A MOTOR MARRIAGE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 282, 7 May 1915, Page 8

A MOTOR MARRIAGE.

A ROMANTIC STORY. GROOM'S RESOURCE OVERCOMES OBSTACLE. Gisborne Ma 7 f>. A superstitious bride, a resourceful, anxious bridegroom, and an obliging clergyman provided the elements to-day for a most romantic wedding. The contracting parties were, residents of Palatal", an outlying' township nine miles from Gisborne, and, as is usual, all tliu arrangements for the ceremony were made well ahead. All unusual circumstance, however, threatened at the lasi. moment to stop the progress of' love's young dream. The bride was under age, and consequently the written consent of !ler mother, who resides in Palmerston North, was necessary. It. was arranged that the bride's mother should come to Gisborne by the Monowai, which was time-tabled to arrive here at 0 o'clock this morning, and after signing the necessary papers should proceed out to Patutahi to witness the ceremony at 2.110 p.m. and bless the newly-wedded pair in the time-honored fashion.

On awaking to his wedding morning, howeevr, the bridegroom was horrified to find that through unusual circumstances the Monowai did not leave Napier last night, and would not arrive in Gisborne until about 1 p.m. He took comfort from the fact that it would bo possible to hurry his mother-in-law elect to the registrar's to sign the papers, and then to transport her by motor-car to Patutahi by 2.30 p.m. Fate was obdurate, however. The vessel was later than expected, and the bridegroom spent the time anxiously pacing the Gisborne wharf.

Telephonic communication with the tearful bride at Patutahi showed that sits was superstitious and would not agree to the wedding being put off. The bridegroom's frame of mind at this juncture can be better imagined than described. Finally, after many desperate '•lours, he took his perturbed mother-in-law to be before the registrar at 3.40 p.m., and the legal formalities connected with the consent were complied wfuli. The marriage law, however, provides that weddings must ibe solemnised before 4 p.m., and the much-harassed groom was faced with the poser of how to cover tlie ten miles between Gisborne and I'atutahi and get tile ceremony over inside fifteen minutes. lie is a man of resource, however, and son got into [tone 1 ! iby telephone with the officiating clergyman (the Rev. Kawnsley]), and asked him to get u motor-car and witnesses and the bride and come like the ■wind towards Gisborne. This the clergyman hastily agreed to do. Meantime the groom hastened his overdue mother-in-law into another motor, and bribed the ehauffeur to forget the spued limit on the way to Patutahi. About half-way out the cars met, the groom transferred himself to the clergyman's ear, presented the troublesome papers,', and with the car turned round and making- the trip at breakneck speed towards Patutahi tile essential part of the ceremony was completed with a few minutes to spare, and was finally concluded in the arranged place at Patutahi amid the well wishes of a host of friends.

The happy pair left for the south by the Tarawcra later in the evening, and a day that had broken' full of clouds ' ended as all romances should do. The , bridegroom was Mr. Robert Craill, eldest .son of Mr. T. Craill, of Patutahi Valj ley, and the bride Miss Alice Ansell, I formerly of Woodville.