The Shasta courier., 1867-07-20
SHASTA COURIER.
A FLEET MARRIAGE.

her own lovelness too dearly, and now she
refused to believe that she was not as charm
ing as ever So no wonder she still re
mained unmarried.
Lady c., had 10 the neighborbood
of five thousand pounds. She owed about
forty thousand pounds; so with all her wit
and beauty, she goes into the Fleet, (the
English prison for debtors) and was likely to
remain there.
Now in the time 1 speak Of every lady
had her head dressed 10y a barber; and the
barber of the Fleet was the handsomest
barber of the city of London Pat Philan
was a great aamirer of the fair sex; and
where's the wonder? Sure, Pat was an
Irishman. 1t was one very fine morning.
when Philan was dressing her captivating
head, that her ladyship took into her mind
to talk to him, and Pat was well pleased, for
Lady C's teeth were the whitest. and her
smile the brightest in all the world.
so you are not married, Pat?' SAYS
she.
''Niyer an inch! your honor's ladyship,"
said he.
''And wouldn't you like to be married ?"
again asked she.
Would duck swim ?''
" Is there any one you'd prefer?"
a. Maybe, madame" says he you niver
heard of Kathleen O'Reilly, down beyond
Donneraile. Her fathers cousin to O'D0n-
aghew, who's own steward to Mr.. Murphy,
the underagent, to my Lord Kingston,
and
Hush ~ says she " sure | don't want
to know who she is. But would she have
you if you asked her.?
"Ah, thin, I'd only wish I'd be after try.
ing that same"
"And why don't your"
% Sure I'm too poor" And Philan heaved
prodigious sigh.
I" Would you like to be rich ~
"Does dog bark?
"If make you rich will you do as tell
your"
"Mille murthers your honor, don't be
tautallzing poor boy"
Indeed, l am not, said Lady c.
So listen. How would you like to marry
me ?"
"Ah, thin, my lady, | believe the King of
Prussia himself would be proud to do that
same, lave alone poor devil like Pat Phi
lam"
Well, Philan, if you'll marry me to-
morrow, I'll give you one thousand pounds"
80, whilabalool whilabaloo sure I'm
mad or enchanted by the good people,"
roared Pat, dancing round the room.
But there are conditions" says Lady
c., after the first day of our nuptials,
you must never see me again, or claim me
for your wife"
IL don't like that" says Pat, for he had
been ogling her ladyship most desperately.
Remember Kathleen O'Reilly. With
the money III give you, you may go and
marry her.
That's thrue," says he. but thin the
bigamy?"
''i'll never appear against you" says her
ladyship. "Only remember you must take
an oath never to call me your wife after to-
morrow, and never to 20 telling all the
story
$ Niver word I'll ever say
Well, then" says she; g there's ten
the rest to me;" and then she explained to
him where he was to go and when he was to
come, and all that.
The next day Pat was true to his appoint
ment, and found two gentlemen already
with her ladyship.
g Have you got the license" says she.
@ Here it is, my lady" says he; and he
gave it to her. She handed it to Cne of the
gentlemen, who viewed it attentiyely.-
Then, calling her two servants, she turned to
the gentleman who was reading.
And sure enough in ten minutes, Pat
Philan was the husband, the legal husband
of the lovely Lady G..
81 That will do" says she to her husband,
as he gave her hearty kiss " thatll do
Now, sir, give me my marriage certificate"
The gentleman did so and bowed respectful
ly to the five pound note she gave him, and
retired with his clerk for sure enough, l
forgot to tell you he was parson.
Go and bring me the warden" says my
lady to one of her servants
- Yes my lady," says she; and presently
the warden appeared.
"Will you be good enough" said Lady
C, in a voice that would call bird off
tree, will you be good enough to send
and fetch me a hackney coach? l wish to
leave this prison Immediately"
Your ladyship forgets," replied he, that
you must pay forty thousand pounds before l
can let you 60"
Il am married woman you can detain
my husband, but not me-" And she smiled
at Pbilan, who began rather to dislike the
appearance of things.
Pardon me, my lady. it is well know you
are single"
II tell you | am married"
Where is your husband ?"
'sThere, sir :" and she pointed to the as
tonished barber; /" there be stands. Here
is my marriage certificate, which you can
peruse at your leisure. My servants yonder
were witnesses of the ceremony. Now detain
me. sir, at your peril"
The warden was dumfounded, and no won
der. Poor Philan would have spoken, but
neither party would let him. The lawyer
below was consulted. The result was evi-
dent. In half an hour Lady G. was
free, and Pat Philan, her husband, a prison
er for debt to the amount of forty thousand
pound.
Well, for some time Pat thought he was in
a dream. and the creditors thought they
were still worse. The following day they
had meeting, and finding how they had
been tricked, swore they'd detain Pat for
ever. But as they well knew he had moth
ing, and wouldn't feel much shame in going
through the Insolvent Court, they made the
best of bad bargain, and let him go.
Well, you must know, about a week after
that, Paddy Philan was sitting by his little
hre, and thinking over the wonderful things
he had seen, when as sure as DEATH the
postmau brought him letter, the first one
ne had ever received, which he took over to a
friend OF his, one Ryan, fruit seller, be-
cause, you see, he was no great hand at
writing, to decipher it for him. 1t ran