The daily Alaskan., 1906-01-13
A Christmas Wedding
[OrIgInall

I passed a boxllke affair built on dune. measuring about six feet by four. | Facing the ocean was a low door and beside it a window, through which pecred the saddest face I ever saw-the face of 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 was told that her name was Caroline Owens. Ten years before her lover, John Ire vor, 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 Outft-it could scarcely be dig nified by the name of trousseau-and Christmas festivities were also arrang- cd for, but on Christmas eve ship came In with the news that the Mary Deane had gone ashore in a storm and every man on board had perished.
 It was a sad Christmas for every Ont in the nelghborhOod. Caroline was stunned. She did not weep. She sim ply looked out of her eyes at vacancy and said nothing. Every day she would 20 to the beach, and, standing on dune just above the life saving station, peer out to sea. Tn storm and sunshine she was there at least once 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 1t.
 Some of the men considered her as having gone daft at the death of her lover, while others thought her mental ly sound. was told by one of them, Markham by name, who in confidence confessed to me that be 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 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 q mania induced by the shock she had suffered.
 I often passed her sentry box and grew more and more impressed with the sad but hopeful face always peer ing out to sea. When l went away left with Markham, the man who had given me his confidence, some money, charging him to tell her that an un- known person had given 1t to him to be used for a wedding present on the return of her lover did this hoping 1t might give her pleasure. She was convinced that Trevor would come back. and believed 1t might be best to foster this belief.
 I returned to the city, autumn faded into winter and the snows came down. One morning a man appeared at my office whom l did not recognize for moment, but when I did saw that he was Markham.
 What brings you here?" l asked, taking his rough hand in mine.
 yls I,,, y-ay,1fn1
 "A wedding?"
 "Yes; Carrie Owens. I've come to buy the gift"
 And you|
 "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 30th of NovemberY' he said. "Well, that was the worst I've ever experienced. Carrie Owens spent the day in her box. The next day would be the 1st 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 1t was getting dark looked up at the box and saw a man coming from behind 1t. He was evil dently coming for Carrie, for his eyes were on the box Suddenly he rounded to the front and stood before her. Then heard a shrlek 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 out any remembrance as to who he was. Finally, when i'll in a hospital, a surgeon had discovered displacement of q small piece of his skull, had tre- banned him and brought back hls memory. Then he had made for home and Caroline. He didn't come by sea, ns she expected" added my informant, "but he came all the same"
 He bore an invitation for me to the wedding, and I 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 bsx that she did not remember | to have ever seen me.
 Of course both she and Trevor bore