HHuf fr rfk 11 htttiif l w 1 1 1 1. xv yA .rv y. . 111 FRAXK MO R TIMER, Editor ami 1'roprictor. Vol. IV. The Bloomfield Times Is rubliahed Weekly, At New Iilooniflcld, Pcnn'a. BY FRANK MORTIMER. BUnSCMPTION TERMS. ONE DOLLAR PER YEAR! IN ADVANCE. ADVERTISING RATES. Trantient 8 Cents per line for one Insertion. 12 " " " two insertions. 15 " " "three insertions. Business Notices in Local Column 10 Cents per line. Notices of Marriages or Deaths inserted free. Tributes of Respect, Ac, Ten cents per line. YEARLY ADVERTISEMENTS. One Square per year, including paper, $ 8 00 Two Squares per year, including puper, 12 00 Three Squares " " " 18 00 Four Squares " " " 20 00 Ten Lines Nonpareil or one Inch, is one square. THE MISSING BRIDEGROOM. A TRUE STORY. rrIIE cars were an Lour and a half be JL bind time, and some doubts were find ing expression about their getting through at all that night. The roads and by-ways were blocked with snow-drifts, and though the storm had ceased, and here and there a star shone through the thin cumuli, the troog-wind filled the mir with fine icy parti cles that blew in one's face most disagree ably. "Unfortunate, this storm," said the station-master, drawing bis cap down over bis ears. "Yes," was the brief answer. " Reckon there won't be a wedding to night, any way." "The cars are coming, Mr. Alden," was the quiet remark of the young man ad dressed, not apparently noticing his com panion's suggestive remark. There was a little silence, broken only by the labored puffing of the engine, and the steady, monotonous ringing of the bell, as tho train moved slowly up, the huge snow plow tossing tho light snow in every direc tion. By the light of a dingy lantern swinging in tho wind under the narrow awning, the young man before-mentioned had scanned closely each passenger as he alighted. After the train moved off, and the men had dis appeared inside, he went round to the end of the building, and unhitching a tall, powerful-limbed horse, sprang into the carnage and drove away. "Guess thero won't be a wedding at the colonel's to-night," said Alden, coming out of his little office in the corner of the room, and locking the door carefully after him. "Why, what's up?" asked one of the men at the stove, and tho storm the mat ter under discussion was instantly aban doned. " Why, Morrill hasn't come. lie was to have been here in tho noon train, but he didu't come. Hubs has been here waiting for over two hours, as glum as a tombstone." "I don't believe this storm would have kept me at homo if so pretty a girl as Letty Thornton was waiting to call me husband" said one of them, laughing. Or any other girl pretty or ugly," was the quick rejoinder, followed by a general laugh, the speaker's weakness for the fair sex being somewhat notorious. In the meantime Russell Thornton bad rode home a long two miles, through the drifted country roads. " If it weren't that everybody in this mis erable little town knew of Letty's expected marriage it wouldn't be so annoying,", he muttered petulantly, as he came in sight of home, and saw the great square house lighted from top to bottom. "The idea of Letty's name being in the mouth of every country boor by Heaven ! I believe ' I AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY should like to horso-whip Mr. Lancelot Mor rill." Tho door opened, and a littlo figure, look ing itself like a snow-wreath, leaned out into the darkness, and called in the softest and clearest voice, with a little upward in flection : "Lancelot ?" "Ho has not come go in out of the snow, Letty," was the abrupt, almost sharp an swer. " Not come O Russ !" Tho young man sprang from the wagon and walked directly up to the startled, trembling little figure in the doorway. The pretty bloom had all faded out of the young face, leaving it as white as the robe she wore. " What has happened, Russ? O, tell me at once ! I have been nearly wild with sus pense and alarm these two hours," she whispered, clinging to her brother's arm. I presume there is some good reason for his detention, and doubtless to-morrow will bring it all right. I will go down and tell them that Morrill is detained by the storm, shall I?" " Yes, O yes ! And Russ, must I go down ? I am so nervous !" And the little hands clutched each other convulsively. "No, I'll make it all right with tho com pany; thank Heaven they are only our friends. There, dear, keep up a brave heart;" and he stooped and kissed tho drooping lids with caressing tenderness, and went out. Tho trains came through regularly the next morning, but no Lancelot Morrill made his appearance in Blainford. They waited till afternoon and then telegraphed to Dalton. The reply came back that Lan celot Morrill had left Dalton on the 10 A. M., train of the previous day, for Blain ford. Poor Letty Thornton lay in hysterics all that night, and Colonel Thornton swore fearful oaths against the man who had put this shame and slight upon his beautiful, petted daughter. Russell started immedi ately for Dalton, to gather all possible par ticulars relating to tho strange affair, They were, however, of the most meagre and un satisfactory character. Mrs. Boone, Morrill's landlady, said that he had told her several days before that ho was to be married on the twenty-fifth of January. Ho had mentioned it again, that morning, but had not said whether he should return there to board. His trunk and several suits of clothing were in his room just as he left them. Ho had also mentioned the fact of his intended mar riago to his employer be was clerk in a large clothing house and he had advanc ed him two hundred dollars on bis salary. The latest and most direct testimony, however, was from the depot-master at Dal ton. Ho had sold him a ticket the morning of the twenty-fifth of January for Blain ford, and had seen him get on the train. And, strangely enough, no one seemed to have scon him afterwards. The conductor on the train was new on the route, and did not know Morrill, and had no particular recollection of tho passengers who got on that morning at Dalton. What could have become of him ? In a car containing thirty persons, in broad day light, be certainly could not have been mur dored ; and if any accident or illness had overtaken him, it must in like manner have been known. But no one bad seen or heard of him aftor the car door closed upon him at Dalton. Detectives were put to work, rewards wero offered, and every effort which human thought could suggest was made to get some trace of tho missing man. Months passed away, but skill and money were in vain, and the search was at length abandoned, and Lancelot Morrill was add ed to the list of mysterious disappearances," which so puzzle and bewilder human Baga city. It was admitted to be one of the strang est of all those strange occurrences. A young man in perfect mental and physical IVcav Bloomfield, T?n.9 March 8, 1&70. health, with the ilcasinor nrosnect of an advantageous union with one of tho loveli est of women, disappears on his marriage nay, and drops, apparently, out of exist ence in a breath, in the most invisible man ner possible to human imagination Twelve years after the incidents record ed above, a steamer, crossinsr Lake Erie one summer evening, brought among its pas sengers, a quiet, retiring little woman, dressed in heavy morninjr, who registered her name as Mrs. Diusmore, Montreal. She was evidently a stranger in Detroit, and al- togetner unacquainted with the names and character of the public houses. She natu rally shrank from makinc inouirv of strang ers, and they were fast nearinir the citv and the faint summer twilight was creeping soitly over the river and tho lake they had just left, and casting a faint gloom over the roof and spires of the approaching town. Something about her her isolation and reserve, perhaps attracted the attention of a gentleman standing near her. He had noticed her once or twico before, and once was vaguely conscious of a desire to look in her face without an intervening cloud of almost impenetrable crape. Her hand, which was bare, was white and small, with faint dimples across the back. It was a very unusual thing for Mr. Montford to no tice anything appertaining to a ladv. Ho had been East, regularly four times a year for the last six years, and this was the first woman to whom he had eVer given a sec ond thought. Whether some unexplaina- ble intuition revealed to her his interest in her I cannot tell, but with a sudden swift step she crossed and came to his side. "Are you a resident of Detroit, sir?" she asked, in a low, clear voice. " Yes ; can I be of service to you, mad am?" he replied, courteously, another strong desire to look in her face coming over him. " If you would recommend some nice, quiet hotel where I could stay a few weeks, you would do me a favor. Not too expen sive," she added, "comfortable and picas ant." " I think I can, madam, just the nlace you describe," he replied, with a feeling of unusual gratification. He then proceeded to inform her con cerning the house, its location, scale of prices, accommodations, etc. "I speak thus warmly of tho place be cause it has been my home for nearly nine years, and I owe it a good word," he said, smiling. "You had better, though, ask some of those gontlemen, perhaps. They are old residents men with families and it might be more satisfactory to you to nave their opinion." "Thank you; but I think I will relv upon your recommendation," sho replied, and with a bow walked away. Mr. Montford held been East to purchase goods. lie was a merchant, doing business in Detroit, and there was nothing unusual about that ; but as ho drove up to his hotel ho was vaguely conscious of a feeling of in tense satisfaction with himself and all tho world. Ho had bought at very favorable rates possibly this was tho cause of his elevation. Ho, himself, believed it to be. and yet he found his thoughts continually straying from business, and to the surprise of his fellow-boarders he did not go to his store as usual that evening, but loitered about tho office and parlors until bed-time. If any one had told him he was waiting in expectation of seeing the lady with whom he had spoken on board the steamer, he would have repelled the intimation indig nantly, and honestly too, it is so easy to de ceive one's self, lie did, however, feel it his duty, as he had recommended the house, to look at the books to see if sho had ac cepted his recommendation and arrived safe. ' It would be well enough too. to.know the lady's name, in case he should happen to meet Her during her stay. He read it over twice or three times to himself, "Agnes L. Dinsmore, Montreal, C. W." This he knew was the name, for he had NEWSPAPER. seen the initials, "A. L. D.," in the corner ot a Handkerchief she had in her hand when she spoke to him. He was a bachelor, and likely to continue so, people prophesied, for, though courteous and gentlemanly, he was never gallant or attentive to women in tho least possible de gree. Of course, therefore, it caused some remark among tho boarders when the next morning after his return, instead of break fasting at the first table, as was his invari able custom, he waited until the second, and when the stranger mado her appearance opened a conversation with her, and even accompanied her into the parlor, tarrying there several minutes. It was supposed that the lady was an old acquaintance of Montford's, at first, but some one who had been a passenger on the steamer, and had heard the conversation between them, re vealed the circumstance to one of the board ers, and the fact was duly circulated and marvelled over, and as the days went by, and the intimacy increased, tho interest in the subject was intense. Was it possible that this shy, quiet little creature, without any visible effort, had captured this grave, unimpressible man, for whom so many cun ning snares had been set in vain?" Mrs. Dinsmore was a widow of thirty, or thereabouts, it was judged. Her husband had owned property in Monroe, a lake town lying south of Detroit. She had preferred stopping in Detroit, as Mr. Gorman, a Law yer who had sometimes done business for her husband, lived in that city. She pro posed putting the business in his hands, and waiting in Detroit until the sale was effected. Fortunately Mr. Montford was a particu lar friend of Gorman's, and at once volun teered to bring him to the lady. Mr. Mont ford also thought Mrs. Dinsmore had better see her property, before she deputed even so reliable a man as his friend to sell it, and as he very opportunely had business in Juonroe, and was going to drive down in his own carriage, if she liked she could eo down with him, and tako a look at her pos sessions, all of which was very kind and friendly in Mr. Montford, and was so re garded by tho lady, who already felt as if no were an old friend, and fortrot her re serve and talked with him frankly of her affairs, saying little, however, of her previ ous life, save that she was without anv near er relative than an uncle, with whom sho had been living since her husband's death, in Montreal. Ho was equally reticent re garding the past, but spoke freely of tho present and luture, of Ins hopes and plans -more trccly than ho often spoko of them to his closest friends. During the next two week Mr. Mont.for.ra business at Monroe increased astonishingly. it was. moreover, quite a remarkable coin cidence that it was always particularly pressing at those times whon it was neces sary for Mrs. Dinsmore to go down. At length the business wbieh had lrnnri,f Mrs. Dinsmore to Detroit was settled, and the money received, and Mr. Gorman dis charged from further duty in the matter. There was no reason why the nrettv lif tl widow for sho tea pretty should tarry longer ; but being her own mistress, there was no reason why she should not, provided she chose. Bho did choose, and nnother two weeks passed, and then she decided to go back to, Montreal. Not because Mon treal looked particularly attractive to her; on the contrary, sho very much preferred Detroit, but after sifting down and cross exnrning herself pretty closely, she decided, wiUi a sudden blush, that it was best for her to go homo immediately. The next morning she mentioned, ouite casually, of coin-no, that shn thould loiwc on the following day. Mr. Moid-ford, who was in the room in conversation with nnoth er gontlcman, left him abruptly, and went out. He did not return At the dinner hour, but about f;mr o'clock he drovo up in his carriage, and went at once to the ladies' parlor. It was quite deserted, and ringing the bell, he requested tho servant to ask Termat JJV ADriMCX, One Dollar per Year. IV . l O. mra. dinsmore to come down. The ser vant soon returned from his errand with the word that the Lidy was out. Mrs. Dinsmore was walking slowly through the busy, hurrying crowd, as per fectly alone as if she were in the mos impenetrable forest. Men and women crowded past her In-their haste, but she did not look up. Her eyes were sad, and her hps tremulous, and a faint sigh now and then fluttered over them. Suddenly a car riage which she knew, drew up a the side, walk a few rods in advance of her, and a gentleman sprang out. The blood surged to her face, but the friendly crape shielded her from observation. "I was looking for you," he said, in a low tone, touching her arm, "will yoo ride ?" She gave him her hand and stepped into the carriage in silence. Very soon she be came aware that they were driving away from the city. The noise, and smoke, and bustle fell away like a veil, and a soft calm brooded like a dove over the earth. The cool country road was sweet with wild rosea, and pretty cottages and comfortable farm houses were half hidden in the rank mead ow grasses. Agnes Dinsmore drew a long fluttering breath and put ber hand to her face, but not before her companion saw that her eyes were filled with tears. Mr. Mont ford was entirely nnused to women in tears, and besides h was a very sympathetic man, and so put big arm about her in a friendly way to comfort her. She shrank away a little, and a hysterical job broke fronrE lips. "Iam so foolish, Mr. Montford," si cried, blushing. "But something aboirt this country stillness brought back a men-, ory of the past the long-buried past, iria very beautiful and sweet here." "Yes, very beautiful," he replied, lack ing straight in her face, instead of at the pleasant summer landscape. 1 wonder where I shall be to-morrow at this time," she said, leaning- out, tohide the confusion in her face. " I wish I dared prophesy 1" "Are you among the prophets, M. Montford?" sho asked, lightly; "if you are I should be happy to baton to some at your predictions." "Not yet. I brought you out hereto tell you a story of the past, 3Irs. Dinsmore. I want you to listen to it, and tell me when I am done what yon think should be the fate of this man the one whose story I am about to relate, will you?" he asked with grave eagerness. "I will try, but my judgment maybe very faulty, and" "shall bo satisfied with it," he inters, ruptod. "I am ready then," she replied. . " 'Once upon a time,' as the fairy stories K'tyt a young man became very deeply In love with a beautiful girl. Tho girl was very wealthy and of high social standing. Tho young man was also of good standing, and faltered to bo rich, also, by tho friends of tho girl. Ho had not thought of deceiv ing thorn at first, but by somo misunder standing his identity was confounded with his cousin, who had borne tho same name, but who had been several years (load. This cousin had been worth a largo property.and somehow this girl and her friends had tho impression that ho wan the same man. It did not tako him long to discover that a poor young man would stand little chance of marrying info that family. Ho was a scoundrel. I think, for not declaring his true cii-cwiiKtancoH at once, don't you ?" "Ho did wrong, I suppose, but if ho lov ed the gii very much " " J!.! did -or nt least he believed ho did," ho inleniir ted. leaning foiwind nt an to loo't stinij.hl in her, face, "but yon have not hoard tfie worst that he did. Ho won the girl's fifiVetum, and believing him to be tho rich, instead of the ooreoii.-in, hor her friends consented to their nianiagc. There would come a timo when the truth, must be mado known, but sho would ho bla
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