The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1883-08-11

81 hope I am not mistaken" said
Mr.. Cranch. Give been told that Mrs.
Whitlayton was soon to become Mrs.
Arson Marthen.'
Marthen's face blackened, as he ex-
claimed, through tightly closed teeth:
'Gentleman, this is horrible. l never
knew the lady's name until five min
utes ago. My villainous double-you
know all about hirn, Fred-that rascal
has probably made love to her for her
money and persuaded her to marry
him. What is to be done?"
One gentleman shrugged his shout.
ders, and the other raised his eyebrows;
Mr.. Cranch finally said:
81 suppose its nobody's business; the
lady has been married before; she ought
to be able to choose for herself"
"Pll make it my business" Kissed
Marthen, and he turned abruptly and
hurried to his hotel, where he had the
good fortune to find detective await
ing him and full of news. The scape-
grace Marthen, he said, had been living
quietly at small Boarding-house, but
his servant, who had not been paid for
so long that he was willing for a ten
dollar bill to tell all he knew, suspected
a wedding for his master had ordered q
dress suit.
Marthen almost lost his head in his
rage, but the detective rapidly laid a
plan to entrap the rascal. He would
hire the negro to steal his masters
overcoat and hat, which he, the de-
tective, would put on and then call
upon the minister, just after dark,
with the hope of successfully assuming
the manner and appearance of the
rogue and worming himself into the
secret. Marthen approved the plan in
general, but insisted upon one change;
he would wear the coat and hat himself.
The detective consented, for, after all,
money was what he was working for,
and he was being well paid for his SER
vices.
The negro was again bribed, and he
not only stole the overcoat and hat
but named the hour at which his master
had told him he would go out. Then
the faithful servant led Marthen to the
sickly minister's clearinghouse, while
the detective prevented the other Mar.
then escaping. Marthen, the engineer
scarcely knew what to do; he paced
the sidewalk opposite the designated
garden; he saw figures occasionally
enter and emerge, but none that he
could recognize.
Suddenly, however, just after two
plainly dressed women had passed in,
a thin figure crossed the street and
whispered:
"She is there"
"Marthen followed the preacher, won.
dering in what words to break gently
to Mrs. Whitlayton the intelligence
that the man she.had agreed to marry
was worthless scamp, but before he
could say anything the lady was lean
ing on his arm, and the minister was
saying:
LAS night air-ahem-is very dan.
gerous to my lungs-ahem-I know
you will excuse me for losing no time
Arson Marthen, do you take this
woman to be your welded wifeP"
Marthen was SO astonished that he
could scarcely maintain his position OIL
find his tongue. He recovered, how.
ever, as Mrs. Whitlayton pressed
closer to his side and whispered:
"Speak-quiek-if you love mer'
81 dc" said Marthen, softly, We
earnestly.
YES" whispered the lady.
"Then," said the minister, 81 pro
nounce you man and wife, and wha
God has joined together let no man pu
asunder. Mr. Marthen, will have thu
certificate ready in the morning, if yol
will send for it.
''Come away at once" whispered tn,
bride, IF the dreadful enemies yol
wrote me about should sec you, wha
would happenPn
Marthen talked little but thought rap
idly as he drew his wife away and rap
idly along. At the first secluded spo
he reached, however, he placed hi
arms around her, with one hand read,
to place over her mouth should she at
tempt to shrek, he rapidly explained
himself. As he had already discov
cred, Mrs. Whitlayton was not smart
She was so dazed by all she heard tina
she knew nothing but that she had beer
legally married to man whom she ha,
never seen but twelve hours before, blu
whom she had then determined wa
very much of a gentleman. What coul,
, she do in her delicate position but &c
according to his advice, which was tina
they should take the night train TO
, New York and go to her new husband
home and his mother? So they did
, and when they reached there, and tn
son had explained to his mother, tn
bride confided to her mother-in-law tina
it seemed she had known her husban
/ for year.
And the Arson Marthen who 70
) manned a bachelor recovered his hat an
{ overcoat without recourse to law.--7I
: Hour.
/ Half a century ago Mr.. Valdez