The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1907-11-19
nUnfsvsaIedMy.ter



at Fort c. many years ago, a mystery
which has never lo this day aud doubt
less never vii! be- revealed. Those I'M
der whose notice it took place are now
either on the retired list or dead. Yet
here and there doing over a ncwspa-
per at some army or navy club white
headed old man may be found who can
give the circumstances.
one day away back In the last cen
tury guests were assembling at The
quarters OF Colonel Athern, command
Ing Fort c., to celebrate the wedding
OF the colOncl's niece. Miss RONana
Bonneld, with Lieutenant Reginald Al
len. Allen had secured leave or had
been sent away on some duty-it was
claimed that he was purpOsely absent
and was TO have returned for bach
elOr farewell dinner he was TO give on
the evening before the wedding. There
were no malls or telegraphs handy at
that time by which he could send any
word and when he did not appear for
the dinner il was supposed he had
been unavOdably detained. But when
the garrison clock struck 10 the next
day. the hour appointed for the cere-
mony, and he did not appear there was
q hum Of surprise,
Allen never ala appear again at Fort
c. The lady he was to have married
bore the slight put upon her so well.
never uttcrlng word Of blame. that
she received the sympathy Of every
one. Not person at the fort who
afterward met Lieutenant Allen-he
offered no explanation OF his conduct
bat gave him n dead cut. Hc remained
In the army only year after the day
he was to have been married, when,
finding himself taboocd wherever he
appeared among army people, he re-
signed and disappeared.
Five years after her disappointment
Miss Bonfeld engaged herself to Cap
tain Gregg. The engagement occurred
lust before Gregg was ordered to an
other post. Certain young wags with
more love Of saying mean things than
delIcacy debated among themselves II
Gregg would behave as Allen had be-
haved. But Gregg. after being en-
gagged for six months. during all or
which time he was absent from his
fancee. returned In ample time for the
wedding.
There Is no record that any disagree
mcnt ever occurred between Captain
and Mrs. Gregg. During the first few
months Of their marriage Gregg ap-
peared as a devoted and happy hus-
band. Then one day when be went on
duty he gave evidence Of having re-
ceived Il shock. To inquiries as 10 his
health he replied that he was never
better. Nevertheless he had n hunted
look and lost flesh TIL his uniform
hung about him IN deep crcases. While
the loving devotion he had shown his
wife did not continue. he was perfect
Is respectful and attentive to her,
What surprised every one was that she
did not treat him or appear to worry
about him as sick man. She seemed
rather Indifferent than otherwise. Then
people whispered to one another that
she had never recovered from having
lost her first love.
Gregg finally got a years leave and
went abroad without his wife. At the
end OF the year he returned in fair
condition. but with something Of the
hunted look left.
In six months he was sent TO n re-
treat. where he died few years later.
Mrs. Gregg was now a woman OF
twenty-eight. She had no children
and did not look her age. The unfor-
tunate endlngs Of her love affairs had
not seemed to cast any cloud over her.
She was not at all depressed. She APP
peared simply as any other young wo-
man whose husband had died and left
her a widow. Her widOwhOod was
short. In eighteen months after Gregg's
death she became the wife OF Major
Thurston.
ThurstOn's sister, an army woman,
begged him not to marry Mrs Gregg.
But when the brother asked for rea-
sons he got nothing except what has
been told thus far in this story-that Is,
that the woman had been treated
shamefully by her first fiance and that
her husband had died Of some brain
;,r do
cllned to act the part OF the first and
saw no reason why he should fear the
fate Of the second The sister still
protested; but, without n reason. he de-
cllned to change his course. lie mar
ried Mrs. Gregg and ten weeks later
committed suicide.
Thurston Is not the first man who
has made a mistake by not needing a
woman's warning because no good or
sufficient reason accompanied H.
Women have been known to be right
in condemning a man from the shape
Of his nose. However, there was not
the slightest proof that Mrs. Thurston
had any direct or Indirect influence on
her husbands suicide. What surprised
every one was that this climax to her
unfortunate matrimonial affairs seemed
TO have no more effect upon her than
either Of the other cases. She seemed
perfectly passive under each and all
OF them. Nevertheless she did not
marry again, though It was reported
that several men at different times
were attentive TO her. II was supposed
that on learning her marital record
they desIsted.
Mrs. Gregg-Thurston died when she
was past fifty. No explanation was
ever given Of the blight that fell on
her lovers, but there was story told
by the physician who brought her into
the world that her mother a few
months before the child's birth had
been frightened by a snake.
May not Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes
character Of Elsie Venner, whose
mother suffered similar fright, the
child lnheritlng serpentlne traits. ex-
plain the mystery Of Roxana Bonheldf
OGDEN. LANCASTER.