The herald., 1893-06-18
A DELAYED BRIDEGROOM

A late arrival in Los Angeles was O
witness during his journey from Eng
land Of an exciting little romance which
began with tears and concluded as ell
such romsnces should. in the orthodox
style of happiness allround.
The parties were passengers on the
steamship Partisan, the largest boat on
the Allan line plying between Liverpool
and Montreal.
People easily become acquainted with
each other on board ship, and it soon
became known that the pretty girl with
the lady's maid was going out to Quebec
to be married.
1t would have been difficult to avoid
learning the state OF affairs, for the young
woman was 80 overlooking with hap
piness that her secret became burden,
and from being confided in quick sue
ceesion to several sympathetic female
listeners, the story ended by becoming
public properly. 1t appeared that the
pair had been engaged since childhood,
but the young man was poor and he lett
his sweetheart to go west and prosper.
In the meantime the girls only relative
her father--died and che had barely
dried her eyes before she received let
ter from her lover telling her that his six
years, absence had made him rich and
asking her to join him in America. 1t
was not long before arrangements were
made that she should take berth on
the Parisian and meet her lover in
Quebec, then they would be married and
continue their Journey to California,
their future home, together.
OF course she made friends with
everybody, the women all eympathised
with her, and the men all fell in love
with her, and on the evenings when the
moonlight emphasized the poetry of the
surroundings, abe would even flirt just
little Bit, but 1t was recognized that
she was only keeping her hand in for
the honeymoon, and nobody suffered.
Az time went on and Quebec grew
nearer and nearer, these moonlight nir-
tations ceased; the chief factor in them
was far too excited to bother with any
man but the one man; all she seemed
to be able to do was to hang. over the
rail and strain her eyes in the direction
of Quebec.
1t had been settled that be should
meet her on the wharf, and at least
dozen kilograms to that effect had been
handed her at Queenstown, 30 when the
boat touched the port everybody on
board, from the captain down, was look
ing out for the bridegroom.
But no impatient lover appeared.
With tears In her pretty eyes the fright
ened girl sent messengers to all the
hoteln in the town, but to no effect; no
one answering to her lovers name had
even been heard of.
OF course everyone told her that it
was all right; he would be sure to turn
up later the boat was to lay over Sun
day in Quebec, and he would be sure to
turn up before che left for Montreal.
But although the boat didn't leave for
Montreal for nearly 4S hours he didn't
materialize; comfort was out OF the
question, the poor girl didn't know what
to think was her lover dead, or had he
repented of his offer? ut must be ons
or the other" she argued, 'or he would
surely have come to meet me-" and as
either contingency was too terrible to
think OF she went into her cabin and
cried her eyes out. After an hours weep.
ing she came up radiant. How silly it
was of her of coulse he had missed his
train and would turn up at Montreal, and
once more happy, she began to look for
Montreal, although every now and then
some little Observation-Disclosures belied
her apparent ease.
At Montreal there was scene. He
didn't appear and hadn't been even
heard OF. The hsart-broken girl went
of in dead faint and when she recov-
cred refused to be comforted. Even
those on board came to the conclusion
her lover was either dead or had re-
pented Of his bargain, and people began
to wonder what che would do. Eventu-
ally lady and gentleman, who, with
their fsmily on board, had taken great
interest in the prospective bride, per-
suaded her to go on to Los Angeles with
them and to make her home with them
until che could make arrangements to
return to England. The despairing girl
accepted the offer, and the journey was
commenced, but it WAS not the merry
party OF the boat few days ago. There
was distinctly depressing atmosphere
about everyone even the babies cried
more than usual, and the principal per-
former in the little tragedy passed her
time in gazing blankly with tear-steined
eyes, out of the window, varying this
every now and then with fit OF hys-
terics.
One moonlight night she was sitting
up at her usual occupation of seeing
nothing out of the window; everyone
else were making their preparations to
retire when the train slowed down at
Calgary.
The car had barely stopped when
tall young man sprang on board. He
got half way down the car when there
WAS scream, and running forward the
astonished passengers saw the deserted
maiden in the arms of the tall young
man, where she remained alternately
laughing, crying, scolding and embrac-
ing entirely oblivious to the amazement
of her fellow travellers.
1t appeared afterwards that the girls
lover had been the victim Of chapter
of accidents. The train which was to
have landed him in Quebec in time to
meet the steamer broke down, and was
patched up too late to arrive in time.
He telegraped the boat at Quebec, but
somehow or other it was never de-
liyered.
OF course she forgsve him, but the
rest of the people who had seen her suf-
fer were heard to make remarks not ex-
actly of complimentary kind but as
she was more than Satisfied, their opin-
ions remained strictly private.
THAT WNRJ ne FAIR TRIP