The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-15
FIRST LEAP YEAR
 WEDDING OCCURS Miss Dorothy Opperman Proposes to MT. Debnam COYLY HE ACCEPTS
While at Dinner Last Night in Pauls Cafe She Proposes, He Accepts and They Go to Courthouse
 and Get Married

Birmin gham's first leap year wedding
 took place this morning at 1:10 o'clock in the office of the clerk of the cir
 cult court, when J. B. Debnam, young
 travelling salesman for the R. J. Key
 holds Tobacco company. and Miss Dor
 othy G. Opperman. young vaudeville
 artist, were united in marriage by Jus
 tice of the Peace G. D. Glaze of beat ,,
 Short Creek.
 The young couple, in company with J. G. Mccormick, 1213 Montgomery
 street, bookk eeper for the Long Lum-
 Der company of Birmingham were talk ing supper last night at Paufs cafe on Nineteenth street when the question of leap year marriages arose. Mir Me Cormick made wager that Miss Op- perman was not game" to propose 10 MT. Debnam. Judging that MT. Me
 Cormick was from Missouri, she inn
 mediately proposed. "fr-er-Deby, l love you, softly whispered the coy young damsel as her eyes looked soulfully into the orbs Of the worried MT. Debnam. Encouraged by the sound of her own voice and the look of frantic glee from MT. McCor-
 mick, she continued:
 ''A-w--will you marry me- "Deby' was game sport and stood his ground like a prizefighter. MT. Me
 Cormick rolled in glee.
 The huge forefnger of Mr. Debnam
 deftly found it's way to the corner of
 his mouth, his eye lashes dropped and
 a delicate pink blush spread over hts features. Then, amid the heaviest or silences, he sigher long and deep and in
 the coyest of tones he gently mur-
 mured into her ear just one word
 Yes"
 At first it was thought that lie was joking. Then it was seen that Debnam was in earnest. but this unexpected state of affairs did not feaze the young lady
 one whit.
 Together the three of them set out for | the courthouse. where the address of D. c. Ball, license clerk of the probate off, | flee, was given them. In an automobile
 they went after him and brought him to the courthouse The license was issued and then they turned for someone to write the final chapter in the curious story.
 | Miss Opperman wanted Episcopal minister, but owing to the hour they were afraid that 1t would take too long 1 to hunt up one and they wanted to hurry | and get things through with IL just happened that Justice Glaze was | in the courthouse talking to Watchman Smith and they called him into the of- | fico of the circuit court clerk and there were married. As the vender of the un-
 known quantity said, "I now pronounce you man and wife and they were sure that a non-slipping knot had been tied in their lives, like a good sport Miss Opperm--beg pardon-Mrs. Debnam, turn ed to her newly found worse half and | said, You didn't think I was game, did | you?"
 | His remarks were drowned Tn the l laughter which followed.
 Mr. Debnam states that his wifes homa | is in Atlanta and that her fathers name | is A. F. Opperman. He states that the | address of the family is 23s Whitehall
 street It is thought. however, that there was something here that he wished to conceal as 23s Whitehall street is in the center of the business district 'ot At | lanta Miss Opperman has been playing | at the Best theatre, on Second avenue, | this week. She is a, native of London, England, and has been in this country
 several years.
 l The young couple state that they have ! known one another for several months. | Mr Debnam's home is in Suffolk, Va, where, he states, he Is quite popular. | The following messages bearing the news of the wedding found their ways
 over the telegraph wires this morning in the ..wee sma' 'oors O the marn' Mrs. A. F. Opperman. Atlanta. Ga l "Dorothys name is now Debnam. Mar ried tonight. ]. B. DEBNAM." Miss Essie Debnam. Suffolk, Va.
 Married tonight. Letter following. l .BUCK." 1 If is supposed that the name signed to the latter telegram is the family name
 of the shy and bashful "Deby.