Imperial Valley press., 1911-12-02
A MOCK
MARRIAGE
By r. D. CHATSWORTH
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation. 1911.

nome enilVened Dy wire anu chif
dren looms up before him.
Walter Nixon had reached this age
or, rather. in his case. it was standing
between the period Of thoughtless
youth and thoughtful middle age. One
day he was skylarking with a lot Of
young men and women when some
one proposed that they should have a
mock wedding.
"I'll be the BRIDE" said Jaqueline
Woodruff. girl who was always first
and foremost in any prank.
And I'll be the groom" said Walter
calamity since he was standing be-
side her at the moment, and all eyes
were turned upon him.
Few young people realize that it is
dangerous to trifle with a wedding
but il is.
SO Walter Nixon and Jaqueline Wood
ruff stood up, One of the young men
of the party asked if they would take
each other for husband and wife
Walter took a seal ring off his finger
and put it on that of Jaqueiine. the
man who was officiating pronounced
them man and wife, and. amid many
Jokes and much laughter. they re-
ceived congratulations from the Others
No one considered it anything more
than an escapade. and when a new
amusement was proposed the specta-
tors forgot all about the first.
A few days later Miss Woodruff. on
opening her mail. read note from
Walter Nixon. beginning MY dear
wife" 1t contained an invitation to
the theater and several facetious re-
remarks as to her duty toward the
writer as her husband. 1t was all
very funny. and somehow it sounded
rather pleasant She was Of mar
riageable age and since she was TWEEN
ty-two years old thought ii high time
she should be married. Nixon was
good fellow. able to support wife
and generally acceptable. Jddde;ine
did not know how much Of joke and
how much Of earnest there was in his
letter, but she felt at liberty to reply
in kind. So she began her letter MY
dear husband" and signed it Your
loving wife,"
Soon after this Nixon was telling
Cummings, a lawyer friend. about
1.-The Joke" as he called it. Cummings
looked triHe serious, whereupon
Nixon asked him if he thought any
thing of import could come of it.
1.-The lady," replied the lawyer. IF
she were disposed to claim you as her
husband. might make it very unpieas'
ant for you"
"You don't mean it"' exclaimed
Nixon.
"You have addressed her as My dear
wife, which is pretty good evidence
| in law that you have married her.
| Suppose she says she considered the
| marriage contract. What are you
going to do about it with your letter
in her hands|'
"By Jove. never thought of that,
What shall doT'
"The only thing you can do is to get
your letter and destroy it."
! "I'n do 1t at once"
| That evening Nixon called on Miss
| Woodruff for the express purpose OF
returning her letter and getting pos
l session Of his own. She was IN q
| very becoming costume and smiled on
! him pleasantly.
I'm glad you've come. dear she
said, with q twinkle in her eye. I've
been in an agony for fear you had
met with some accident How coulC
YOU remain so long away from me?
| How pleasant that sounded! Though
! the words were in fun, he thought ht
would like to hear more Of their kind
He would keep up the pleasantly fol
awhile before mentioning the matter
of the exchange Of letters So he sale
something to her that he considered
proper for q husband to say to wife
+, forgetting that it was more appropriate
for a lover. and it was all so funny
/ that they kept it up for some time
Before departing he said:
MY friend Cummings says that i
you really choose to claim mel meal
il l really choose to claim you for m!
wife-I might put you to Lot OF trou
ble."
What troubler
| well. l might insist that our mar
riage was serious"
"WellY'
And you might He st0pped
"Put you to a lot OF trouble" Sh<
looked down ON the door. apparently
much panied
Not that. You might
Might whatY~
Her voice trembied little.
''Oh, ! can't get It out. Don't fee
hurt. didn't mean to say anything
should be sorry for-that b. nothing
you should be sorry to hear. I'm aw
! fully ashamed. There's nothing to cry
about"
There seemed to be an irresistible at
traction in the girls waist for thu
mans arm and an equally irresistibi.
| attraction In the mans shoulder 6ol
the girls head. There were few In
coherent murmurings. and the car
was harnessed before the horse. II
Othor vnrNa their wedding had Dra