NO WEDDING PARTY

Hokitika Guardian, 29 June 1921, Page 3

NO WEDDING PARTY

AUCKLAND, June 25 1

The guests of a certain city boardinghouse at present are inclined to be rather reticent and sensitive when any allusion is made to a wedding party which did not take place. They do not want to discuss it, being in the position of not being ttble to say they “knew all the time.” The joke seems to be verv much on them.

Tt appears that three weeks ago ii young woman came to dwell among them. They learned that she had served in France with the British Red Cross, that she had gained the V.C., that she had come from England about a year ago, and, finally, that she was to be married on June 22nd. As the day grew nigh, the hoarders planned to give a party, and make the event worthy of a young woman who had achieved the remarkable distinction of winning the V.C. for heroic conduct under a bombardment ‘‘somewhere in France.” They planned to decorate the motor-car with flowers and Hags. The first unusual thing.which occurred in regaid to this wedding was the receipt in the “Herald” office of tlio marriage notice tt diiy before the date of the ceremony. Apparently it was to appear on the morning of the glad day. and so anticipate the event. This was an unwise intention for the wedding did not- take place, for reasons* unknown. 11l any case, no license had been obtained, and the clergyman of the church named knew nothing ot it, so the notice did not appear.

The young woman, however, appeared to be determined to “save her lace” at the boarding-house. She left the establishment oil the morning of the wedding day. and later rang up in the name of a nurse, to say that she had been knocked down by a motor-car, and had been injured in the right arm and left leg, and had been sent to the hospital. Later she rang up the proprietress, informing her that she had come out of the hospital, and asked her to meet Iter near the institution, She was accordingly met. Bandages off the injured members seemed to prove the accident. Unfortunately, she added that while site was being taken to the hospital in an unconscious condition, LlO which, she had just drawn from the hank had been stolen from her. Her indignant friends here communicated with"the police. A detective was sent round, and very soon tile fact was ievcaled that, there had been no accident, and that the bandages were merely deception. The young woman confessed that she had concocted the story as an excuse for the marriage not taking place, and she expressed her regret at the trouble site had caused. Whitt the letters “V.C.” stand for in this instance is not known, but certainly they do not stand for the Victoria Cross, the list of the winners oi which contains the names ot no women. The suggestion that they stand for *‘very m-eilulous’’ ts not favourably received among the boarders of the bouse in question.