A ROMANTIC STORY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1170, 1 August 1884, Page 3

A ROMANTIC STORY.

The American newspapers record a romantic episode in die lives of two lovers which has recently excited a good deal of i tercet at Coaltou, in Pennsylvania. William Craig, a young tanner, and Mary Barker, the eighleen-yeir-old daughter of another firmer, were to have been married on Christ mas Day, 18G3. On the evening of the 7th of December, in the abovenamed year, there was a social party in the vicinity, at which Miss Barker danced twice in succession with ouo of the guests. Young Craig reproved her for such maiked attentions to another, and said he did not wish her to dance again with the young man in question. This aroused the spirit of the. young lady, aad she replied that she would dance with him or anyone else she chose, and as many times as she liked Craig thou informed her that she might do so, but that she would not see him I again for twenty years To this she tauntingly replied that “lie could not r-iay away from her twenty hours if he tried ever so hard.” Craig went home, and the next day ho was mis ing. Search was made, but no trace of him j could be found j Miss Barker vowed she never would • go into or receive company again uiitil j he returned. As years passed by and no traces of tho missing son were received, his parents came to look upon

lU'ii as tliittil ,\1 ss (ia'k- r. no .*•«■« . had a singular aith that he w<vil 1 come back some clay. She hep, he vo ato living a seel tiled ole. ulew people saw her after the night she hail quarrelled with her lover. Ou the evening of 7th Decern 1 er, 1883, a stranger knocked at the d ’or of her father’s residence, and asked to sec Miss Barker. Ho was a large, tine looking man, about 40 years of age. He was admitted, and when Miss Barker appeared he held out his hand and said, “Mary Barker, didn’t I to 1 you that yon wouldn’t see me again for twenty years 1" Tt was William Craig, He had re> turned to his parents home in the afternoon. Both his father and mother were still living. The secret of his arrival was kept, and when he appeared in so dramatic a manner in the presence of his old sweetheart, she fainted in his arms.

Craig’s story of his disappearance and long absence was that lie bad gone straight to Philadelphia after leaving home, and there enlisted in the army under an assumed name. He served until the end of the war. and was mustered out at Philadelphia, He longed very much to return home, but he permitted his determination to re main away twenty years to control him, and he went Huectly to Nebraska There he took up a track of land and went to farming, remaining there until the twenty years was up. He lesolved to time his return, and the meeting of his old sweetheart, if she was still alive and unmarried at as near ‘lie hour of his leaving her as it was passive to do. He came back with an ample fortune, and found matters much as he had left them The wedding that did not come off twenty years ago was celebrated ou Chris* mas Day.