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