Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-06-08

| tea table buZzed with 1t; every friend
| m Getting friend asked what would be
the result. Were the young people
really married or was it only mock
ceremony, having no actual signiti-
canoe? The Millbank neighborhood
was turned upside down.
The question was simply-had Mr..
Leftwick autho rity to marry anybody
on the day of the picnic? If he had
that authority the parties were married,
for they had consented and he had pro-
nounced them man and wife.
| 1t was useless to urge that the act
was intended as a jest. When duly
empowered magistrate is called upon by
two people to marry them; when they
formally take each other rs husband
and wife, and he pronounced them to
be such--theu the two persons are
married, and there is an end to it,
This view was generally accepted;
but was Mr.. Leftwick duly empower
ed magistrate He had been elected,
but had received no certificate, What
was the law governing the case?
Juge Amman was not appealed to. 1t
really was too delicate aquest,on for his
decision under the circumstances. But
other gentlemen learned in the law
were consulted; and they agreed al
most unanimously that Mr.. Leftwick
had been an actual magistrate; the
popular vote had made him such, and
no formal certificate of election was
necessary. The parties were married.
When Miss Bel Amman awoke slowly
to the consciousness that this WAS the
general sentiment, she began to cry,
and then grew sullen and angry. 1t
was an outrage-it was wild absdrdi-
ty. Married and to Edward Hay
She would never see his face again.
He had been guilty of the basest de-
ception. He had known that Mr.. Left
wick was really magistrate, and
m cant to entrap her into hateful uu-
ion with him. Yes, hateful. She de-
tested the sight of him. If he ever
presumed to approach her, she would
tell him her opinion of him, and forbid
his ever appearing again in her pres
ence.
Mr.. Hay did not seem DESTROYS of in
hicting his society upon his young wife.
The picnic party had speedily broken
up in the midst of general dismay, and
Mr.. Edward Hay had simply bowed
low, without so much as a smile, and
departed.
Soon an incident occurred which
brought home to Miss Amman, or Mrs.
Hay, the terrors of matrimony. Judge
Amman was absent holding court, and
the young lady was in the drawing
room at Annandale, when loud knock
was heard at the front door, and a Wis
or entered. The young lady looked
at him and bowed slightly, his appear
ance was not progressing. He was
one of c'ass of petty attorneys of
whom the illustrious Guiteau is an ex-
amt ole.
II have called to see you about a
claim | have on your husband, Mr..
Hay said this ornament of profession.
The young lady started slightly, but
only greeted the words with II naughty
stare.
Sorry to trouble you, but business
is bushes. | am council for the plant
if in Smith VS.. Hay. 1t is too slow to
proceed against real estate, a d am
told that you have bank stock"
The young lady colored. This gross
business intrusion was hateful to her.
She had nice little amount of bank
stock in her own right-the gift of an
uncle.
"You are aware that your personali-
| ty is liable to execution for your hus-
bands debts" said the legal gentleman.
The young lady rose to her feet and
swept superbly from the room. As
she disappeared up he stairs she said
| to u servant:
"Show this person to the door"
And the person in question took his
! dilapldated hat and went away.
Three days afterward Miss Bel An
nan, rs We may as we'll continue to
call her, saw an advertisement in the
county paper which made her color a
little. 1t announced that the real and
personal estate of Mr.. Edward Hay
would be exposed for sale on the first
of the ensuing month. She remained
silent for n few moments looking at the
! advertisements; then she began to sob,
and said
| 81 am so sorry !"
On the same evening, she received n
| nott tHiouSh VIC pOStpiiiOt, NlilCu tO''-
tanned these words
81 trust you have never supposed
that ! had any agency in the affair of
the picnic or that anything could in
duce me to take advantage of it in any
manner. But know you will acquit
me of that. There is only one course.
AS we seem really to be married, di-
vorce is uecessary-but divorce case
occasions scandal, and that | know
would wound you. Need | say that |
would not wound you for the world ?
That is not much to say. | have,
therefore, arranged everything TO spare
you pain. My estate will be disposed
of, and | shall remain away Tor some
years Then the law declares You free
again--on the plea of desertion--aud
there will be no more annoyance.
Your friend, no more,
EDWARD HAY"
Miss Bel Amman read this letter over
twice before she observed postscript
ON thp second mage,