s. So I 'tended
to her animal right off."

"Quite right. Bring me my riding boots."

The servant did as he was bid, and the squire and his guest got ready for
their ride.

On their way out to the hall door they stopped at Mrs. Force's parlor, to
bid good-by to the ladies sitting there.

The rector gravely shook hands with every one.

Mr. Force merely nodded and smiled his adieus, and said that he should be
back in the evening in time for tea.

Then the two gentlemen went out, mounted their horses and rode away,
attended by the groom--the minister to his parochial duties, the squire to
find an officer to serve his warrants.

CHAPTER XXX

THE BRIDEGROOM'S NEXT MOVE

Meanwhile the two visitors in Mrs. Force's parlor had a pleasant time of
it.

Mrs. Force, seeing that the gossip between Mrs. Anglesea and Miss Sibby
Bayard would be sure to turn on the character and antecedents of the
gallant Col. Angus Anglesea, and thinking that their discourse would not
prove very edifying to her young daughters, sent Wynnette and Elva with a
message to Miss Meeke, and gave them an intelligible hint that they need
not return.

"You never let on a word to me that you was the wife of that man who was
going to marry Odalite Force--no, not even when we was all a-talking about
the wedding!" said Miss Sibby, reproachfully, before she had been many
minutes seated in the parlor.

"Woman alive, I was afraid to tell anybody, for fear the secret would get
out, and put him on his guard, and spoil my fun!" exclaimed the lady from
Wild Cats'.

"How spoil your fun?"

"Why, this way--prevent me from doing what I wanted to do."

"What you wanted to do?"

"Yes!"

"And what was that? Anything more than stopping the wedding?"

"Yes, indeed! It would have stopped the wedding days before it did if I
had let on to you, or to any one else, that he had a wife living, and I
was she! Why, the very hint of the thing would have stopped the wedding!
But I wanted to put him to a public shame, and make an example of him! I
wanted to give him rope enough to hang himself. And to let him pile up
wrath against the day of wrath! And so I laid low, and said nothing to
nobody until I found him at the altar, with the bride by his side, and
then I denounced and disgraced him, in the great congregation of the
people!"

Just at this moment a servant entered the room, and handed a note to Mrs.
Force.

The lady changed color as she recognized the