The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1910-07-08
Married by
Accident
A Man Wins a Wife by 0ettlng Into
the Wrong House.
By REGINALD D. HAVEN

| other house. | once lived In one OF
these houses. ind I never went homo
hut I ran II risk Of getting into tho
| wrong house.
In the fourth house wns young
lady whose appearance especially nd.
mired. considered her very pretty.
aud she WIS certainly very stylish.
Now. thnts just the girl would
like for wife," used to sny when
snw her going into or coming out Of
her home
One afternoon I went homo. and.
finding the front thDor nJar, | walked
IN. put my Int nnd overcout In the hull
closet and went upstairs to u sitting
room on the second floor. The room
WIS shut IN by brick walls. and l sell
dom sat there without turning on the
light. Being tired, threw myself into
an ensy chair and. closing my eyes. sat
thinking Oh matter OF business that
Ind occurred during the duy. Present
~. herring foOtstep and looking up.
I snw n womiui's figure standing In tho
| doorway. There was not enough light
10 distinguish who she was, but wns
not long kept In Ignorance. She press.
/ ed button beside the door. and a
bright electric light showed me tho
girl who lived two doors from me.
How Is thisf" l stammered. Have
I got into tho wrong houseT
Il expect YOU have" replied the girl.
Pardon me. assure you had no
lden- I'm very cnreless."
AT that moment I heard the front
door close. The girl heurd Il, too. aud
changed countenance.
Good gracious. my auntr she ex-
/ claimed.
"Well?"
1t Is very unfortunate your being
here. She 10 very suspicious wo-
man,"
II sec. 1t would grieve mo terribly
to have her thing
Dear me. she's coming up hcrer
Gan ! get out without meeting
hcrT
NO. Go IN there"
She shut me up In largo closet. and
tho next minute | heard tho harsh
voice OF an old woman In the adJOln.
Ing room.
Lois" she snId severely. THAT young
mnn you admire no much who lives Ia
this block IL In this house. | was sit
ting In Mrs. Deacon's window, neat
door, and saw him come nj md walk
In ut the front door, Whit nro you
doing In this room with all this light
turned Onf"
why. Aunt Jane. you must DO mis-.
tnkcn."
Mistaken! DO you think l haven't
eyes? Oh. heavens. Lois! Can II DO
possible That you are-nre a wicked,
bad girlf Upon my word. believe
you are hiding lover. I'm going TO
have a look"
She made for tho only place In tho
room possible for conceulment-thu
cl0set-und Ind her hand on the door.
knob when heard IA slight scuiiie. and
the young Indy said:
Aunt Jnnc. before you open that
door ] wish TO shy something to you. ]
hive been decelving you. ! have been
wOoed md won clnndestincly by the
young mnn you huye referred TO. lie
IL In TINT closet"
] must hnsten to protect the honor of
one | Ind compromised by my stupid.
lty. flung open the door. put my arm
around the girl who Ind been driven 10
this fnlschood, threw bnck my head
proudly md said dramatically:
mo power on enrth shnll separate
me from my wife"
well. ! dcclare." exclaimed tho old
Indy.
My rcputcd wife buried her fucc In
her hands, whether because the scri-
BUSINESS Of the matter Ind occurred 10
her or whether TO conceal lnughter al
It's nbsurilty did not know.
do you mem to sny." continued the
old Indy to me. Tint you nre married
to my niece"
There would be no use IN mincing
matters. swore that | was her nlece's
husband.
"And you, Lois" continued the aunt
fare you rcnlly married TO himT
A faint Yes" cnme from under the
girls hands.
young people could hive done your
counting without my finding you out
Is remarkable. How did you manage
~"
Love laughs at locksInltbs." l snld
knowingly. not having my explanation
rendy.
II should think no." said the aunt
imprcsslvely. How long have you
been marriedT
didn't dare risk nm answer to this
/ question, fenring TO be cnught In n
trap I threw the burden on my bride
Lois, dcnr." | said. tell your nuLt
/ ali nbOut H. She win be more f0rgiy'
Ing nj getting the story from one she
loves. Or would you prefer sitting
down with her nlone and tnlking II nll
over with herr
Il think ! would like 10 have n little
time" stninmcrcd Lois fnintly.
"And think want the whole story
This minute" cried the aunt.
lind not better withdrawn sug.
gcsted. WINS beginning 10 get very
hot IN the face. Confound these houses
built IN blocks. IN never live In one
again.
nv ihls time lois hnd thought what
lLs@cr would be less likely TO sink w
| l"eper In the mire. Il occurred to her
| lint II she said we hnd Just been mar.
led the result In the end would be less
compromising. 80 she told her aunt
| That we hnd been umrrIcd that day at
noon. She hit upon this hour because
| she Ind been AWAY from home at TINT
| time. Then her aunt asked II we had
been married by clergyman. Lois
| drcnding that the old woman would
| pOunce on the dominic, told her that
We had been married by Justice OF
tho pence.
"a Justice Of the pcnce!" exclaimed
the old lady contemptuously. "Do you
cali that a marriage? shall telephone
for our own rector at once. IL You
can't be married respectfully you shall
| at least DO married religiously."
she was making for the telephone.
! We both clutched her.
MADAM" cried. "permlt me to say
a word. I beg OF you TO leave me and
my-your niece alone together for
awhile that we may talk this matter
over. These unconventional marriages
are liable TO bring a stain upon tho
parties concerned. You certainly don't
wish your niece to suffer in that way.
do your Give US an hour TO decide as
to when and how we shall publish our
uuIon to the world"