Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-04-01
MARRIED OR NOT?
A Los Angeles Girl in a
Dire Dilemma.
A TRICKY ENGLISHMAN.
Openly Repulsed, He Has Recourse
to Stratagem-WOYk for
the Lawyers.
MARRIED OR NOT j?
A TRICKY ENGLISHMAN.

1t is an old maxim that when mar
thoroughly makes up his mind to accom-
plish certain thing, the chances are
about nine to one that he will do it. Il
would not seem however that the enc
has justified the means in case which
at the present time is furnishing cub.
ject for scandal among the few we'll.
posted members of society circles of this
city and San Francisco. AS usual, there
is hero and heroine connected with
the affair.
A few months ago there graduated
from the Hanna College here very pop.
ulsr young lady whose Christian name,
Emile, can alone be given, as by special
request the family cognomen must be at
present suppressed. Miss Emile is a
good looking, laxative, agreeable, and
consequently rather fascinating young
lady, capable of drawing to her string
wherever she goes more than the
usual number of beaux, and GEN
orally doing so. Her parents still
reside in this city, but shortly after the
opening of the year Miss Emile went
to San Francisco to live with relatives,
who are numbered with the haM ton OF
the northern metropolis. Her debut in
society was duly noticed in the social
columns OF all the papers, and she soon
became a great favorite, her name being
one of the first put down on the list when
invitations were being arranged for any
of the select events. A young Euglish-
man, not more than 27 wears of age,
soon became one of her most devoted ad-
mirers, and pressed his suit with all the
earnestness in his power, reaching the
climax one day with proposal of mar
riage. He was of good standing, toler-
ably wealthy, and a gentleman, but Miss
Emile did not like him well enough to
marry him and fatty told him SO. He
retired rebufed but not vanquished for
he laid siege again in very few days,
bringing to bear on the citadel of her
heart all the force of the armament with
which Cupid had furnished him. Emile
began to weaken little at this furious
attack but still held him aloof although
she accepted him as her acknowledged
escort to balls, theaters, parties, and so
forth. On Tuesday night last he pro-
posed that they visit the Baldwin
Theater the next evening to see Little
Lord Fauntlerog, adding that friend of
his, also accompanied by lady, would
make up the party. Emile consented,
and the next night the two whirled
away together to the Hayman temple on
Market street, and there introductions
followed to the other members of the
quartette, who were duly on hand in
comfortable seats in the dress circle.
LATTER THE OPERA WAS OVER"
After the curtain had finally hidden
the performers from view little supper
was prepared. and no remonstrances
being raised in any quarter, adjournment
was accordingly taken to one OF the fash
ionable resorts near by. Champagne
proved the libation for the feast, and un-
der its electrical influence every one pro-
ceeded to get more than usually merry.
The subject of matrimony was broached,
and on the Englishman's friend remark
ing that he knew the marriage service
by heart, the Briton said, 81 will bet you
the supper you DON'T"
81 take the bet," was the response,
and to decide the wager it was agreed
that the Englishman and Emile were to
stand up before him and enact the parts
of couple at the altar. The service
then began, and it soon became
evident that the speaker knew what
he was about, for the words
prescribed by the church and law
flowed glibly from his tongue. When he
reached the passages where the questio ms
of taking each other as man and wife
were put both responded yes, Emile
doing so laughingly, thinking what a
glorious joke it was. They were sthen
pronounced one by the self-constituted
pastor, and the Englishman acknowl-
edging that he had been beaten called
for the check and paid it. Soon after
this the party broke up, and on reaching
her home Emilie's beau remarked, as he
bade her good night, Don't forget that
you are my wife,"
"Why certainly" she said, as she
waved him final adeau and vanished
within her homestead.
About 3.'o'cloek the next afternoon, as
she was deeply engrossed in the pages of
the latest novel, the postman rang the
bell, and in few seconds letter was
handed to her, the writing on the en-
velope of which she recognized as that of
the Englishman. She was horror
stricken when she read its contents. He
told her that he had pledged both his
body and soul to win her as
his wife, and finding that she was
resolute in refusing the offer of
his hand he had resorted to artifce.
"The gentleman who performed the
marriage ceremony last night is a JUS
tice of the Peace" and Emile fell, al
most fainting, into a chair as she read
the concluding words, ''and you are now
my wife in the eyes of the law"
The first thing the almost distracted
girl did was to sit down and write long
letter to her parents in Los Angeles, tel
ling them every detail of the affair, and
asking for advice. The note arrived in
town on Saturday, and part of its con-
tents reached HERALD man through
direct medium. Gwen If we
are married I will never live with him
as his wife," the girl Lad written,
fplease ask the lawyers to do something
for me.'
Investigations were of course immedi-
ately commenced, and the result Of q
half ia dozen dispatches proved that she
certainly had been united in the manner
described by a Justice of the Peace.
There being but little time to do any
thing in the matter on Saturday, and
yesterday being day of rest in the eyes
of the law, the affair is still in statu quo
but will probably be developed in
an interesting manner to-day. Meantime
Emile has been wired to have no com.
munication in any way with the English
man, who will probably, as an outcome