Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-10
NY BESSIE nEATTY

IF any girl has a desire to exchange
her state of single loneliness for one
of double blessedness she need not
fear to confide In Mayor Marper, for he
is just about the incest man in Los
Angeles.
To learn something about the truth
of the municipal matrimonial bureau l
went to the office of his honor yester-
day afternoon.
1t was after office hours, but Mayor
Harper is usually at his post almost
any hour of the day.
AS a simple little country school
maam 1 invaded the chief executive
chamber and twice L knocked before
the door was opened to me.
On my first visit Police Commissioner
Sam Schenck emerged from the inner
office, announced that the mayor was
very busy, and asked If would not tell
him the nature of my business. Mr..
Schenck was very nice and friendly,
but girl cannot help feeling just
little bit reticent about confding her
matrimonial ambitions, so 1 told him
the business was very personal and that
/ had better wait for the mayor.
When next 1 called 1t was the mayor
himself who answered me. The jolly
little man was smoking big cigar and
having a chat with a couple of news
paper men in the most democratic style
imaginable.
Corona SchooIma'am
"Have just come out of the commits
sion meeting for little smoke with the
boys" he said as he put out his hand
In the friendliest manner imaginable
you want to know about the matri-
monial bureau? Well, indeed you shall
know"
He did not press any questions as to
whether L wanted to get married or
why, but chatted along as If my par
ticular case was the one thing he had
in the world to do at that minute and
that my welfare was quite the most
important thing imaginable.
l told him l was q school teacher
from Corona and that there were not
very many nice young men down there.
He understood at once, and 1 just
longed to drop the school teacher role
and have a real talk with him.
How long have you been teaching?"
he asked, and guiltily L murmured
three years.
well, in three years one does not get
into such rut, but after all there is
really nothing that takes the place of a
home and marriage to a girl.
Grows Conscience Stricken
you see, this really started as more
or less of a joke, but it has become a
serious thing because the whole welfare
of the nation depends upon 1t. 1t is not
a trivial thing for the mayor of the
city to be considering. There are many
splendid young men and women who
would be better off married than sin
gle
"I would like to have more time tc
devote to it, but my secretary is a very
fine young fellow and he is giving g
great deal of his attention to it. You
are only the second young woman
whom I have met personally, but ]
have read a great many letters. II
you are teaching 1 suppose Saturday is
the only day you can come to Los An
geles. Have you ever lived in Los An
geles?"
I, who was born in Los Angeles, an
swered "a little while" and then the
mayor asked more questions about my
school until / began to wish that ]
really had school and that 1 really
wanted husband just that I might
have this kind man with a great big
heart choose him for me. I was more
than half tempted right then to forget
all about my paper and just "fess" up
and tell him I was a rank imposter
but my partner in crime appeared just
at that moment.
Appears Second Reporter
A tall young man with an English
accent (assumed for the nonce) came
into the office.
The young man looked embarrassed