Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1881-05-26
MARYS MISTAKE.

"No news ot hlm yet! Oh, Herbert,
are you really lost to me p
Thus often murmured Mary Weldon,
a beauti full girl of twenty, as she vainly
scanned the "shipping news" in the
paper for tidings of her absent sailor
lover.
Three long years had now passed
since he left her-for nearly three
years she had heard nothing either of
him or his vessel-the Hero, survey
ing craft, of which he was the captain.
He had told Mary before he sailed
that he thought the voyage would not
occupy more than twenty eight months;
that at the end of that time he would
probably come home, and that he
would then make her his wife. But. as
vet, She had received but one letter
from him-four months after he went
away-while now thirty-two more had
passed without her getting a line.
Her father thought that the craft
must have been lost, and so did many
other people; but Mary kept hoping on.
She had loved the young naval cap
tain deeply, and she could not bring
herself to think he was dead, in spite
% his silence and his long absence.
Both her parents, believing that he had
either died or that he was false to her,
endeavored to turn her mind in another
direction.
There was certain skipper named
John Thomas, a good looking, worthy
young man, who numbered thirty years
in age, and 5000 in savings. Mr.. We'll
don now wanted his daughter to ecour-
age this person; but although she liked
and respected him for his excellent dis
position, she had never thought Of ac-
cepting him for husband
One day it chanced that Thomas
bought from news stand a copy of q
South American paper, the latest num-
Der, and evidently the only one which
had reached Bristol.
From the right hand lower corner Of
one of the pages piece of the paper
had accidentally come off and was
missing.
Attracted toward that spot, the cap
tain's gaze was rivetted on little notice
near this part of the journal The head
ing OF this paper having been partially
torn off with the missing piece of the
paper, 1t stood thus, with the other lines
undisturbed beneath:
"MAR
"On June 2Sth, Herbert Weyman,
late captain Of the brig Hero, to Fanny
Major, Of Costa Rica"
For moment the young mans brain
seemed TO spin round like top.
Married So he is married :" he
murmured to himself. "Then, indeed,
all is over between him and Mary Vel.
don. How scurvily he has treated her
have always heard good reports of
him, and would not believe this did |
not see the marriage notice here before
nv very eyes in this paper, published
in Costa Rica, where the wedding took
place. !"
Again he looked at the notice.
Gay, have made no mistake. Here
it is, plain enough, under that heading
of Married. or Marriages which
ever it was before the letters coming
after mar we're torn or And now
what shall do? / don't like TO be the
bearer OF this terrible news to poor
Mary. Heaven help her y
Finally he concluded to take the pa
per to her mother; but not until the
next morning after she had received it
could Mrs. Weldon master courage to
show the notice to Mary.
The young girl became very pale;
even her lips turned white, while great
blue rings appeared under her beautiful
eyes; and for moment she staggered
as IL about to swoon.
"My dear child" cried her anxious
mother, winding m arm about her neck
4.let your pride help You. SO false I
person is not worth thought r.
"No, no; he cannot have been false
mamma. There Must be some mistake !
"wouId that IL we're 30. But thes'
lines tell the story" Again Mary reat
these terrible words.
"May not some foolish person hav'
put 1t in for d joke ?" she said.
"No; don't try to deceive yourself
Mary. Marriage notices are never pu
in for jokes 1t least, not in that way.
From this moment Mary began Z
droop She atrove 70 call pride to he