The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1903-04-10
AN UNATTENDED
=. MA RAGE
Ioriginal.l


been?"
"There was 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 d claim of a young girl to
the estate of an uncle who had recently
died. The girl was in court, and Il
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 wen call her Lucy noticed
that Bob was looking at her in way
that said as plainly as words, i adj
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,
1.-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 a 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 Il son, the estate was to so to that
SON.
"'How old is TIE claimant? asked
the judge.
''She will be eighteen, replied her
els she marriedY
"'No your honor.
"'Then,' said the judge deliberately.
4 see no reason why after the hour of
noon | should not set aside her claim
and give judgment for John Doe In
case there is no objection l will adj
journ the court till 2 o'clock.
etc son a fo,.t11,a mass axuoxy fpnY,, fI1is,
lovely girl was too much for Bob He
was an impulsiye fellow, prone to de-
eide and act quickly. With scarcely a
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 half hours to devise some
plan. Bob as 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
els that man your husband? asked
the judge of Lucy.
''If ever there was irresistible appeal
in mans eyes, it was in Bob's when
he turned them on Lucy. He could
Ia W.
time so he gave her Il look which
meant, 4 beg of you not to deny
what l 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,
"'Yes,' she said.
"'And you said the judge, turning
to Bob-'do you acknowledge this wom-
an to be your wife?'
81 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 We're presented and found to be
excellent, and the marriage was con-
summated."
"And turned out happilyY'
''The couple have been and are de-
voted to each other"
but what right had the judge to
marry them?"
'grhe secret of that is this: Bob was
perfectly well known to him as a stu
dent of law (for the judge was a pro-
lessor in the law school Bob attended,
and had very good opinion of the
young man. More than that, the Judge
saw that nice little girl was about to
be deprived of fortune for the want
Of husband He knew was lying
The narrator stopped and coughed.
"You, father! You don't mean
"That | am Bob? Yes, | am. You
should forgive your father for the lie,
my boy, because you are Lucy's oldest
son, and by it not only provided for
your being, but gained you a fortune
At fine same fine"