAR MR. ELLSWORTH,--I have deceived you, and I can not keep the farce up any longer. I never loved you, never; but mamma always told me to get a rich husband if I could, and I was going to marry you for your money, knowing I would be a wretched wife, because all my heart was given to another.
"But last evening I met my lover in the grounds, and he persuaded me to go away with him. When this reaches you, I shall be his happy bride. We will be poor, but we shall have love to cheer us. Forgive me, and don't let the wedding be spoiled. Marry Olive or Ela.
"DAINTY."
Once in a lifetime a man may excusably swoon. Lovelace Ellsworth fellheavily to the floor like an insensate log.
Dainty's Cruel Rivals; Or, The Fatal Birthday Page 18
