Ellsworth American., 1911-02-22

diced in my favor by my frmDess in
refusing to take any pay for the serv-
Ice was doing her, When the eere
mony was over resolved upon a bold
stroke
'"There is one reward" l said to her,
'that would accept for becoming
your provisional husband if you can
find it in your .hearn to grant it to
me-"
The uncle knit his brow, and Iny
wife waited to hear more.
II have taken upon myself" said2
"a condition that will doubtless pre-
vent me from marrying real Wife
for long while to come, and few
girls care to marry divorced man.
l have done this to assure to you
fortune. 1t seems to me that the re-
ward l ask, Though to me it Will serve
as pleasant memory connected with
this episode, will not be much for you
to grant. l ask one kiss from my pro-
visional bride"
Her uncle made step forward to
interfere. My wife stood for mo-
ment irresolute,, with. her eyes fixed on
the floor, then slowly turned her face
toward me. The movement was all
l asked for. bent forward and bare
ly touched her lips with mine.
l turned my. eyes from my bride to
Mr.. Marbury and saw on his face an
expression of satisfaction. Then for
the first time it occurred to me that in
his mind there dad been something
more than making me mere legal
husband and that he was well pleased
with the manner in which l had ac-
quilted myself. Without another word
to any one, without glance at my
wife, l went out Of the room and,
seating myself at my desk, dived again
into my law books.
A year passed, at the end of which
I received a letter from my wife. 1t
began Dear Sir and ended yours
truly" 1t said that in the matter Of
our bargain marriage she had placed
herself in the hands of others, since
she knew nothing Of law or the fulfill
ment Of it, with view to inheriting
an estate. She wassnow in possession
of her property and was of age. She
intended to manage the rest OF the
matter connecting her with me her
self. There was now nothing in the
way of getting the divorce, and she
would be pleased to- see me with re-
gard to the obtaining of decree.
Above all things, she desired to work
In harmony with me, since she had
been informed that the matter could
be thus far more satisfactorily ham
died. From what little she had seen
Of me she felt assured that l was a
gentleman and would not stand in her
way in becoming free woman.
However we define love, its begin
ming is indefinable. A man, fancy
free, may propose to girl who Is
fancy free on the ground that she is
not dfspleasing to him and their mar
riage will be an advantage. II she Is
accepted his feelings will go out to her
as naturally as the tendrils of vine
and hers will advance to meet them.
l attribute to this fact my coming to
love the girl had married. and l rea-
soned that if she had been at the time
of our marriage and had remained
fancy free 1t was quite possible that
something more than an ordinary in
terest in me might have been growing
up in her. But l realized that our
parts were reversed. | must be court
ed: she must do the eoarting. Any
indication that l hoped to make our
marriage a real one would be fatal 70
hopes might have Of doing so.
replied to her letter that she was
at liberty to take any steps her law
yers might advise to secure decree
All asked was that might be put tc
as little inconvenience as possible, fol
my time was taken up in preparing
for my examina ton for admission ts
the bar. did not refer to her sugges
ton for meeting.
She replied that, considering the
fact that she was under an obligation
to me for a favor, she desired an op
portunity of thanking me personally
therefor and on no account would sh'
take steps for the divorce without my
approval of the plan to be adopted. Tt
hit upon a plan to which would give
my willing assent would require al
interview.
So called to see her. One thing
noticed especially. She was dressed
in a very becoming costume. Since