The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1905-12-29
A Christmas Wedding
[original.l.

[Original.l
Several years ago was obliged to go
on business during the autumn to a
seaport town. One day while waiting,
tn order to kill time, l visited the life
saving station. Just before reaching it
I passed a boxlike affair built on a
dune, measuring about six feet by four.
Facing the ocean was a low door and
beside it a window, through which
peered the saddest face l ever saw-the
face of a woman. She was still young
and attractive in appearance, though
her hair was white as snow. Sitting
by the window, her arm resting on the
sill, she was peering out to sea as
though looking for a ship.
At the life saving station l was told
that her name was Caroline Owens.
Ten years before her lover, John Ire
yor, a sailor, had started in September
on the schooner Mary Deane to make
a short voyage from which he was to
have returned for Christmas and their
wedding. Caroline prepared her we'd
ding OUTFIT could scarcely be dig
niied by the name of trousseau-and
Christmas festivities We're also arrang-
ed for, but on Christmas W a ship
came in with the news that the Mary
Deane had gone ashore in a storm and
every man on board had persisted.
1t was a sad Christmas for every oAe
in the neighborhood. Caroline was
stunned. She did not weep. She SIM
.,ly looked CIT of her eyes at vacancy
and said nothing. Every day she would
SO to the beach, and, standing on a
dune just above the life saving station.
peer out to sea. In storm and sunshine
she was there at least once a day, and
when the spring came on and the
weather was pleasant she would spend
most OF the day there. Then the kind
hearted life savers built her the little
shelter and invited her to take posses
sion of it.
Some OF the men considered her AZ
having gone daft at the death of her
lover, while others thought her mental
~ sound. was toll by one of them,
Markham by name, who in confidence
confessed to me that he had fallen in
love with her and would gladly marry
her, though he had never mentioned
the subject to her, that every Decem-
Der she became possessed with the idea
that her lover would return on Christ
mas eve She had told him there was a
feeling within her too strong to be re-
sisted that Trevor was alive, wander
ing here and there. mostly on the sea;
that there was some reason why he
could not return to her, but this reason
would in time be removed. This most
persons considered a mania induced by
the shock she had suffered.
/ often passed her sentry bA and
grew more and more impressed with
the sad but hopeful face always peer
ing out to sea-. When I went away I
left with Markham, the man who had
given ms his confidence. some money,
charging him to tell her that an un.
known person had given it to him to
be used for a wedding present on the
return Of her lover. I did this hoping
It might give her pleasure. She was
convinced that Trevor would come
back, and I believed 1t might be best
to foster this belief.
I returned to the city, autumn faded
into winter and the SHOWS came down.
One morning a man appeared at my
Office whom l did not recognize for q
moment, but when I did 1 saw that he
was Markham.
'sWhat brings you here?" I asked.
taking his rough hand in mine.
there's a wedding on" he replied.
"a wedding?"
Eyes; Carrie Owens. I've come to
buy the gift"
"And your"
"Oh. no, no; better than that" There
was a double expression Of pain and
Joy in his face and in his voice.
"Come, sit down here and tell me-"
"You remember the storm Of the Goth
Of Novembery he said. "yvell, that
was the worst I've eve experienced.
Carrie Owens spent the day in her box.
The next day would be the LIST of De-
cember, and that was the month she
was always the worst. 1 tried several
times to induce her to go home, but she
wouldn't. just as 1t was getting dark
l looked up at the box and saw a man
coming from behind it. He was evil
IDENTITY coming for Carrie, for his eyes
were on the box. Suddenly he rounded
to the front and stood before her. Then
heard a Shrek and knew that Jack
Trevor had come at last"
He went on to tell me that Trevor
had been injured in the head at the
time of the wreck. had been thrown
ashore and had wandered about with