The Colorado statesman., 1911-04-08
Married By
Accident
BY ANN BEN NETT

ously through the dispensing crowd on
the platform and swung himself
aboard the moving train. Margaret
suppressed an exclamation of dis
may.
Her face was flushed, there were
dark circles beneath her eyes, and the
lids were red and swollen. He must
not see that she had been crying. And
hastily setting her hat straight she
turned, her face toward the window
At her seat he hesitated, as II he
would ask permission to occupy the
vacant place beside her, but after one
look at her motionless figure he sat
down without speaking.
Margaret fought down a desire to
scream aloud. 1t was hard enough TO
have been married against her viii.
but to have her husband force his so
ciety upon her, when 1t was impos-
sible to escape him without scene.
was unbearable.
She had refused only two days ago.
Today he was her husband! She
closed her eyes and saw 1t all again.
Kittie Guthrey's parlor. the dozen
young people assembled there, dressed
in the quaint, old-fashioned clothes
Kittie had dragged from an attic
trunk; while from the doorway, the
round, jolly face of the justice, Kittie's
father, beamed upon them.
They had been playing charades and
Margaret, wearing Kittie's grand
mothers white satin wedding gown,
veil and wreath of faded orange bios
SONS, had been the central figure in a
tableau. Then, as one in a dream, she
had found herself taking part in a
marriage service. Mechanically she
had repeated her responses, vaguely
conscious of the girls giggling and the
sense of awe, as the justice repeated
the solemn words of the ceremony.
Perhaps it had been only a dream.
Perhaps there was no license, nor
justice, nor ceremony; and she was
still free.
Opening her eyes suddenly her
glance fell upon the hand which lay
upon the window sill There was the
ring which Fred had placed on her
finger, a plain gold band. which he
had detached from his watch guard.
Once he had told her that 1t was his
mothers wedding ring.
She clenched her hands and stared at
the flying landscape. Her anger against
the man beside her rose in turbulent
waves, submerging all other feelings.
| Why had he taken such a mean ad-
| he hot hal
| he could do 1t. How triumphant he
must feel
She stole glance at his face, and
was obliged to admit that he did not
look at all triumphant. On the con-
trary. he seemed depressed and gloomy.
His unseeing gaze rested upon the
shiny bald head Of the man in front of
him He seemed oblivious of his sur
roundings Margaret stified feeling
| of pity, and steeled her heart against
his troubled face.
why did you do it?" she asked,
aloud, without turning her head do
you suppose that because you have
| trapped me into marriage, you can
compel me to live with you? Perhaps
you thought of kidnapping me, and con-
fining me in tower!"
Her low, well-modulated tones, vibra-
ting with scorn. broke the intolerable
silence as a sharp knife cuts taut
| cord.
rs it possible that you believe / am
responsible for what happened last
night?" Carleton's voice expressed
panied surprise. 81 knew you did not
| love me, but | thought l still retained
your respect. If you had waited a mo
ment longer, you would have known
that l mad no part in the plot which
turned our frivolous play into sober
reality. At first l was too bewildered
to understand that the license was
genuine and the marriage legal. And
when | would have rushed after you
the boys held me while Morris ex
planned. 1t was all a wretched, prac
tical joke, which he and Williams bad
planned. Supposing that we were en-
gagged, they thought we would relish
the idea of an impromptu marriage as
much as they did"
The conductor was making his
rounds. Carleton handed him his OWL
! and Margaret ucketS, anu lroWneu
absently at him until he had passed
The energetic trainboy came and went
followed by the pompous negro porter
The sonorous snoring of the bald
headed man rose above the rumble OF
/ the train and the subdued murmur OF
voices.
Margarets face was still averted, but
a restless movement betrayed her i'm
patience with the rest of Carleton's
story.
They had no trouble in getting the
license" he continued. Grant. the
county clerk, has known most of the
Soys In our crowd since we were little
shavers When they said l was out o.
town and had sent them for the II
cense. he believed them.
|