The minister raised his voice, proclaiming the holy union before
God, and this twain, half pure, half foul, now by divine ordinance
one flesh, bowed down before it. No blood cried from the ground.
The sunlight of high noon streamed down through the window panes
like a benediction.

Back in the pew of Mrs. Miriam Steuvisant, Reggie Du Puyster turned
down his thumb. "Habet!" he said.


From "The Strange Schemes of Randolph Mason," by Melville Davisson
Post. Copyright, 1896, by G. P. Putnam's Sons.



Ambrose Bierce

An Heiress from Redhorse


CORONADO, June 20th.

I find myself more and more interested in him. It is not, I am
sure, his--do you know any noun corresponding to the adjective
"handsome"? One does not like to say "beauty" when speaking of a
man. He is handsome enough, heaven knows; I should not even care
to trust you with him--faithful of all possible wives that you are--
when he looks his best, as he always does. Nor do I think the
fascination of his manner has much to do with it. You recollect
that the charm of art inheres in that which is undefinable, and to