ord was a marked woman in general
society, a woman who reigned, queenlike, over every heart; but, among
the circle of her relatives, the uncles and aunts and cousins who lived
within the sphere of her attractions, she was held to be little less
than the angels. It made it all the harder for Ray, since everybody was
eager to see what manner of man it was that had won so peerless a pearl
from their midst. It was loyalty to him, pride in him, love for him more
than anything else, that made her choose a military wedding, that all at
home might see something of the brighter side of army life and the
social attractions of the men who were his chosen comrades.

And at last it comes: a day of cloudless sunshine, of soft and balmy
air, heralding a moonlit evening that could have served for the
Midsummer Night's Dream, and inspired the melodies of Mendelssohn; and
the massive walls of a great cathedral church are silvered by the rays
without, and pierced by the brilliant flood of colored light shining
from within. Carriage after carriage rolls up through the dense throng
of curious but silent spectators and discharges its load of
richly-dressed occupants through the carpeted, canvas-roofed lane of
belted police, through the massive portals of the church, past the
welcoming "masters of ceremonies,"--two society swells, who know
everybody and where everybody is to be seated,--and by them are
presented to one of half a dozen stalwart young officers in all the
glitter of shoulder-knots, helmet-cords, aiguillettes, sabres, and
belts, and these martial ushers receive the wondering ladies on their
arms and escort them with much ceremony to the designated pews, wherein
they are deposited with the precision of military bows, and the escort
returns forthwith, clanking down the aisle followed by curious eyes.
Carriage after carriage arrives, party after party is ushered in with
the same unerring ease, just as the staff-officers conduct detachments
to their assigned positions: no break, no confusion; and the good
people of the peace-loving metropolis, to whom army matters have long
been a dark and uninviting mystery, begin to admit that there are some
points worth noting in a military wedding. And then "society" begins to
recognize each other with nods and smiles and fluttering fans, and to
look about and take mental inventory of the marvellous changes in the
vast interior. Verily, Marion Sanford's circle of friends and relatives
has effecte