The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-01-10
WIRE AND
WIZ
BY LYDIA Andrews.

ger aboard had friends TO say good
by except herself.
The thought only served to increase
her bitterness Of spirit, though she
had carefully planned to conceal her
departure that there might be no one
at the dock to see her on.
Friends at such a time could only
serve to accentuate the self-pity that
had sustained her ever since she had
read that fateful telegram.
This was to have been her wedding
journey. She and Graham Temple had
planned TO take the trip. 1t was to
have been Graham's first visit abroad,
and they had laid out a tour that
should cover the whole continent.
Then Temple had been called to
New Mexico to look after some min
ing interests, and presently the pa
pers had reported his marriage to
Sonora Mendoz, who owned the mines
adjacent to his and who was reported
to be worth several millions.
Harry Vieland had often joked Ora
ham about his conquest of the Next
can woman, but Mona had not taken
it seriously. When the telegraphic
dispatch appeared in all the papers
and Graham had not written in two
weeks, she faced what she thought
was the bitter truth.
Unable to bear the sympathy of her
friends, Mona had arranged to slip
quietly of to Europe. Her aunt would
join her in London, and by the time
they returned the broken romance
would have been forgotten
She sat quietly in the shadow Of
the tunnels on the upper deck and idly
watched the preparations for depart
ure through tear-dimmed eyes.
There were few on the upper deck.
Most of the passengers were crowd
ing the lower rails TO catch last
glimpses of their friends as the huge
ship backed slowly out of the slip
and with the help of the noisy. pant
ing tug headed for the opening pan
Drama.
Slowly the impressive panorama OF
the harbor slipped past the wonderful
skyline OF the city, the villa dotted
shores Of Staten Island and the more
populous Long Island shore, but Mona
gave no heed She was lost in her
; thoughts and her thoughts were far
from pleasant.
She had loved Temple with an IN
tensity that sometimes frightened her
and her disappointment was the more
keen because she had trusted him SC
: implicitly. For nearly a year they
had planned for their marriage, and
when he had wed another without
even a word to her, both love and
pride were sorely hurt.
She would not stay at home and
let others condole with her. 1t was
, ! less than a week since the item haC
appeared, yet it seemed to her tha
: years had passed since her father haC
passed her the paper at the break
fast table.
The bugler blew the luncheon call
the notes sounding soft and clear a.
they hoated up from the main deck
but Mona gave no heed. She wantet
only to be let alone, to sit back in he
chair and watch the fading OF tn,
land, comparing it with the dying o
her hopes.
In review she brought all OF the in
cidents of the year Of their engage
ment, recalling all their tender inteI
course and trying to deadSn her fee
ings with the thought that 1t was al
insincere and that Temple had forgot
ten his tender vows in the though
Of the material advantage to be game
through the marriage with the owne
n of the adjoining mines.
She had thought by this means sh
= might succeed in deadening the bite
pangs OF her heart, but instead ever
memory but increased her suffering
and at last, unable to bear her pail
she rose and descended to the lowe
deck in the hope that she might fin
q distraction in company of other pa
- sengers.
AS she reached the other deck tn
passengers were coming up frol
lunch and boy was pacing the decl
looking for her Mechanically sh
stretched out her hand for the 81
velope he held and tore 1t open.
| For an instant her heart seemed
s stop beating as she caught sight
the signature, but she steadied he
self with an effort and read the me
-, sage through.
~ It was long one from Temple, al
H. told of his arrival in the city Just Il
late to find her. His telegram hi
10 been delayed during the strike, al
the first knowledge of his reports
marriage was when his friends hi
no jokingly congratulated him.
A hurried inquiry developed the ia
that Vielands cousin was an operat
handling the Press association d
patches, and that he had changed Z
name OF the groom, probably at v
lands instigation.
In flash Mona saw the plan.
was TO offer her his sympathy. S
had wondered then at his suggestl
that they get married Immediately,
show Temple that she did not ca
with trembling hands she took t
- pencil to write an answer, Follow
a next steamer" she wrote. "Ceremo
/" can be performed in London. Ii
wireless better than wire"
-. And Temple, reading the reply, Z
d. vently blessed the wireless that h
- reduced his suspense to 80 short