The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-11-08
A MARRIAGE
IN THE DARK
IOriginal.l

$500
~ in his bed when a neighbor raped
at the front door and asked if some
n in the house would go for a clergy
man to attend a dying Geoffry,
being young and vigorous, was called,
put on his clothes, yawning the while,
and sailed forth into a stormy night.
He had been up late for several nights
and found it difficult to get himself
thoroughly awake. However, he found
minister and rang the bell. A maid
opened the door, let him into the hall,
which was unlighted, and thence into
a waiting room. There she scratched
two or three matches, all Of which
failed to ignite. Then she went away.
GeOffry sat down in an easy chair
and in a few minutes was sound
asleep. He was awakened by a voice
saying:
":For heavens sake! Asleep? Get
up. There; take hold of her hand"
Geoffry, only half awake, stood on
his feet, felt a soft little hand grasp
his and heard a mans voice rapidly
speaking words which ended, what
God has Joined together let no maj
put asunder."
The words restored Geoffry to his
full consciousness. 1t was plain that
something unusual had happened, and
he was curious to know what would
be the result. BY a street light that
shone dimly in at a window he saw
several figures leaving the room, heard
a carriage door shut without and the
rumbling of wheels. 4
"You understand what to do, I sup
pose?" said a mans voice.
"Certainly," replied Geoffry, and
walked out of the room and the house.
1t had come over him suddenly that
through some mistake he had been
married. There was only one woman
in the world he wished for his wife
and that was his cousin. He was much
troubled. How the law would regard
the matter he did not know, but he
feared it would hold him to be a mar
ried man. For the time being the thing
for him to do was nothing. He was the
only one cognizant of the fact that he,
Geoffry Curran, had gone through the
marriage ceremony, and he resolved to
keep the secret. He hunted up another
minister, and took him to the house
where he was expected. Then Geoffry
went home.
Ten years passed. Geoffry, whose
cousin had married another, was in
middle life and was getting tired of
living alone. He had fancied several
women, but loved none. This he had
considered fortunate, for the scene in
which he had taken part in the minis
ter's waiting room constantly came up
before him like Il dream, and he feared
to marry unless his unknown bride
might turn up.
One evening at a ball Geoffry met
Eugenia Gilmore. The acquaintance
ripened into friendship and friendship
into love. Miss Gilmore was about ten
years his Junior, just the age a man
nearing forty would prefer. For the
first time since his cousin married he
wished to take a wife. Miss Gilmore
gave every sign of responGe. and there
seemed nothing in the way of their
union except Geoffry's secret. He put
a suppositious case to a lawyer, who
told him that the intention Of the law
not being fulfilled perhaps he was not
married, but the weak point was that
either the man or woman in the case
must prove that he or she had been
married by mistake and either could
make trouble for the other. Geoffry
would not wed without making a clean
breast of the affair to the lady he was
to marry. One evening he sailed
forth to see Miss Gilmore, tell her the
whole story and ask her if she loved
him well enough to take the risk of a
marriage that might be pronounced IL
legal by the courts. He skillfully led
up to the subject, declared his love and
without waiting for a response added:
But l regret to say that there is an
impeachment to my marrying any one"
'That is doubly unfortunate" replied
the lady.
"How sO?"
II have a confession to make. 1 have
loved before"
Indeed"
Eyes, when a very young girl-only
sixteen-I vas infatuated with a youth
Of eighteen. My father objected to my
marriage on the ground that l was too
young. In an evil hour l consented to
a secret marriage. It was arranged
that at midnight, after all were asleep,
I should steal out, greet my lover at
the rectory and be married. On arriv-
ing there the rector was just coming
downstairs in the dark, and my fiance
was in the reception room. l was very
much frightened and would not wait
for lights. Indeed, I preferred to run
no risk Of being The marriage
took place at once, and we separated
Immediately after. The next day I
was surprised to learn that my boy
lover had weakened and had not been