The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-07-25
SELECTED STORY,
A Missing Bride.

Blake and Edgar Geland, which was to
take place that evening at o'clock. Gcor-
lgia was an attractive girl and Edgar tall
awkward boy, whose good qualities made
up for the lack of good looks, Both were
great favortes at tho Grove, and the people
looked upon the match as an ideal one.
The Grove had not celebrated a marriage
for nearly II months and the fact of lat
last" having 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.
Hight. By z o'clock tho room was crowd
ed, by 8 scarcely standing room for tho
guests. Those from tho Grove were there
in full force, and the surrounding bayous
were represented by n goodly number. All
were merry and chatting gayly, though
trl6e impatient for tho coming of the
bride But when the little cricket clock
on the mantelpicce struck silence rcigncd,
and all eyes were turned and riveted on
The door thorugh which the couple were to
enter, and there they gazcd full one hour,
for the clock struck 10 before the latch on
the door made any sound. Then 1t raised
and the door opened-only to admit the
tear stained fnce of Mrs Lawrence, who in
on excited, sob broken voice told the guests
that Georgia could not be found.
She had left home early in the afternoon
for the purpose 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 shock rs 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 a 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, were no more traces
of her than thoss 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 searchers
went here, there and everywhere, to places
where there was and wasn't the least
probability of tracing her. But all in
vain. Then, one by one, worn out and
sad, loath to give up, yet believing further
steps as fruitless as the first proved, the
searchers-men and women-went home,
now surer than ever that Georgia had been
drowned and had gone on with the tide,
down Cedar bayou, over Spanish lake, out
then to the gulf.
There was one however, who would not,
could not give up-yet That was Edgar
ICELAND. He went from place to place,
Hooking, praying, hoping that he might
yet find some trace of her, for as yet he
could not believe she was drowned. 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 he might be
guided We're all in vain. Hope was dead.
In his despair he gave his home-the
tone whio1 was to have been hers also--to
Che old couple who had sheltered Georgia
Tor SO many years, and then, having no
more interest there, the boy, crushed in
heart and spirit, left the Grove determined
inever to return
Up to that time all had gone we'll at the
Grove, but this sad affair had cast gloom
0ver the place, the shadow of which was
doep 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
tne mouth OF Cedar Dayou-whlch was TOO
small for SO large craft-apd a yawl was
seen to glide away from the side OF the
vessel, coming straight to the Grove. This
! was something that had never happened
| ,p6eore, and the people were curious to
know what 1t meant, so curious, in fact,
chat many had gone down to the shore
and stood there shading their eyes and
watching to see who were 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
Nor all these months stood before them
safe and we'll.
In n few words she told her story:
On the afternoon of her disappearance,
mi being able to find as many flowers as
iehe wanted, she set out In an old slSiff, one
that had long since been useless She
knew it was risky, but eager for the flow
.ers she bailed out the boat and started
of, padding and steering, all at the same
time, with a little board which she found
on the shore. She had done that many a
time before, but not in such skiff How
byer. she reached the spot where the lilies