Produced by Brian Sogard, Adam Styles and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: Minor printer's errors corrected. THE SEA BRIDE BY BEN AMES WILLIAMS AUTHOR OF ALL THE BROTHERS WERE VALIANT GROSSET & DUNLAP PUBLISHERS NEW YORK Published by Arrangement with The Macmillan Company COPYRIGHT, 1919 BY BEN AMES WILLIAMS COPYRIGHT, 1919 BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY Set up and electrotyped. Published September, 1919. THE SEA BRIDE I They were to be married before the open fire, in the big living-room of the old house on the hill. Upstairs, Bess Holt was helping Faith dress. Faith sat before the old, veneered dressing table with its little mirror tilting on the curved standards, and submitted quietly and happily to Bess's ministrations. Bess was a chatterbox, and her tongue flew as nimbly as the deft fingers that arranged Faith's veil. Faith was content; her soft eyes resting on her own image in the little mirror were like the eyes of one who dreams dreams and sees visions. She scarce heard Bess at all.... Only once she turned and looked slowly about this low-ceiled old room that had been her home: the high, soft bed, with its canopy resting on the four tall posts; the frame of that canopy was split in one place; she had wound it with wire to strengthen it. How many mornings, waking pleasantly as day stole in the little windows, she had seen that twist of wire first of all as her eyes opened. She used to look at it, and dream a little, before she rose.... One window, with its white hangings, was just at the foot of the bed. The cool, salt-laden winds from the sea used to whisper in there and soothe her sleep. She had always loved the sea. Would she always love it so, when there was nothing else but the sea on every hand?... When she should have sailed away with big Noll Wing.... The high chest of drawers, the little dressing table, the delicate chairs.... These were all old and familiar friends--whom she was leaving behind her. And she loved them, loved the ugly paper on the wall, loved the old daguerreotypes above the chest of drawers, loved the crooked sampler by the never-used fireplace. Loved them.... She smiled happily and confidently. She loved them ... but she loved big Noll Wing better. She would not regret....