Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-04-20
DAILY SHORT STORY
An Unintended Marriage.
TOriginal.l


ado you think, father, that hasty
marriages always turn out badly?"
''Well, no, not always. 1 know n
case where a marriage that was not in
tended turned out very we'll"
Not intended? How could that have
| been?'
There was n young fellow Che was
| just nineteen years old and I'll call
him Bob who had made up his mind
| that his lot would be bachelorhOod.
| You see, his father and mother had
| married young, his father had died
young, and, the mother being only
nineteen years older than Bob, they
were more like brother and sister than
mother and son. For this reason Bob
secuted marriage-fOr him.
bob was reading law. One day he
went to court, as was his custom, to
familiarize himself with the methods
of procedure. 1t was court of chan
Gerry. The case being tried before the
judge was claim of a young girl to
the estate of an uncle who had recently
died. The girl was in court, and a
prettier little piece of the Lords handi-
work never was turned out. At least
Bob thought so, and he couldn't keep
his eyes off her. 1t wasn't long before
the girl (well call her Lucy noticed
that Bob was looking at her in Il way
that said as plainly as words, L ad-
mire You profoundly She blushed a
little, looked away, then glanced side
wise at him again to see the same eX-
preston of admiration. She blushed
again. which indicated that she reciprO-
Gated At any rate Bob so interpreted
it.
'"The maker of the will had left the
bulk of his property to his only broth
er's son (we'll call him John Doe and
small sum to Lucy, but as the broth
er had married beneath him the tesla
tor provided for possible passing of
all the property TO the oldest son OF
his sisters child. Lucy. AS it would
be unsafe to leave the matter long
open, Lucy not being married. the will
provided that if Lucy were married
when she came of age the estate was
to be left in the hands of trustees for
three years If within that limit she
had q son, the estate was to go to that
son.
"'How old is TIE claimantT asked
the judge.
"'She will be eighteen replied her
counsel despondently, at noon today
els she marriedY
"'No, your honor
"'Then,' said the judge deliberately,
L see no reason why after the hour Of
noon 1 should not set aside her claim
and give judgment for John Doe. In
case there is no objection 1 will adj
journ the court till o'clock
ITO see fortune pass away from this
lovely girl was too much for Bob. He
was an impulsive fellow, prone to de-
eide and act quickly. With scarcely Il
moment for reflection he grasped wild
ly for some method of delay. If the
girl could appear to be married, she
might at least effect a compromise by
requiring her opponents to prove that
she was not married. 1t was half past
10 o'clock, and her counsel would have
three and Il half hours to devise some
plan. Bob as n lawyer knew this, and,
though the chance was slender, he
staked all on single desperate move.
"'Your honor he said, rising, the
claimant is my wife.
Judge, attorney, spectators, turned
to Bob in wonder.
"'Have you proofs of your marriage?'
asked the judge.
mot at hand
is that man your husband? asked
the judge of Lucy.
IF ever there was irresistible appeal
in 4 mans eyes, it was in Bob's when
he turned them on Lucy. He could
not say to her, This is merely to gain
~, L.
meant, L beg of you not to deny
what I have stated Lucy's eyes re-
manned riveted to his. What was pass
ing in her mind no one knew. She had
a decision to make, and all waited
breathlessly to hear it.
Eyes she said.
"'And yOu,' said the judge, turning
to Bob-'do you acknowledge this wom-
an to be your wife?
"I do
Then if you were not married be-
fore you are married now. 1 give judg-
ment in favor of the claimant
"Then, and only then, Bob saw that
his intent to stave off a decision had
resulted in his marriage to a girl he
had never seen before and had never
spoken to.
when the court was adjourned, the
claimant, her mother and Bob went
into a private room for consultation.
All looked at Bob for an explanation.
He made a confession of the whole
matter. There was nothing to be done
but accept the situation. Bob's creden-
tials were presented and found to be
excellent, and the marriage was con-
summated."
"And turned out happilyY
1.-The couple have been and are de-
voted to each other"
"But what right had the judge to
marry them?'
1.-The secret of that is this: Bob was
perfectly well known to him as stu
dent of law (for the judge was pro-
fessor in the law school Bob attended,