Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-07-06
A MISSING BRIDE.


Blake and Edgar ICELAND, which was to
take place that evening at 8 clock. Geor-
gia was an attractive girl and Edgar Il tall,
awkward boy, whose good qualities made
up for the lack of good looks. Both were
great favoritcs mt the Grove, and the people
looked upon the match as an ideal one.
The Grove had not celebrated marriage
for nearly - months, and the fact of at
last having n wedding aroused much en-
thusiasm there and in the vicinity among
all, old and young, who looked forward to
the event Of the evening with keen de.
light. BY O'Clock the room was crowd
ed, by 5 scarcely standing room for the
guests. Those from the Grove were there
in full force, and the surrounding bayous
were represented by a goodly number All
were merry and chatting gayly, though q
triAe impatient for the coming of the
bride. Put when the little cricket clock
on the mantclpiccc struck silence rcignod
and all eyes were turned and rivetcd on
the door thorugh which the couple were to
enter, and there they gazcd fun one hour
for the clock struck 10 before the latch on
the door made any sound. Then it raised
I'd the door opcncd-only to admit the
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 home early in the afternoon
for the puprose of gathering water lilies
and other wild flowers and had not yet
come back. Her long stay did not create
any uneaSiness until sunset, when
straightway 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
the people SO sudden a shock as this. The
women wept, the men looked out of the
windows and doors, simply at vacuity,
for it was black without then put on
their hats and instituted Il search at 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. We're no more traces
Of her than tbose which had already been
found--her hat and few tracks in the
soft sand near by And thus was spent
the night that was to have been one Of rev
elry.
Bayous were crossed, and the =oarchcrs
went here, there and everywhere to places
where there vas and wasn't the least
'rohahlitv Of tracin~ bow Put all in
vain. Then. one by one worn out and
S a. loa,h give UP, VT believing furtl or
steps rs fruit!oss a the first proved, he
searchcr>-mrn and womcn-wcnt home,
now surer than ever that Georgia had been
drowned and had gone on with the tide,
down Cedar Won, over Spanish lake, out
then to the gulf
inerc was ono. however, who would not
could not give up--yct That was EDGAR
Geland lie vent from place to place
looking praying hoping that he might
yet find some trace of her, for as Yet he
could not believe she was drSvned. Weeks
went by and his long wearying steps his
eager, watchful eyes for anything that
would bring him tidings and his listening
ear for any sound by which lie might he
guided Were in vain Hope was dead.
In his despair he gave hi, home-the
one which was to have been hers also--to
the old couple who had sheltered Georgia
fer so many years, and then, having no
more interest there, the boy, crushed in
heart and spirit, left the Grove determined
never to return
Up to that time all had gone well at the
Grove, but this sad affair had cast gloom
over the place, the shadow of which was
deep and threatened to be dismally long
But one morning just as the sun reached
up to the tree tops over Spanish lake, a
schooner came in sight and cast anchor at
the mouth Of Cedar bayou-which was too
small for so large Il 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 gone down to the shore
and stood there shading their eyes and
watching TO See who We're the 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 1t was, though, and few minutes
more she whom they had mourned as dead
for all these months stood before them
safe and well.
In few words she told her story:
On the afternoon of her disappearance,
not being able to find as many flowers as
she wanted, she set out in an old skiff, one
that had long since been useless. She
knew 1t was risky, but eager for the flow
ers she bailed out the boat and started
off, padding and steering, all ut the same
time, with II little board which she found
"a
time before but not in such a sAiff. How
ever, she reached the spot where the lilies
grew thick,st. Wild with enthusiasm
over their beauty, she gathered SO long as
one 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 iloaring. And no wonder-there
was foot of water in the skiff and 1t was
coming in faster and faster
She picked up the little board which
had served as a paddle and began to bail
But she could not guide the boat and bail,
too and while she got trifie ahead of the
water the boat got ahead of her 1t se-
lected with the aid of the tide and wind,
its own course and drifted farther and
farther away from Cedar Grove. She look
ed around, hoping some boatman might
come in sight. hut not so. Her face grew
red from the exertion, two big salt tears
trickled over her lashes, her arms ached,
and her heart beat with fright. But she
bailsd on-all that she could possibly do.