The Masked Bridal

  THE MASKED BRIDAL.

  PROLOGUE.

  The most important and the most sacred event in a woman's life is hermarriage. It should never be lightly considered, no matter what may bethe allurement--honor, wealth, social position. To play at marriage,even for a plausible pretext, is likely to be very imprudent, and mayprove a sin against both God and man.

  The story we are about to tell chiefly concerns a refined andbeautiful girl who, for the ostensible entertainment of a number ofguests, agreed to represent a bride in a play.

  The chief actors, just for the sake of illustrating a novel situation,and perhaps to excite curiosity among the spectators, were to havetheir faces concealed--it was to be a masked bridal.

  Already the guests are assembled, and, amid slow and solemn music, theprincipals take their places.

  The clergyman, enacted by a gentleman who performs his part withprofessional gravity and impressive effect, utters the solemn wordscalling for "any one who could show just cause why the two before himshould not be joined in holy wedlock, to speak, or forever hold hispeace."

  At the sound of these words, the bride visibly shudders; but as she ismasked, it can only be inferred that her features must indicate herintense emotion.

  But why should she exhibit emotion in such a scene? Is it not a play?She cannot be a clever actress when she forgets, at such a time, thatit is the part of a bride--a willing bride--to appear supremely happyon such a joyous occasion.

  It is strange, too, that as the bride shudders, the bridegroom's handcompresses hers with a sudden vigorous clutch, as if he feared to loseher, even at that moment.

  Was it merely acting? Was this "stage business" really in the play? Orwas it a little touch of nature, which could not be suppressed by thestage training of those inexperienced actors?

  The play goes on; the entranced spectators are now all aroused fromthe apathy with which some of them had contemplated the opening partof the remarkable ceremony.

  As the groom proceeds to place the ring upon the finger of the bride,she involuntarily resists, and tries to withdraw her hand from theclasp of her companion. There is an embarrassing pause, and for aninstant she appears about to succumb to a feeling of deadly faintness.

  She rouses herself, however, determined to go on with her part.

  Every movement is closely watched by one of the witnesses--a womanwith glittering eye and pallid cheek. When the bride's repugnanceseemed about to overmaster her, and perhaps result in a swoon, thiswoman gave utterance to a sigh almost of despair and with pantingbreath and steadfast gaze anxiously watched and waited for the end ofthe exciting drama.

  The grave clergyman notices the bride's heroic efforts to restrain heragitation, and the ceremony proceeds. At length the solemn sentence isuttered which proclaims the masked couple man and wife.

  Then there is a great surprise for the spectators.

  As they behold the bride and groom, now unmasked, there is a stare ofwonder in every face, and expressions of intense amazement are heardon all sides.

  Then it dawns upon the witnesses that the principal actors in the playare not the persons first chosen to represent the parts of the brideand groom.

  Why was a change made? What means the unannounced substitution ofother actors in the exciting play?

  Ask the woman who caused the change--the woman who, with pallid cheekand glittering eye, had intently watched every movement of theapparently reluctant bride, evidently fearing the failure of the playupon which she had set her heart.

  It became painfully evident that the play was not ended yet, and somethere present had reason to believe that it was likely to end in atragedy.

  Now let us portray the events which preceded the masked bridal.