The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-10-16
A DESERTED
BRIDE
By DONALD cHAMBERLIN

Edward Warbeck went to Rome to
see the Coliseum, the palace of the
Caesars. the column of Trajan. the
Arch Of Titus. He saw all these an
tiquities and many more. but they
were of small importance compared
with something else he saw, not an
antiquity by any means; on the con-
trary. very young and tender. 1t was
an Italian girl with a pair of black
eyes. a long. thick rope of hair hanging
down her back and a figure that rival
ed the famous Venus d. Medici's in
Florence.
Lita Caracola spoke and understood
just enough of English to enable War
beck to make love to her. which is not
saying much, for there may be nor
love expressed in one look than in a
thousand words. Signorina Lita Cara
cola's father was poor In funds, but
rich in blood. for he claimed descent
from Marcus Tullius Cicero. who shook
Rome with his eloquence. Caracola's
principal business was sitting on the
Piazza Colonna at a sidewalk cafe
drinking liters Of Italian wine.
Warbeck was obliged to settle $4,000
lire ($1O,O0M upon Signorina Caracola
before being permitted to marry her.
which she divided with her father that
he might continue to drink wine on the
Piazza Colonna. The rest she kept for
al emergency. Warbeck was a stran-
ger to her. and she was taking a matri-
monial leap in the dark. Besides this.
she was to sail with her husband for
a distant country. which was as remote
and uncertain to her as it had been
four centuries before to Christopher
Columbus on setting out on his voyage
Of discovery.
There was a gay wedding in a side
street On the Esquiline hill. where ST.
gnor Caracola lived. after which a party
Of the brides friends accompanied her
to the railway station. where she and
her husband took a train for Naples.
and the next evening a ship sailed over
the beautiful bay of the same name,
like a white bird. bearing the happy
couple. happy in their love. though lit
tie Lita wept ut leaving her beloved
Italy.
In three days the ship stopped at
Gibraltar. The bride was laid up with
a headache and kept her stateroom.
while the groom went ashore to visit
the famous rock. Falling in with a
British army officer whom he had met
before. he was introduced at the club.
lunched. drank several bottles Of cham
payne and fell asleep on a lounge.
The steamer passed ont to sea
through the strait. and Signora War
beck was surprised that her husband
did not come to their stateroom to e
her. Finally she called the room stew
ard and asked him to find Mr.. War
beck and tell him his wife would like
to see him. The steward hunted the
ship through. but did not find the gen.
tleman. After a diligent search it he
came evident that he was not aboard.
Signora Warbeck's worst fears that
she had entertained before her mar
rage were realized. An American had
married her and deserted her at the
first stop made by the ship. She kept
her room for the rest of the voyage.
holding tight her share of the money
that he'd been settled on her that she
might return to Rome the moment b
reached New York. After inquiry she
learned that a steamer sailed for Italy
the day she would arrive in America.
and by wireless telegraph she engaged
passage for Naples.
When Mr.. Warbeck awoke In the
Officers club at Gibraltar and through
a window saw the moon peacefully
shining down on him he was seized
with horror. for he knew that the
steamer bearing his bride was well out
Mt sea. No steamer for New York was
due for three days. ut when it came
he boarded it. Afte, passing ten wor-
rying days he reached port. but not
his bride. Why should he? Thinking
that he had deserted her. she took no
pains to discover his American connec-
tions. She simply sailed for Italy the
same day she arrived in New York.
Warbeck was in agony. TO have his
beloved bride landed without a pro-
tector on a shore foreign to her and
no means of tracing her was e%xcruciat-
ing. The only comfort he had was the
$1,000 she had with her. He cabled
to her father to report the misfortune
and ask If Lita had communicated
with him. Lita had done nothing of
the kind.
In a month after her departure the
bride turned up in Rome. The matter
of her husbands apparent desertion
having been explained to Signor Cara
cola, he sent his daughter back on q
steamer sailing the next day. cabling
Warbeck Of her departure. When the
cablegram reached the groom's office
he was sailing along the Long Island
coast bound for Italy. Thinking his
wife might have returned to her home.
he had searched the passenger lists OF
outgoing steamers and found her name.
signor C~aracola's cablegram was re-
peated by wireless to Warbeck. who
sent a wireless messnge to Gibraltar
to stop his wife there. On his arrival
he found her. and great was the hap.
piness Of this reunited bridal couple.