The star. (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1874-1875, 1875-01-15
AN IRISH ADVENTURE.
A PRISON MARRIAGE.


Lady G. was a beautiful woman, but
Lady Z. was an eXtravagant woman.
She was still single, though rather past
extreme youth. Like most pretty fe-
males, she had looked too high; had es-
teemed her own loveliness too dearly;
and now she refused TO believe that she
was not as charming as ever. SO no
wonder she still renamed unmarried.
Lady G. had but five thousand pounds
in the world. She owed about forty
thousand pounds; SO, with all her Wit
fand beauty, she got into the Fleet Prison,
and was likely to remain there.
Now, in the time l speak OF, every lady
had her head dressed by a barber; and
the barber at the Fleet was the hand
soonest barber in the city of London.
Pat Phelan was great admirer of the
fair sex, and where's the wonder? Sure,
| Pat was an Irishman. 1t was one very
fine morning, when Phelan was dressing
her captivating head, that her ladyship
took it into her head 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.
$50 you're not married, PatW says
she.
..Diyil an inch, your honor's ladyship,"
says he.
| ''AUu WOuluI yC Inv w uS
again asks she.
| "Would duck swimW
sis there any one you'd preferW
"Maybe madam says he, ''you niver
heard OF Kathleen OReily, down beyant
| Doneraile? Her fathers cousin to O'Don-
oghue, who's steward to Mr.. Murphy,
the under-agent to my Lord KingstoWn,
and"
"Hush," says she; ''sure I don't want
| to know who she is. But would she have
you if you asked her"
"Ah, thin, Pd only wish I'd be after
thrying that same."
sAnd why don't youW
"Sure Pm too poor" And Phelan
heaved a prodigious sigh.
"Would you like to be rich~
"Does dog barkW
at made you rich, would you do as
tell your
"Millia murthersl your honor, don't be
| tantalising poor boy"
"Indeed Pm not" said Lady c.; ESQ
| listen. How would you like to marry
me2"
"Ah, thin. my lady, believe the King
that same, lave alone poor divil like
Pat Phelan." ''----
swell, Phelan, if you'll marry me to-
morrow, PlI give You one thousand
90, whilabaloo! whilabaloo! sure Pm
mad, enchanted by the good peorle,"
roared Pat, dancing around the room.
"But there are conditions," said Lady
c.. 'Aiter the first day of nuptials you
must never see me again nor claim me
for your wife,"
been ogling her ladyship most desper-
ately.
"But remember Kathleen O'Reilly.
With the money Pll give you, you may
marry her."
"Tiats true," says he; 'but thin, the
bigamy."
SPn never appear against you," says
her ladyship. Only remember, you must
take an oath never to call me your wife
after tomorrow, and never to go telling
/ all the story"
s'Divil word "Pll ever saw"
"Well, them" says she, "there's ten
pounds. Go and buy license, and leave
the rest to me-" and then she explained
| to him where he was to so, and when he
was to come, and all that.
The next day Pat was true to his ap-
pointment, and found two gentlemen al
ready with her ladyship.
"Have you got the licenseW asked
she.
sHere it is, my lady" says he; and he
gave it to her. She handed it to one OF
the gentlemen, who viewed it attentive
ly, then calling in her two servants, she
called to the gentleman who was read
ing.
And sure enough, in ten minutes Pat
Phelan was the husband-the legal hus-
band of the lovely Lady G.
l,VI,nt fln coyG Shp m har naU
husband, as he gave her q hearty kiss
"tnarll do. Now, sir, give me my mar
rage certificate" The old gentleman
did so, ana bowling respectfully to the
five-pound note she gave him, be retired
with his clerk, for sure enough, l forgot
to tell you he was a parson.
"Go and bring me the warden," says
my lady to.One of her servants.
Eyes, my lady" says she; and pres
emily the warden appeared.
"Will you be good enough" says lady
tree, twill you be good enough to send
and bring me u hackney coach? / wish
to leave this prison Immediately"
"Your ladyship torgets," replied he,
:sthat you must pay your forty thousand
pounds before l can let you 60"
~ am married woman. You can de.
tain my hus sband but not me-" And she
smiled at Phelan, who began rather I'd
dislike the appearance Of the state ol
things.
| "Pardon me, my lady, tits well known
you are single"
81 tell you am married"
"Where's your busbandp
sTnere sir!" and she pointed to the as
tonished barber: "there he stands. Here
is my marriage certificate, which you car
peruse at your leisure. My servants
yonder were witnesses of the ceremony
Now detain me, sir, one instant, at your
peril"
The warden was dumbfounded, and nc
wonder. Poor Phelan would have spoken
but neither party would let him. The
lawyer below was consulted. The result
was evident. In hall an hour Lady O.
l was free, and Pat Phelah, her legitimate
husband, prisoner for debt TO the
amount OF forty thousand pounds.
Well, sir, for some time Pat thought he
was in dream, and the creditors
thought they were still worse. Tine fol.
loving day they held meeting, and find
ing how they had been tricked, swore
they'd detain poor Pat forever. But as
i..|..Ir.. III. Il