AS GOOD AS A KEYSTONE

Wanganui Chronicle, Issue 20347, 6 May 1915, Page 4

AS GOOD AS A KEYSTONE

ROMANTIC MARRIAGE AT

GISBORNE

GISBQRNE, May o. A superstitious bride, a resourceful and anxious bridegroom, and an obliging clergyman, provided the -elements to-day for a most romantic -wedding. The contracting parties were residents of Patutahi, an outlying township nine miles from Gisborne, and as is usual, all the arrangements for the ceremony were made well ahead. An unusual circumstance, however, , threatened a.I the last moment to stop the progress of Love's Young Dream. The bride wa*' under age, and consequently the writ ten consent of Her mother, who lives in Palmerston North, was necessary. It was arranged that .the bride's mother could come to Gisborne by motor,' which was time-tabled to arrive here at 6 o'clock this morning, and after signing the necessary papers shouldpro" ceed out to Patutahi to witness the_ i ceremony at 2-30 p.m. and bless tnV newly wedded pair in the time-honour-ed fashion. .. (5n awaking to his wedding morning this morning, however, the bridegroom was horrified to find that through unusual circumstances tho 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 be 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 Patufcahi by 2-30 p.m. Fate was obdurate, however, and the vessel was later than expected, and the brid&groOm spent the time in anxious pacmg of the Gisborne wharf. TelejHioiiic communications .with the teartui bride at PatxiI'ahi showed that she was superstitious, and "would nqt agree to the wedding being put otf. The bridegroom's frame of mind at this juncture can better be imagined than described. Finally, after many desperate hours, he hauled his frantic mother-in-law-to-be ! before the Registrar at 3-40 p.m. and the legal formalities connected with the consent were complied with. The marriage law, however, provides that beddings must be solemnised before 4 p.m., and the much harassed groom was faced with the poser of how to cover the ten miles between Gisborne and Patutahi and get the ceremony over inside 15 minutes. He is a man of resource, however, and soon, got into touch over the telephone with the officiating clergyman (Rev. Rawnsley), and asked him to get a motor-car, a-nd witnesses and the bride to come like the wind towards Gisborne. This tne clergyman hastily agreed to do. Meantime/ the groom hastened his overdue motlier-in-^aw into another car, and begging the chauffeur to forget the speed limit on the way to Patutahi. About half-way out the cars met. The groom transferred himself to the clergyman's car, presented the humbugging papers, and with the car turned round and making the trip at breakneck speed towards Patutahi, the essential part of the ceremony was completed with 301 seconds to spare, and was finally concluded in the, arranged place, Patur tahi, amid the well wishes of a host of friends. The happy pair left for the South by the Tarawera later in the evening, and a day that had broken full of clouds ended as a! romances do. The bridegroom was RooeH Craill, eldest son. of Mr. T. Oaillj ofrPatutahi Valley, and the bride was, Miss Alice Ansell, formerly of Woodville.