Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-12-13
DAILY SHORT STORY
CHRISTMAS WEDDING.

seaport town. One day while waiting,
In order TO kill time. i visited the life
saving station. Just before reaching II
1 passed n boxlike affair built on a
dune, measuring about six feet byffour.
Facing the ocean was a low door and
beside it n window, through which
peered the saddest face 1 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
lsin, she was peering out to sea as
though looking for ship.
At the life saving station | was told
that her name was Caroline Owens.
Ten years before her lover. John I've
vor. a sailor, had started in tSeptember
on the schooner Mary DeaIR 10 make
a short voyage from which he was to
have returned for Christmas and their
wedding Caroline prepared her wed
ding OUTFIT could scarcely be dig
nified by the name OF trousseau-and
Christmas festivities were also arrang
ed for. but on Christmas eve ship
came in with the news that the Mary
Deane had gone ashore In q storm and
every man OH board had perished-
. 1t was n sad Christmas for everyone
in the neighborhOod. Caroline was
stunned. She did not weep. She. SIM
ply looked out of her eyes at vacancy
and said nothing. Every day she would
so to the beach. and, standing on
dune just above the life saving. station,
peer out TO sea. In storm and sunshine
she was there at least once q 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 as
having gone daft at the death of her
lover, while others thought her mental
~ sound. ! was told 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
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 ii mania induced by
the shock she had suffered.
/ often passed her sentry box and
grew more and more impressed with
the sad but hopeful face always peer
ing out to sea. When 1 . went away
left with Markham. the man who had
given me his confidence, some money.
charging him to tell her that an I'M
known person had given il to him to
be used for wedding present on the
return of her lover. | did this hoping
it might give her pleasure. She was
convinced that Trevor would come
back, and l believed it might he best
TO foster this belief.
returned TO the city. autumn faded
into winter and the SHOWS came down
One morning Il man appeared at my
office whom | did not recognize for a
moment, but when dbl saw that he
was Markham.
What brings you heTe?' 1 asked.
taking his rough hand in mine.
There's IL wedding on he replied.
"A wedding:''
YES; Carrie Owens. I've come to
buy the gift
And you
'Oh, no, no: better than that" There
was n double expression of pain and
joy in his face and i'll his voice.
Come. sit down here and tell me"
You remember the storm of the 30th
OF November he said. well. that
was the worst I've ever experienced.
Carrie Owens spent the day I'm her box.
The next day would be the LIST of De
cember, and that was the month she
was always the worst. / tried several
times To induce her To go home. but she
wouldn't. Just as it was getting dark
l looked up at the box and saw a man
coming from behind il. He was evil
Identity coming for Carrie. for his eyes
were on the box. Suddenly he,rounded
10 the front and stood before her. Then
heard shrek and knew that Jack
Trevor had come at last
lie 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 |
out any remembrance as TO who he |
was. Finally. when i'll in a hospital, a |
surgeon had discovered a displacement |
of "A small piece OF his skull, had ire |
panned him and brought back his |
memory. Then he had made for home |
and Caroline. He didn't come by sea.
as she expected" added my informant, |
''Dut he came all the Samen
He bore an invitation for me to the |
wedding, and ! accepted. On Christ |
mas eve i arrived at the cottage of |
Caroline Owens parents and was in
troduced to Caroline herself So preoc-
cupied had she been when / was pass
ing her box that she did not remember
to have ever seen me-
OF course both she and Trevor bore