WAITED IN VAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 233, 1 October 1937, Page 9

WAITED IN VAIN.

GUESTS AT WEDDING.

BRIDEGROOM "CALLS IT OFF."

"VERY STRANGE," SAYS

minister.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.)

NAPIER, this dav.

Because he was "not prepared to go through with it' a young Hastings man. who was to have been married yesterday afternoon, disappointed his bride-to-be no nore than a few hours before the ceremony. Not the least disturbing effect of his decision was the surprise and shock received by the guests, who had actually gathered in the church to attend the service and who had to be informed that the marriage had been cancelled.

Although the guests, some of whom had travelled nearly 100 miles to be present, and even the minister who was to have officiated knew nothing of the cancelled arrangements until ° a fewminutes before the hour fixed for the ceremony, there had for some time been distressing consternation among the bride and her party. Even they had reached the point of making final arrangements when they learned of the young man's decision.

The wedding had been fixed for two o clock, and it was not until early in the afternoon that the bride's partv was ad\ ised by a note delivered by a taxi driver that the bridegroom was "not prepared to go through with it." Search in Vain. What to do? The bride's relatives fell back on persuasion, and hoped that if he coilkl be found the young man might bo induced to change his mind and carry on with the ceremony as planned" L nfortunately for their intentions some hours of searching failed to find him. He had disappeared completely.

_ I" the meantime news of the cancellation of the ceremony had not been communicated beyond the immediate circle of the bride's relatives and close friends, and some time before two o'clock the church began to fill with guests. At one o clock the Sride's relativeswere making a last frantic search for the young man, but at 1.30 they found themselves compelled to accept the fact that the ceremony would have to be cancelled.

A messenger was sent to the church and the minister, and th© guests were informed.

"It's all very strange," said the minister afterwards, "apparently they have been searching for the bridegroom all day and are still searching for him. but no trace of him has been found. I understand a note was received by the bride from him this afternoon, telling her he was nftt prepared to go through with the ceremony, and some hours were spent hunting all over Hastings and Napier for him. "Everything Appeared Set." "Yes, it's all very strange. The bridegroom was with the bride last evening and everything appeared to be set for the marriage to take place in the ordinary way. He came to me on Monday night and we completed all arrangements. I gave hint full instructions, and told hhn what to do with the various documents. Everything seemed to lie in order, and then this note arrived to-day."

It is understood from other quarters that the bridegroom saw the bride's mother as late as 10 o'clock yesterday morning, but he gave no hint that he did not intend to go on with the wedding as planned.