The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-11-17
A MOCK
MARRIAGE
By r. D. CHATSWORTH
Copyright by American Press Asso.
citation, 1911.

Hdst tihSe VI enuul at MS DacnelOr-
hood. The first freshness of youth
has gone out Of him, and a vision of
home enlivened by wife and chill
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 lot of
young men and women when some
bne proposed that they should have
mock wedding.
I'll be the BRIDE" said Jaquelire
woodruff, girl who was always FIRST
and foremost in any PRANK.
and I'll be the groom" said Walter
gallantly 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 trifie with a wedding,
but it is.
So Walter Nixon and Jaqueline Wood
ruff stood up. One of the young men
of the party asked if they would take
S''~h CIhNi Iva anu Wl1C'
Walter took seal ring off his finger
and put it on that of Jaqueline, 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 a 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 a mar
riageable age and since she was twen-
ty-two years old thought it high time
she should be married Nixon was a
good fellow, able to support a wife
and generally acceptable. Jaqueline
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, lawyer friend, about
"the joke" as he called it. Cummings
looked a trife serious, whereupon
Nixon asked him if he thought any
thing of import could come of it.
"The lady" replied the lawyer, "if
she were disposed to claim you as her
husband, might make it very unpleas-
ant for you"
you don't mean itr' 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
a contract. What are you
going to do about it with your letter
in her hands?"
"By Jove! never thought of that.
What shall do?"
1.-THE only thing you can do is to get
your letter and destroy it."
"I'll do it at once"
That evening Nixon called on Miss |
Woodruff for the express purpose of
her letter and getting pos
session of his own. She was in a
very becoming costume and smiled on
him pleasantly.
I'm glad you've come, DEAR" she
said, with twinkle in her eye. 1--WE
been in an agony for fear you had
met with some accident. How could !
you remain 30 long away from me?"
How pleasant that sounded! Though
he words were in fun, he thought he
would like to hear more Of their kind.
lie would keep up the pleasantly for
while before mentioning the matter
# the exchange Of letters. So he said
to her that he considered
proper for husband to say to wife,
or a lover, and it was all so funny
hat they kept it up for some time.
Before departing he said:
my friend Cummings says that if
'ou really choose to claim mel mean
f / really choose to claim you for my
yife-I might put you to lot of trou-
,le."
"What trouble?"
"Well, l might insist that our mar
iage was serious.'
'Well?"
"And you might He stopped.
"Put you to a lot Of trouble" She
ooked down on the floor, apparently
ouch panied.
"Not that. You might
might what?"
Her voice trembled a little.
"Oh, can't get it out. Don't feel
urt. / didn't mean to say anything l
hould be sorry for-that is, nothing
ou should be sorry to hear. I'm aw-
ully ashamed. There's nothing to cry
bout" =
There seemed to be an irresistible at
raction in the girls waist for the
1an's arm and an equally irresistible
TRACTION In the mans shoulder for ]
be girls head. There were a few in