The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-07-05
ESTABLISHED 1875

''Ah engagement doesn't warrant a
girl having lover in closet"
II don't suppose it does"
Marriage is the only thing that will
excuse that"
But how are we going to get OUT of
itf"
Cant you confess the whole thingF
It's splendid joke. awfully funny
Hasn't your aunt any sense of hui
mora"
About as much as cat has of
poetry"
What do you suggestT
Il can't think of anything unless
do as you say-confess-but that would
be the same thing as acknowledging
criminality. Aunt Jane would never
believe anything else"
''Then you can't get out of it with
out being smirched, at least to your
auntT'
mo. and she can never keep the Sc
cret. Others will know 1t. 1t will go
everywhere. What shall / dor She
wrung her hands.
There's another trouble In the way"
said. ''She asked each of us If we
admitted we were married. That In
the presence Of a witness makes US
man and wife,"
"Oh, my goodness graciousT
There was a silence, at the end of
which | said:
Pm responsible for all this. Now
let me make an admission. | have seen
and admired you before, and l have
said to myself, That's a girl would
like for my wife | heard your aunt
refer to me as person you had"-she
hung her head-"had admired. Now,
suppose we let the matter rest. pledg-
Ing your aunt to keep our secret till
we can determine what we wish to be
the outcome of this singular adventure.
| will keep my home; you can keep
yours. If we decide not to be man and
wife we can find some way out of it
with your aunt II we wish to be mar
ried we can have more pretentious
ceremony than the one Just perform
ed"
We filed up the hour celebrating,
but found no better plan than this.
Then we rejoined Aunt Jane. and
acted as spokesman.
Aunt Jane" | said-"I presume
may now call you aunt admit that
have done very wrong in hurrying
your niece into a secret marriage, es-
pecially since my affairs are not just
now in condition that will enable me
to take care of a wife In the style to
which she has been accustomed. / ask
a short time In which to get them In
such condition. and ! shall then ac-
knowledge the marriage. AS for my
self. would be willing to do this now,
but Lois, whom we both love and
whose reputation we are both bound to
protect, thinks that we had better wait
awhile, then announce an engagement
| and after brief one celebrate mar
rage without saying anything about
the one that has occurred. Meanwhile
| ask permission to visit my wife just
as would visit her with your permis-
sion to win her. should have taken
this course before. The strength OF
my love for her is my only excuse for
not doing so. / am convinced that ie
she turns out to be as estimable lady
as her aunt shall have won a treas
ure."
Aunt Jane gave me reason to be
proud of myself for this speech by
saying that It was never too late to do
the right thing and she hoped l would
prove myself as worthy as my words
indicated
| kissed the old lady at my depar-
ture, and my wife followed me to the
door for the ostensible purpose Of re-
ceiving a marital salute. / offered to
avail myself of the opportunity, but
Lois drew back.
then returned to my own home,
having been In the wrong house an
hour and half, during which I had
married a wife to whom l had never
before spoken word and had conciI-
lated her guardian.
l was not long winning my W1fe's
consent to public engagement and
soon got my affairs in shape for pub
lie wedding. When we entered the
church there was not person present
who knew that the union of the con-
tracting parties occurred from the
groom having got into the wrong
house.