The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-02-22
Planning For
a Divorce
Many Methods Were Suggested.
but None Found Satisfactory.
BY WILLARD STOUTENBERG
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

L was young law student twenty
three years old. studying In the office
of Marbury & Slade. Mr.. Marbury
was an old friend of my fathers, and
think he was quite fond OF me. One
day he sent for me TO come into his
private office, and found him alone
there
Frank" he said. Il can give you n
chance 10 make $500"
Now. / was scraping along fnan-
cially. trying to make ends meet till
could get my profession. and $500
would be great lift for me.
"How:" / asked eagerly
"By taking wife"
My delight vanished as quickly as
Il had come.
There will be nothing to prevent
your getting divorce in time" he
added, noticing my discontinue.
II don't think / would like to be
tied up in such n matter at all. What
/ does il mean?"
1T means that client of ours,
girl of twenty has Inherited for
tune conditional upon her being mar
! ried. OF course there is n time limit,
and that time expires tomorrow at II
o'clock noon. The young lady. Miss
Irene Townsend. needs man to mar
ry her and, in consideration of an
amount paid him. TO leave her alone
forever afterward 1t wouldn't do TO
agree upon n divorce. because I'm that
case i doubt if the marriage would be
legal. but after the property is turned
over TO the heir i see no reason why
one should not he obtained"
/ thought awhile. There was n
spice of romance In the matter that
appealed 10 my youthful imagination.
What kind of looking thing is
she" / asked.
ION that score. my boy. you needn't
trouble yourself. she Is very pretty
woman and. moreover. OF excellent
birth and breeding. OF which she Is
proud. She is the ward of an uncle
who. think. intends that she shall
eventually marry some great catch,
perhaps British lord. All that's
wanted of the first husband is that he
may be relied upon after the mar
riage TO keep out OF the way and con-
sent TO divorce when the time
comes"
How long have to consider the
matterT
You'll have to decide pretty soon.
Miss Townsend must be married by
tomorrow noon or lose fortune If
you don't want the job some one else
must he found to accept It. Think It
over ana let me know before leave
the office for the day."
! thought | would ask to see the
girl was TO marry: but. considering
that | was TO be simply II husband to
obviate legal technicality, what need
was there for me to see her? If she
We're attractive perhaps the less | saw
of her the better. waited till Mr.
Marbury's hour for going home, and
when he sent for me. before answer
Ing the summons. | Tipped n coin to
decide for me. Heads / marry, tails
i don't" Heads won.
announced my decision to Mr.. Mar
bury. and he told me the marriage
would take place at the Office the next
day about 10 o'clock. Before going to
my wedding put on frock coat and
stuck n flower In my buttonhole; but,
thinking this would appear as though
I considered the affair real wedding.
I changed TO my business suit and
threw away the flower.
At 10 o'clock sharp received sum-
mons to go to Mr.. Marbury's Office.
found there besides Mr.. Marbury
man in clerical dress. an aristocratic
looking gentleman. very stiff and re-
served. who didn't deign to look at
me. and my bride. II was all right
for the others TO treat the matter az
n mere legal form. but the bride and
bridegroom gave each other n quick
look. | defy any man upon entering
into such nm arrangement to avoid be-
ginning at once TO play a game Of
hearts. At any rate. I did. and, al
ways having found indifference to be
the most powerful force to move wo-
man, / RETAINED from looking Mt Miss
Townsend after the first glance. I |
cast my eye perfunctorily over the pa
pcrs / was required TO sign and, draw
ing my pen through the words "five
hundred dollars" wrote zone"
what do you mean by that. STRIP |
snarled the elderly gentleman.
81 have decided, somewhat late per-
haps, that to accept money for such
service would demean me. shall be |
happy to serve the young lady, but |
not for pay"
! was obliged to stand good deal |
OF abuse from the elderly gentleman,
in which his ward took no part. But |
! remained firm. told them that there |
was still nearly two hours remaining |
In which 10 find substitute, and |
since the person was to be simply a
dummy IL didn't matter who he was,
provided he was not already married.
/ also said that the one dollar paid me
made the marriage a matter of bar
gain. There were reasons why a man
who had been recommended as one 10
be relied on should be chosen. So
after considerable discussion and n
side conference between Mr.. Marbury
and the uncle II was decided 10 ac-
eept my conditions. Standing before
Che clergyman. Miss Townsend and I
were made legal man and wife.