Читать книгу: «Pretty Geraldine, the New York Salesgirl; or, Wedded to Her Choice», страница 18
CHAPTER LIX.
WEDDED TO HER CHOICE
"'Oh, darling', she said, and the whispered words
In a dreamy cadence fall,
'Can I help but choose thee who art the best
And the noblest among them all * * *
And since in thine eyes I shyly read
That thy thoughts hold a place for me—
I bring thee a love, and a heart, and a life,
And consecrate all to thee!'"
They drew up their chairs to the glowing kitchen fire, smoked, drank, and even played a game of cards, for now that the final moment had arrived, the villain's nerve began to fail him, and he began to realize his crime in all its enormity.
And while he lingered there, dreading the consummation of the crowning act of his villainy, along the road he had traveled another sleigh was speeding toward the farm—a double sleigh—and in it were seated Harry Hawthorne, Detective Norris, and two stalwart policemen detailed on special duty for this occasion.
Fast flew the gallant horses under the gently urging hand of the driver, until they were in sight, then Norris exclaimed:
"There's the old house now. And, see!—a sleigh at the gate! Perhaps Standish is there now, the villain! We will be extremely lucky if we catch him on the spot!"
At the same moment, Standish tossed off a bumper of wine, exclaiming:
"Here's to the bride, the beautiful heiress! Come, let's get the ceremony over!"
The three conspirators filed up stairs and into the room where Geraldine, more dead than alive, crouched in her chair in terror of their coming.
Standish, whose spirits were much elated by generous potations of wine, crossed over to her, crying, gayly:
"Give us a kiss, pretty one! I've come to marry you at last! Here's the preacher—justice, I mean. He can tie the knot just as well. Hello, Jane! if you're the bridesmaid, get her up on her feet by my side, will you?"
The justice planted himself in readiness to perform the ceremony, but Geraldine would not permit any one to drag her up from her seat.
She fought off their hands with a wonderful strength, born of desperation, and shriek after shriek, loud, agonized, ear-piercing, burst from her pale lips.
Perhaps it was the sound of those defiant shrieks that drowned the sound of bells as the second sleigh dashed up to the gate, and the men tumbled out pell-mell into the lane.
But the winter wind bore to their ears the sound of Geraldine's awful cries, and their feet seemed winged, as, headed by Hawthorne, they rushed up the lane and threw themselves altogether against the locked door.
It yielded and fell in with their united weight, tumbling all together upon the kitchen floor.
But each sprang to his feet and followed the sound of those frantic shrieks up a rickety stair-way to another locked door.
"Now all together again, lads—push!" shouted Hawthorne, and under the strong onslaught the second door yielded, the lock fell off, and they were on the scene of action.
And, oh, what a scene!
Clifford Standish and the old woman had dragged Geraldine from her chair, despite her desperate shrieks and struggles, and were holding her up between them, while the half-drunken justice mumbled over the words of the marriage service.
The conspirators, thus taken by surprise, dropped their victim and turned to fly, but the clubs of the agile policemen quickly strewed the floor with three groaning wretches.
As for Hawthorne, he thought only of Geraldine. She flew to him, and he clasped her in his arms, crying:
"Oh, my love, my love! I have come to save you!"
It was a tender meeting, but its pathos was quite lost on Norris and the policemen, who were busy putting handcuffs on the three prisoners, whose dose of clubs had reduced them to a dazed condition that made them easy to conquer.
The surprise had been a complete one, and extremely successful—so much so that all three of the conspirators were taken away as prisoners by the jubilant Norris and the two policemen.
And, to dispose of the subject at once, we may add that all three were committed to jail, had a speedy trial, and were convicted of kidnaping and conspiracy. An indignant judge and jury awarded them the severest sentence under the law, and they were sent to prison for a long term of years during which their energies were expended in labor for the State of Illinois.
It would be too great a task to describe the joy of the Fitzgerald household that evening when Harry Hawthorne restored Geraldine to her home, or their grief and indignation when they learned the terrible persecutions she had suffered.
Mrs. Fitzgerald's gratitude to Harry Hawthorne was boundless.
She scarcely remembered the existence of the English nobleman, whose title she had so ardently desired for Geraldine.
She realized how true was Hawthorne's affection when she saw him weep the bitterest tears over the cruel bruises that for several days empurpled the poor girl's face and hands—marks of the brutal blows she had been given by Jane Crabtree while trying to force her consent to marry Clifford Standish.
"He loves her with the devotion of a noble heart, and I will not stand between them, even though he is only a poor fireman. Besides, he really saved her life from those murderous wretches, and it belongs to him," she thought, generously.
So, when he came to her a few days later, asking her for the second time for her approval of his suit for Geraldine's hand, she accepted him with pleasure for her son-in-law.
And then she said, with a smile:
"But I hope you will not carry my dear girl away from me when you are married. This house is large enough for us all."
Thinking that he was poor, she wished to make the future as easy for him as possible.
But Hawthorne answered:
"I thank you for your generosity, but I have a home in England, and a widowed mother awaiting me."
"I do not understand," she said, wonderingly.
Just then Geraldine and Cissy came in, with the two children, who were enjoying the freedom of having no governess at present.
Mrs. Fitzgerald called Geraldine to her side, kissed her beautiful brow, and said:
"I have just given you away, my darling, to your worthy lover."
Geraldine blushed deeply, as Hawthorne drew her to his side and said:
"Dearest, I have just been telling your dear mother that our home must be in England when we are married. Indeed, I have a letter of introduction from my own mother to yours, which I must now deliver."
He bowed gracefully to Mrs. Fitzgerald, who opened the letter with a mystified air.
Directly she looked up, exclaiming:
"But this is very puzzling. The letter is from my English cousin, Lady Putnam, to introduce her son, Lord Leland Harry Putnam."
"I am he, Mrs. Fitzgerald," the young man said, with another low bow, but it took many minutes of explanation to convince her of the truth, and then she said, beamingly:
"But why did you deceive us?"
"Can you not guess? I wished to test Geraldine's love, and to win your regard as simple Harry Hawthorne, the poor fireman. I have succeeded, and now I am perfectly happy."
So were they all, if their radiant faces were an index of their feelings, and Lord Putnam made Geraldine blush very brightly when he added:
"My mother and sister told me to tell you that they will come to America to our wedding, and they hope it will be soon, as Amy especially is anxious to see this country."
When he brought Ralph Washburn and Leroy Hill to call the next day, they sounded the praises of beautiful Lady Amy so persistently that Geraldine was in love with her new sister before she ever saw her, and she wondered which one of the handsome young lovers would win the charming beauty.
She persuaded Cissy to be married on the same day as herself and Cameron Clemens, although very impatient for the marriage, consented to the postponement to please the two fair brides.
"Won't it be just too lovely to be married on the same day, Cissy, and cross the ocean together on our bridal tour and spend our honeymoons at Castle Raneleigh? We must write and tell the Stansburys and Odells, and send them invitations," cried pretty Geraldine, who was so happy in her love that she wanted all her old friends to rejoice with her when she was wedded to her heart's dear choice.
The happy day is set for June, dear reader, and I am invited to the double wedding.
