The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-07-20
A MISSING BRIDE.

~ PASpQilhS lOI tllO MCQNllnb VI SCOE2lu
Blake and Edgar Gcland, which was to
take place that evening mt o. clock Gcor-
gin was an attractive girl and Edgar u tall,
awkward boy, whose good qualities mado
up for tho lack of good looks. Both wero
great favoritcs at tho Grove, and tho people
looked upon tho match rs an ideal one.
Tho Grove had not celebrated marriage
for nearly 10 months, and the fact of lat
last having wedding aroused much en-
thusiasm there and in tho vicinity among
all, old and young, WHO looked forward to
the event of tho evening with keen do
light. BY Z o'clock tho room was crowd
cd, by scarcely standing room for the
guests. Those from tho Grove were there
In full force, and tho surrounding bayous
wero represented by goodly number. All
were merry and chatting gayly, though n
triflc impatient for tho coming of tho
bride. But when tho little cricket clock
on the mantclpiccc struck 8 silence reigncd,
and all eyes were turned and rivcted on
tho door Thorough which the couple wcro to
enter, and there they gazcd full one hour,
for tho clock struck 10 before tho latch on
tho door made any sound. Then 1t raised
and the door opcncd-only to admit tho
tear stained face of Mrs Lawrence, who in
an excited, sob broken voice told the guests
that Georgia could not be found
She had left homo early in the afternoon
for the puprosc of gathering water lilies
and other wild flowers and had not vet
come back. Her long stay did not create
any uncasncss until sunset, when
straightway u man was sent to hurry her
home, and he had just returned, bringing
with him only her hat, which he found on
the edge Of the water One can hardly
imagine anything that would have given
tho people so sudden Il shock as this The
women wcpt the men looked out of the
windows and doors, simply ut vacuity
for it was black without, then put on
their hats and instituted n search ut once.
which was joined in earnestly by every
man present.
The search continued all night, many In
their excitement going over the same
ground, until daylight convinced them
that there, at least, were no moro traces
of her than those which had already been
found-hcr hat and few trucks in the
soft sand near by. And thus was spent
the night that was to have been one of rev.
elry.
Bayous wcrc crossed, and the scarchcrs
went here there and everywhere, to places
Wbcro there WAS and wasn't the least
probability of tracing her. But all in
vain. Then, ono by one, worn out and
sad, loath to give up, yot believing further
steps as fruitlcss as the first proved, the
searchers-ncn and women-went home,
now surcr than ever that Georgia had been
drowned and had gone on with the tide,
down Ccdnt bayou, over Spanish lake, out
then to the gulf
Thoro was one, however, who would not,
could not give ulp-yct. That was Edgar
ICELAND. Ho went from place to place,
looking, praying, hoping that he might
vet find nf fnr l..
could not believe she was drowned. Weeks
went by, and his long wcnrying steps, his
eager, watchful eyes for anything. that
would bring him tidings and his listening
ear for any sound by which he might be
guided were all in vain. Hope was dead.
In his despair he gave his homc-the
ono which WAS to have been hers also-to
tho old couple who had sheltered Georgia
for so many years. and then, having no
moro interest there, the boy, crushed in
heart and spirit, left tho Grove determined
never to return.
Up to that time all had gone well at tho
Grove, but this sad affair had cast II gloom
over the place, the shadow of which was
deep and threatened to be disnally long
But one morning, just as the sun reached
up to tho tree tops over Spanish lake, u
schooner came in sight and cast anchor mt
tho mouth Of Cedar bayou-which was too
small for so large craft-and yawl was
seen to glide away from the side of the
vessel, coming straight to the Grove. This
was something that had never happened
before, and the people were curious to
know what 1t meant, so curious in fact
that many had COMO down to the shore
and stood there shading their eyes and
watching to see who were tho three in the
yawl. How little they dreamed that the
small figure in the bow-so that she might
be the first one out-was Georgia Blake.
She it was, though, and few minutes
moro she whom they had mourned rs dead
for oil these months stood before them
safe and well.
In n few words she told her story
On the afternoon of her disappearance.
not being able to find ms many flowers MS
sho wanted, she set out in an old skifT one
that had long since been useless. Sho
knew it was risky, but eager for tho flow
ers She bailed out the boat and started
off, padding and steering, all at tho same
time, with little board which she found
on the shore. She had done that many n
time before, but not in such skiff. How
ever, she reached the spot where the lilies
grew thickcst. Wild with enthusiasm
over their beauty, she gathered SO long as
ono was in sight, and then, with sigh of
content and pleasure, she looked down at
the heap of beauties at her feet and found
they were floating. And no wondcr-thcre
was foot of water in the skiff and it was
coming in faster and faster.
She picked up the little board which
had served as paddle and began to bail
But she could not guide the boat and bail,
too, and while she got n triflc ahead of the
water the boat got ahead of her. 1t Sc
lcctcd, with the aid Of the tide and wind,
Its own course and driftcd farther and
farther away from Cedar Grove. She look
cd around, hoping some boatman might
come in sight, hut not so. Her face grew