The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1904-05-11
Anniversary
Flow ers
toriginai.l

Some years ago was sent by a eli
ent on some legal business to a small
village in New Hampshire.
There are no hotels In the place.
said my client, worthy of the name.
but VIII give you note OF introduc-
ton to family who may consent to
take you into their home"
The letter was to Miss colburn, a
middle aged spinster who lived with
her brother, few years older than
herself. and sister few years youn-
ger. was received into the family
and provided with every comfort at
their disposal. Great stress was laid
upon the fact that lived In New
York. For some reason New York
seemed to them to be Mecca, a Jeru-
salem, Bethlehem, a place boiler
than other places. None OF them had
ever been there and knew nothing
about what wicked city New York
is. | did not enlighten them for fear Of
touching some tender spot, some grief
with which the place was connected.
noticed that only Mr.. .Colburn and
the younger Miss Colburn ever re-
ferred to New York, and when they did
SO the elder sister, Mary, maintained
perfect silence. as IL they were speak
Ing OF the tomb of some one well be-
loved
One day noticed on table In the
living room vase filed with dozen
American Beauty roses also noticed
that the members of the family spoke
low and trod softly.
That evening the sisters went up
stairs early, the brother remaining be-
low with me.
u wonder" he said, '.if you know in
New York Mr. Theodore Carroll?'
Il do not replied.
He, looked surprised. :
you must remember" added, "that
New York is very large city"
Then he grew confidential and gave
me an explanation of what to me had
been n mystery. A quarter of cen.
tury before man had appeared in the
village to make it his headquarters for
the time that he would remain in the
vicinity while making surveys on the
railroad that was then being located"
He was thirty1five years old. college
graduate, and had charge of the en-.
cheering work of that division of the
road. Like myself, he had been lodged
at the Colburns'. the father and mother
of the family being at that time living.
He fell in love with Mary .Colburn,
then eighteen. and his love was return.
ed. Notwithstanding that he was city
born and bred and she a country girl.
he asked her 10 marry him, and she
consented.
Preparations We're made for the we'd
ding, which was TO take place as soon
as Carroll concluded his engineering
work on that division of the railroad.
Mary was supremacy happy. Carroll
was at times buoyant, at other times
depressed. He was all that lover
could be to his fiancee. Indeed he
seemed to have morbid dread that he
should lose her.
The very morning of the wedding
misfortune fell upon the lovers, the
family, indeed the whole village, since
everybody was interested, in the affair.
When Mary's brother went to Carrolrs
room to announce that all was ready,
he found him in swoon. Beside him
on the floor was a letter from a wo-
man who claimed to be his VIE.
When Carroll came to himself he ad-
mitted that the woman had really been
married to him, but he had left her,
and he had evidence to Indicate that
she was dead. She had heard of his
approaching marriage and had written
him to say that she was living and so
long as she lived he should never wed
legally.
That was the most melancholy day
the village had ever known. The girl
who had expected to become bride
bore up bravely. but II was plain that
she suffered inexpressible agony. Car
roll pleaded his cause with her, excus-
ing himself for not having told of his
former marital complication on the
ground that 1t was thing of the past
which was a horror to him and which
he believed ended forever by death.
Mary did not blame him. She sat list
lessly while he talked OF 1t, and when
he had finished and he pressed his lips
TO hers in an adieu she went to her
room and did not see him again. Car
roll went to New York to take steps to
secure a divorce. though Mary told
him that she would not marry di-
vorced man. Hoping to win her con
sent in time, he commenced proceed
ings. which so far as the Colburn fam
lily heard had never ended. On every
anniversary Of the wedding day there
came box Of flowers, Carroll had
continued TO write for two years. then
his letters had ceased But the flowers
kept on coming.
Such was the statement given me by
Mary Colburn's brother. l was pro-
foundry interested in 1t and determined
when reached New York to look
Carroll up and solve the mystery OF a
divorce case that had lasted a quarter
of century. On returning TO the city
sought my client. reported my action
in the case upon which ! had been en-
ployed, then asked him If he knew OF
the romance that hung over the Col