Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1891-03-06
HIS STRANGE BRIDE.
How Max Rutherford Married,
Lost and Found a Wife.

It was a dingy, scantily furnished
room in a sccond-class boarding houSe,
and as Max Rutherford glanced around
a sense of disgust filed him.
''Will it be like this, always?" he
sighed. ''Will l ever reach the goal?
Here / am head over heels in debt
wish some good fellow would advance
Re few pounds until finish this brief.
If could only win this case l believe
could see my way clear. However, Ill
hope for the best" And he lit cigar
and prepared to enjoy it.
Max Rutherford was alone in this
world, as far as near relatives were con-
cerned, although he could count his
friends by the score.
He was educated for the bar, but be-
fore that education was completed his
father died, bequeathlng his little fort
une, few thousands, to Max. AS Max
was an uncommonly generous fellow,
as his friends were fond of saying, and
being somewhat eXtravagant in his
tastes and mode of living, he did not
find it at all difficult to spend those few
thousands in a very short time. And SO,
handsome, honest, goOd-hearted, and
brSyely striving to reach the pedestal of
his ameitiOn, but poor.
..Now for the club-room. don't want
to stay here longer than necessary" and
he picked up his hat.
The landlady met him at the door.
"a lady to see you, sir. She n in the
parlor."
"A lady? All right; will go down
imme diately."
At the parlor door, which was wide
open, he suddenly stopped. There, sit
ting beside a table, back to him, was
the slight, black-robed form of q wom-
an. Her head was bowed low and
her hands were tightly clasped. She
looked the very picture of grief and
despair.
AS he crossed the threshold she arose,
and with quick, girlish grace moved
toward him. Then Max saw that she
was heavily vailed, and she made no
movement to throw the vail back.
lyon are Max rutherford, are you
uot?"
Max started as the low, musical
tones fell on his ear.
Il beg that you will pardon me for
this intrusion, but truly" and the
voice grew more earnest, Il felt obliged
to come. my trouble is so great. Nay,
i was driven to it. and no one but your
self can aid me- Will you listen 10 my
stOry?'
Certainly. Pray be seated
Il am Helen CastletOn, and an
orphan, and, doubtless, a stranger to
YOU
''You are? l have never had the
pleasure of meeting you before" he
answered.
''For ten years have lived with my
uncle, my mothers brother. He is
immensely wealthy. am supposed to
be his heiress. But my life for the past
three years has been most unhappy. l
am not of age, and shall not be for a
year to come, and my uncle is deter
mined to persuade me to marry a man
old enough to be my father. He, too, is
worth his millions, and for that reason
my uncle bids me marry him. This
man follows me wherever go, pro-
Tossing to love me, but those professions
fill my soul with disgust and fear.
hate him! I'll die before l consent to
wed him. and her voice trembled SO
that Max longed to snatch away that
vail and gaze on the possessor of that
pleading, fearful voice.
81 ran away from home two years
ago." she continued. but my uncle and
the one who claims to be nv lover
found and brought me home. Home!
ali, heaven! what home! AL the
home I have had since was child;
yet it is little better than a prison. 1
have never had any girl acquaintance.
He would not allow me to see any one
excepting his own friends, and they
were old money-seeking men. 1 dis
liked them all
Tomorrow morning my uncle says
must marry this man-that shall be
forced to do it. / can not! oh, / can
not! Heaven let me die first!" And
with piteous movement she held both
hands out to Max.
He clasped them in his, and as he did
so, q plying yearning tenderness filed
his heart for this vailed stranger.
sTen me how can help you," he
murmured.
.sYoa can help me, and you only"
.sHow9s
ssaEsx EatherSord, viii you-marry
m1kss Ehsn. = 4 deeply sshamed. she