JILTED AT THE ALTAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20229, 13 April 1929, Page 2 (Supplement)

JILTED AT THE ALTAR.

GIRL CHANGES HER MIND. WEDDING BREAKFAST READY. SCHOOL TEACHER'S CAPRICE, Residents in tho historic town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, have been discussing a bride who changed her mind and jilted an ex-naval officer at the church door. The principals in the drama are: — Miss Lily Hunt, aged 34, a tall vivacious brunette, who until recently was a well-known school teacher, of Muirhouses, near Linlithgow: Mr. George Fisher, also aged 34, who is in business as a coppersmith, and who lives with his father at Horsham, Sussex; and Mr. Andrew O'Donnell, aged 23, a tall, handsome auburn-haired pianist, of Bathgate, who is employed in a Linlithgow cinema. Miss Hunt, a prominent sportswoman, had arranged to bo married in the Roman Catholic Church. Bo'ness, which is eight miles from her home, at 9.30 a.m., to Mr. Fisher. They met five years ago, when a warship in which Mr. Fisher was serving went to Queensferry. Some time before the wedding was due to take place Mr. O'Donnell arrived in a motor-car at the house of the bride-to-be. Later, Miss Hunt and Mr. O'Donnell drove together to tho priest's house, and

the bride cancelled the wedding. At the moment of the couple's dramatic arrival tho priest was preparing to go to tho altar. Afterwards the couple drove off, and it was learned later that Lliss Hunt had gone to Dunfermline. While these events were taking place tho congregation had assembled at the church. When Mr. Fisher arrived he was informed by the priest that the wedding had been cancelled. Having recovered from the shock, he collected his luggage and returned to London. % In an interview Mrs. Hunt, the mother of the bride-to-be, stated: " I can scarcely collect my thoughts. I heard a knocking at the door between five and six on the morning of what should have been tho wedding-day. It was Mr. O'Donnell, Two hours "later my daughter told mo she had changed her mind and was going away. She left with ISlr. O'Donnell in a motor-car. "We had everything ready for the wedding breakfast, and my household and my guests were thrown into terrible distress. I thought very highly of Mr. Fisher, and was very glad that he was to marry my daughter. Ho is a splendid lad. and "had made a fine home for her in Sussex. It is a great shock. I have had no word from my daughter since she left homo an hour before she was to be married,' but I am glad to hear that she is safe." Mr. O'Donnell alone knew the secret of Miss Hunt's new address. Ho returned to Linlithgow immediately after he had seen her off by train, and did not miss his duties as pianist at the picture-house. On being asked. " Are you going to bo Miss Hunt's bridegroom?" his response was, " I cannot tell you just now." When Miss Hunt resigned her appointment as a teacher to get married she received a wedding present from the staff and children, and also drew £IBO from the bank to complete her preparations.