The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1892-12-10
WINNING A WIFE.
How a Deserving Young Man Won
His Sweetheart
a Ghos.ly Vision That MateriaIized Into
Beautiful SuD~stance-An Incident
That startled a Household Out
of Slumbcr,

a GhostIy Vision That MateriaIized Into
Beautiful SuDstance-An Incident
That Startled a Household Out
OF Slumbcr.
Three o'clock in the morning is an
uncanny hour the world over except at
police hcadqu arters or in the office of a
morning newspaper, and it was in this
latter place, at the hour named, that
four or five reporters, having sent in
all their cop and listened to the fore
man swear for fifteen minutes because
he had two columns of space and ten
columns of matter that must go in"
sat with their feet on the tables and
their chairbacks knocking the plaster
ing off, talking over the subject which
is Just as new to-day as it was when
Adam doffed.his beaver and said: GLOW
d'y' do?" to Eve. Every fellow in the
Grove was n bachelor, and each one
was informing the other in all serious
ness that he should marry.
What for??' inquired Claude Brown
of Frank Jones.
because" replied Frank, 'it's the
only proper way 20 live"
"a nice husband a reporter would
make" said Claude in rcbuttal. com
ing in at three o'clock a. IN. and leav-
ing home as soon as he got his twelve
o'clock breakfast"
But his wife would always know
where he was, and if she didn't, she'd
know wherever he was he was after an
item and had 10 be back at the office
on time" remarked Charlie Smith.
"Well," put IN Claude, If you think
it's such a great snap why don't you
get married.
Cant" said Charlie, very positively
"Why not?'
"Thunderation, man, how's a fellow
to buy a whole steamboat when he
hasn't money enough to buy n splinter
off Il stage plank? Ilow'sa man to buy
n house and lot when he can't buy a
shovel full of dirt? IIow's a man"
That's it." interrupted Claude;
shows Il man to do anything if he
docsn do it? What's the matter with
marrying Il rich girl?"
Where's the girl?' queried Charlie.
PLENTY of them. Girls with mon
stlN ~ httu al ulNbtlSlhS dpCllJ anu
they will trust n husband when they
won't trust an elder in the church. Be-
sides. what's the good of her money if
a girl has her heart set on 4 husband
and can't get him."
Smith argued awhile against matri-
mony and at half-past three started for
home. lie was thinking the conversa-
ton over, and as he trudged along it
occurred To him that bachelor was not
only a knot on 4 log, but he was a very
lonesome knot.
His way led him through the aristo-
cratic portion of the city, and as he
passed n fin house his reveric was dis
turbcd by the peculiar click of n turn
ing lock and the matrimonial line of
thought was all knocked awry by the
rcportorial instinct, and he saw, in
stead of n blushing, blooming Mrs. |
Smith, a burglar cracking a million
aires dining-room and making off with
his silver. He thought of the beautiful
scoop he was going to nave on the otheri
fellows and, slipping into the shadow,
he waited and listened. Click
went the lock again, as if the
burglar was nervous and was
more anxious to open the door than
he was to preserve the ordinary bur-
g~larious quiet. The reporter scrutin-
lied the door closely and discovered
that the robber was not on the outside, |
but was evidently within and was
working his way out, and he felt a
thud of excitement at the thought of
being able to capture his man with the
Doodle on his person. He slipped his
revolver out of his pocket, trained it on
the door and an instant afterward the
door swung open and Charlie was
ready to throw up your hands" when,
instead of n burglar, a ghost came u
1T can't be a ghost" he whispered
in IN assuring tone to himself, 'for
ghosts don't unlock doors. They just
come right through them. But if it
isn't n ghost, what the deuce is it,"
He had long TO wait, for whoever or
whatever it was came ont into the YES
tibule and down the steps slowly, as if
uncertain of its movements, and when
about halfway to the pavement
stopped.
by garry" said the reporter, Its a
woman. and she's got on n night gown.
I'll have to see about this" and with
his revolver ready in case of accident,
he stepped out of the shadow and spoke
to the ghostly walker
Good evening"" he said, ~nervously.
mo, excuse me, l mean good morning.
If you're going to market, maybe you'd
better go back and put on an ulster"
Ordinarily Charlie would nave been
more gallant, but this was anything
but an ordinary affair, and he didn't re-
quire newspaper instinct to tell him SO.
The shceted figure made no reply,
but moved again and came toward him.
The cold chills chased each other down
his back and he looked for a policeman,
with the usual result.
stand back" he said, this pistol
loaded, but it might go off"
But on it came and Charlie found that
lis legs wouldn't move in spite of all he
could do to make them.
One step more and he stood face to
face with his strange discovery, and {
Charlie saw that it was not Snly a c
woman, BIT: I young and handsome q
one, and he began to feel better. .
81 beg you pardon, he said, but !
the night air is cool and you appear to
be dressed rather lightly. Can l rem a
der you any assistance? Is there any I
one in the house that has frightened
you?" r
Still no answer, and Charlie, embold- J
ened by his own words, stepped to the I
young woman's side and gently took .
by the arm. |
She turned her face to him and then
The mystery was solved. J
Another Amina," he said. LA 1