The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-02-22
Short Stories by the Best Writers

/
There is one reward" said 10 her,
"that | would accept for becoming
your provisional husband IL you can
find il in your heart to grant 1t to
me-"
The uncle knit his brow, and my
wife waited to hear more.
IL have taken upon myself" / said.
"a condition that will doubtless pre-
/ vent me from marrying n real wife
| for long while TO come. and few
4 girls care to marry a divorced man.
/ have done this TO assure to you a
fortune. 1t seems to me that the re-
ward ask. though TO me II will serve
as a pleasant memory connected with
this episode, Will not be much for you
to grant. ask one kiss from my pro-
vlsional bride"
Her uncle made step forward to
interfere. My wife stood for n mo-
ment irresolute. with her eyes fixed on
the floor, then slowly turned her face
toward me. The movement was all
asked for l bent forward and bare
ly touched her lips with mine.
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 had been something
more than making me q mere legal
husband and that he was well pleased
with the manner In which i had ac-
quilted myself. Without another word
to any one, without a 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
l received 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 was now 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-
card 10 the obtaining of decree.
tb2vc I'll 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 / was a
gentleman and would not stand in her
way In becoming a 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 displeasing to him and their mar
rage will be an advantage. If 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 l had married, and l rea-
soned that IL she had been at the time
of our marriage and had remained
fancy free II was quite possible that
something more than an ordinary in
terest in me might have been growing
up in her. But / realized that our
parts were reversed. | must be court
ed; she must do the counting. Any
indication that l hoped to make our
marriage n real one would be fatal to
hopes l 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 a decree.
All asked was that l might be put to
as little Inconvenience as possible, for
my time was taken up In preparing
for my examination for admission to
the bar. i did not refer to her sugges-
ton for meeting.
She replied that, considering the
fact that she was under an obligation
to me for favor, she desired an OPP
portunity of thanking me personally
therefor and on no account would she |
take steps for the divorce without my |
approval of the plan to be adopted. To |
hit upon a plan to which would give |
my willing assent would require an |
interview.
So l called to see her. One thing I
noticed especially. She was dressed |
In very becoming costume. Since I !
could not make myself look beautiful, |
whatever might wear / concluded to |
put on something besides clothes,
something that finds great favor with |
women. / displayed all the Difference
1 could assume.
She could not conceal from me the
fact that / stood in the position of
something more than n mere legal
dummy. Nevertheless she tried to.
She outlined several plans her lawyers
had sketched out for her by which the
divorce might be obtained, but / OBJ
jected to all Of them on the ground
that they might reflect upon her. I
Insisted upon assuming all the obloquy
myself. But when IL came to pointing
out exactly how I was to do this I
failed. knew enough law to suggest
the different methods that might be
used, but had not been studying my
profession for the purpose Of enabling
n woman to divorce me, especially one
from whom l had no desire to be d.
vorced. The consequence was that
after conference lasting two hours
left her without our having made any
l had many conferences with my