Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-08-23
Wedding byCabIe
BY HELEN t. WOODS.
AIR. ARCHIBALD GIDDINGs was

AH IL. ARCHIBALD GIDDINGS wa
N an Englishman, but not of the
phlegmatic type, or this story would
never have been written
At the death of his parents he had
beer taken by q male attendant to his
only living relative, an uncle, in Mel
bourne. There he grew TO manhood
under the watchful eyes of his in
structors and his bachelor uncle At
the age of 80 the fair sex-had played no
part in his life. His uncle spared
neither time nor money TO make Archi-'
bald Giddings' education complete.
he had the best Of instructors, and
only the best, in art, In literature, in
the sciences, was brought TO his at
tention. In hoEsemanship, hunting
and athletics he was trained by the
most skiilful tutors. But women did
not pass within the domain OF his
uncle. He grew up with a strange feel
ing of aversion for the opposite sex.
Having a great admiration for his I'M
Gle, and feeling sure that his uncle's
life had been saddened by woman.
he resolved 10 remain a bachelor TO
the end of his days.
Then things took widely different
turn in the life of Archibald GiddingS.
His uncle died suddenly, leaving will
which made the nephew sole heir to his
tmmense fortune on one condition only
that he Archibald Giddings, con-
frmed bachelor, marry within she next
six months. II was sudden, startling
and decidedly Nnthought of.
AFsfeast, there was six months to
Book about in, certainly not for wife,
but for what might be done at the end
of the six months when the income and
Rll the Injuries OF life which he had
so long enjoyed should cease with him.
Is few weeks were given to the settle
ment of his uncle's affairs, and Archi-
bald Giddings prepared to bid good
by to Melbourne.
In packing his belongings he ran
across copy OF New York newspa-
per which had been among the last
mail received by his uncle The bold
headlines on the first page caught his
attention, and he read an item of most
peculiar interest.
A wonderful coincidence, A young
woman in New York city had been left
a bequest that was precisely similar.
As in his case it amounted to millions.
AS in his case, also, the young woman
was confirmed disciple of single
blessedness.
The paper was four months old Ar
chibald Giddings bethought a plan
TO plan was to act. The young woman
in New York was Immediately cabled
an offer of marriage, said marriage
70 be performed by cable in the pres
ence of a sufficient number of witnesses
at both ends of the line. The entire
situation was clearly explained in the
message, and Archibald Giddings had
only to wait for the return cableeram.
The young woman in New York re-
piled that she was still unmarried. and
that she would accept Mr. Gidding's
proposal on the condition that the mar
Tiage should be held sacred bv both
parties; that the understanding should
be that they would live their lives as
they were now doing. united only by
lawful ties.
Archibald Giddings was delighted.
He secured a verbose legal opinion
from q most learned Judge that such a
wedding would be perfectly lawful.
and preparations were immediately
begun for wedding by cable.
Private wires were laid to the house
of the bride in New York and 20 the
house of the groom in Melbourne from
Ahe offices of the cable companies. A