The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-01-20
WINNING A WIFE.
How a Deserving Young Man Won
His Sweetheart.
a GhostIy Vision That MateriaIized Into
Beautiful Substance-An Incident
That Startled "a Household Out
of SIumber.

Three o'clock in the morning is an
uncanny hour the world over except at
police headqu arters or IN the Office of
morning newspa per, and it was in this
latter place, at the hour named, that
four or five reporters, having sent in
ali their copy AMI lste ned To the fore
man swear for ..fteen minutes because
he had two columns OF space and ten
columns of m: tier that must 20 in,"
sat with their feet on the tables and
their chairbaclls knocking the plaster
ing Off, talking over the subject which
Is just a new to-day as il was when
Adam doifedhis beaver and SAID: "IIow
d'y' do?" To Eve. Every fellow in the
crowd was a bachelor, and each one
was informing thr other in all serious
ness that he should marry.
What for?" inquired Claude Brown
of Frank Jones.
'Becausc," replied Frank, Its the
only proper way 20 live
"A nice husband a reporter would
make" said Claude in rebuttal. Com
ing in ut three o'clock "A. IN. and leav-
ing home as soon rs 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 a splinter
off Il stage plank? lIow's man To buy
a house and lot when he can't buy
shovel full of dirt? IIow's a man
That's it" interrupted Claude;
''how's a man to do anything if he
doesn do it? What's the matter with
marrying a rich girl?"
where's the girl?" quericd Charlie
Plenty of them. Girls with money
always need disbursing agent and
they will trust a 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 a husband
and can't get him?'
Smith argued awhile against matri-
mony and ut half-paSt three started for
nome. He was thinking the convers;l-
tion over, and as he trudged along it
occurred to him that IA bachelor was not
only a knot on a log, but he was a very
lonesome knot.
His way led him through the aristo-
cratic portion of the city, anJ as he
passed n fine house his reverie was dis
tUrbed by the peculiar click of ii 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, burglar cracking Il million
aires dining-room and making off with
his silver. lie thought of the beautiful
scoop he was going to have on the other
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-
glarious 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
thud of excite at the thought of
being able to capture his man with the
Doodle on his person. lie slipped his
revolver out of his pocket, trained it on
the door and an instant aftcrward the
door swung open and Charlie was
ready to throw mp your hands" when,
instead of burglar, ghost came out
1T can't be ghost" he whispered
in an assuring tone To- himself, for
ghosts don't unlock doors. They just
come right through them. But if it
isn't ghost, what the deuce is it?''
He had long TO wait, for whoever or
whatever it was came out into the YES
tibule and down the steps slowly, as if
of its movements, and when
about halfway to the pavement
stopped.
by garry" said the reporter, Its n
woman. and she's got on a 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 have been
more gallant, but this was anything
but an ordinary affair, and he didn'tre-
uuire newspaper instinct To tell him so
The sheeted 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,
" 18th the usual result.
..Stand back" he said, this Qlstoi