The Point Pleasant register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, W. Va.) 1909-1939, 1909-05-12
SCOTCH
MARRIAGE.

Ci21ou.l
Billy and Fan were two New YORK
waits. Billy was about nine and Fan
was about seven. though there was no
record of the birth of either and no
parents about to testify In the cases.
What had become of their fathers and
mothers does not pertain to the story.
Billy remembered that once when be
was put into the public schools for u
few months he vas known rs william
Burke Fan had spelling book Ii,
which was written Fanny Shaw.
Billy and Fan met one bot summer
night in City Hall park. where each
had gone for the purpose of sleep
ing on the benches. Billy had a
nickel In his pocket. and Fan was
crying because she WIS hungry. Bill!
took her over to vender Of watties
on Park row and appeased her hunger.
This WAS the seed Of love-a kindness.
1t was not planted In gentleman's
garden. but any soil TO produce frr!;
requires manure.
So 1t came about that Billy and Fan
became chums. There were societies
organized TO take care OF stray chr.
dren. and Eliy and Fan were dread
fully afraid that some OF these socie-
ties would take them and separate
them. Billy conlidcd his fears to lis
friend. Macclurey. who drove cab
MacCluney facetiouSly told him that
to prevent this they had better get
married. Billy took the advice In car.
nest and ASKED bow the kpot could be
tied.
J "or:1 = Scautchman ncser." replied
the cabman IN Southland II two pco-
pie stand Up before third ard says
they marrics, that ties en-"
"S'rose Fan aud stand up before
you and say tAat:" said Billy.
The ca5mau laughed. aud Billy went
OF and called Fan. who was selling
papers At the time. The two returned
and asked for a "Scautch" marriage
Maccluncy. thinking 1t good joke.
asked the necessary questions ana.
having received aHlrmatory answers,
with Guffaw pronounced them man
and wife.
But the "Scauich'' marriage didn't
save them from the societies. One
night when they were sleeping In
coal yard band OF summers came
down on them and carried them OF.
They protested that they were mar
ried. which brought smile to the
faces OF their abductors. but received
no further notice. After all. they were
separated.
Billy was sent or to community o:
farmer boys. Fan was provided with
parents by adoption. Both grew Up
in The west. Billy as filler OF the
$ sofi. Fan US the daughter Of store.
keeper In a Country town. Billy.
though he would not have forgotten
lis wife. would Save forgotten tSat
her rane was Shaw had he not held
Sn TO the spelling book with the name
written on the ny leaf. There were
Just rs many tears shed by both for
months after t;sey were torn apart rs
II they had been children OF wealth
at first bo;h sighed for the parks. the
coal and lumber yards. sheds and 9th
er places whu-c they had sluRaered.
not because they had been couforta-
bic. but because they had been to-
sether IN these retreats AS they grew
older they conceived horror OF this
part Of thelz past. but they did not
forget each other Billy grew TO man
hood with one Idea. BE wouh save
up" to enable him to regain bis wife.
Fan grew TO womanhood wondering
what had become OF her pal. And.
remembering the "Scautch marriage"
when she was old enough to under
stand what 1t meant It made Eilly an
object OF great importance TO Aec. She
was contrually dreaming Of what he
was like as youth. wondering where
he was and Il she would cue. meet
him.
But Fan grew to be tweu7y-four
years old. and there was no sign OF
Billy. She had several proposals o.
marriage. but answered I'll Sui;ors
allke-ttat she was married already.
One OF them asked a lawyer Il there
was anything In such Il marriage. lie
received the reply that only the courts
could tell. bet so long as neither claim
ed the other there would be nothing
Illegal in either marrying some one
else.
One day 4 man drove up to Fans
home In buggy and asked for q
young woman named Frances Shaw.
Fan was sweeping at the time. with a
towel over her hair. She tried to get
upstairs. but was too late. The man
approached her and said:
Fam
"Are you RMy%
YES"
"How did yon know meT
81 wouldn't have known you II /
hadn't known you were here. as IT
is see resemblance to my little