The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1905-01-13
"A STROKE
OF GENIUS


upon the death of my father, had been
very unfortunate in her marriage. This
had made her bitter against matrfmo-
d of preventing my ever taking a
husband. Before / had lived with her
six months a written agreement had
been made between as that l was to
Inherit all her property on condition
of always remaining unmarried. 9th
erwise it would go to her brothers and
sisters.
Till l met Oscar Merriam l thought
little of my agreement. Oscar was just
the fellow to win a girls heart A
cheerful, reckless disposition, a deli
cious smile. a hopeful, Impractical ma
ture-these were his traits, and they
were just the traits to make me love
him beyond measure.
My love affair nearly drove me wild.
My i~nfatuation for Oscar did not rem
der me blind to the fact that he was
visionary and impractical. On the one
hand was every comfort without him;
on the other every p%rivation with him.
His influence over me was sufficient to
induce me to consent to a secret mar
riage. ! was not dishonest enough to
accept my aunt's fortune, failing to full
fill my part of the contract; indeed, by
marriage l gave up my rights. l hoped
for some occurrence to change the con-
ditions, but the conditions grew more
and more stringent. My aunt. who had
received a rvo shock at the time
of her husbands death. fell into a mon
omania on the subject of opposition to
m a r.ria no ond nnrar oanSol 70 ro-,f.l
me of my agreement. At last she be-
came SO demented that her physicians
sent her to a sanitarium.
After a few months medical treat
her mental condition was much
pneumonia.
was in great perplexity. for my
agreement with her still stood, and I
had broken it. When the will was
opened, what was my surprise to learn
that my aunt had left me her fortune
on condition that l marry within eight
een months after her death! When she
had recovered a better mental condi-
ton h was Mortified to think of my
being unprotected and that she had
fostered what she now dreaded. on
suited lawyers. who agreed that the
terms of tile will required me to be
married within a specified time after
my aunt's death. A marriage before
or after this period would not fulfill
the conditions. l wrote Oscar, who
was at the time in Washington endeav-
oring to secure a patent
heard nothing from him for several
days. Then he wrote me. frankly con-
Tossing that he only married me as an
heiress and had no use for me poor.
For several days after this shock 1
was frantic. Then / was buoyed up
by anger. Upon consultation with my
lawyer he advised me to begin divorce
proceedings at once and If 1t could be
secured within the period designated
in the will l might marry again before
the time stipulated in the will should
expire and ecure the property. l was
still so infatuated with my husband.
loved him SO dearly, that l hesitated.
Then my anger prevailed. / would be
rich, and he should see me living in
luxury while he was buried in poverty
and his patent rights. Proceedings
were commenced at once, and I was
not surprised when Oscar failed to
make any answer to my charge, which
was desertion. My attorney worked
hard to expedite matters. but despite
his energy the laws delay did not ad-
NIT of my securing my decree with
permission to marry till a few days
before the expiration of the limit Of
time.
The great burden that rested upon
me was the matter of a husband. In
the first place, 1 was still in my heart
foolish enough to love b man who
had so basely deserted me. The adage,
Hell hath no fury like a
scorned," did not apply to me. Mar
Rage with another was so repulsive to
me that I seriously considered. after
all, giving up the fortune n living
without the matrimonial yoke. But
no one-especially a woman-likes to
give up a fortune and live alone at h
same time. When my lawyer emind
ed me that before moor on the follow
ing day l must be welded or my rights
would be forfeited 1 had no preference
whatever for any man. In despair /
told my attorney to suggest some one.
He promised to produce a friend who.
he said, had known me and been my
lover for a long while / did not care
for any except M mans love. but I
considered this an advantage and con-
scented to tn introduction.
Though the time was shor my at
torney did not hurry. and ii was 8
O'Clock on the evening before the ex-
piration of the time limit when the
doorbell rang n I knew I was to
inspect the candidate. So disagree
able was the matter to m that when
the two men came n the drawing
room l could not refrain from turning
my back. there was a quick step be
hind me, and a pair of arms clasped
me. / turned. indignant, and there
was Oscar looking down on me with
tha same old enhancing smile.
Their 1t came out that the whole af-
fair was a ruse of his to fulfill he
conditions or the will.
SnIna- aEauinU