AT THE LAST MOMENT.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 110, 15 June 1914, Page 5

AT THE LAST MOMENT.

A FICKLE LOVER. At the last moment, when everything was ready for the marriage of Laura Waterson, of Pegswood (Northumberland), and Kobert Laidler, a miner, of the same village, the young man jibbed at the ceremony. The good things that were to have formed the wedding fast, however, were not wasted, for the bride and her family extracted what solace they could out of the circumstances by consuming the victuals. But this was not the end of the affair. Miss Waterson obtained judgirtfent recently in the King's Bench Division in an action for breach of promise against Laidler, and the Under-Sheriff for Northumberland and a jury sat at Newcastle for the purpose of assessing damages. Mr Shaw (for plaintiff) said the parties became acquainted about September or October, 1913. They were practically neighbours. For some time they kept company, and in due course defendant proposed marriage, and was accepted. The ring was presented to plaintiff, and her father gave his consent, the marriage being fixed for February 21 of the present year. The bans were published, dresses were ordered, and the usual items for the celebration were arranged. The cabs were ordered by defendant himself, and then, at the last moment, he refused to marry the young woman. The first sign of coolness on his part was on the Sunday before the day fixed for the wedding. He failed to keep an appointment with plaintiff, and when she saw him on the Tuesday she noticed that something was wrong. He was with her about half an hour, and he arranged to return, but did not return until Thursday,when he told her he was not going to marry her, and she could do as she liked. Counsel said plaintiff asked for £25 damages.

Plaintiff, in cross-examination, said she would be 22 in June. She admitted she had been rather strict with defendant. That was when he went away to have a drink and left her outside the public-house. She wanted damages for the expense her mother and father had been put to.

Mr Snagg (for defendant): As a matter of fact, you did have the jollifications on the wedding day?— Yes. And you ate the stuff?— Yes (Laughter.) Mr Snagg (for the defence) said this was not a case of a long engagement where the woman had given the best years of her life to a man whom she was looking forward to marrying. At the most, he thought, £5 would be a fair estimate of any special damage she had sustained. Although they did not have the marriage, they had the festivities —they had "Hamlet" without the Prince of Denmark. Damages were assessed at £2O, and judgment was given for that amount.