Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1912-01-23


afternoon"
The girl thought a moment, then
said:
Il agree to the terms"
At this moment the justice appeared.
The two stood up before him and were
married. the landlord and his wife be-
ing witnesses. The ceremony had
scarcely been performed and the two |
pronounced man and wife before
second sleigh was driven up to the |
house in hot haste. An eldeAy gentle |
man got out and. coming in, confront
ed the party. The bride snatched the !
certificate from the Justices hand and
held it triumphantly before the new
conner
81 am freer she exclaimed. Then,
turning to her husband. she added, Il
call upon you to protect me from this
man.
81 am the lady's husband" said
Thurber, "and as such her legal pro-
| tectorr
The gentleman stood scowling at the
two for a moment, then, turning, left
the room, saying to Thurber:
you have wed one who has been de-
clared insane. and question If such a
marriage is legal However, you have
gained an advantage and l must leave
| YOUR bride in your possession. But l
shall take steps TO have the marriage
annulled on the ground that the bride
| Is not insher right mind"
| AS soon as he had gone the lady
made an explanation. She was an or
/ phan in possession of large fortune.
The man who had followed her was
her stepfather and guardian. He had
been her mothers second husband, and
from her mother she had received her
inheritance. Her stepfather had man
| aged the property from the time the
| heiress was a little girl and had made
away with part of 1t. To avoid max
ing an accounting and continue In con-
troll he had succeeded In having her
adjudged Incompetent to attend to her
affairs and afterward insane. She had
escaped from private sanitarium ana,
having been advised that as married
woman she would have a different
status from what she occupied under
a guardian, she determined to secure
husband before her stepfather could
again get his clutches upon her.
When Mrs. Thurber senior arrived
that afternoon at her cottage her son
Informed her that there was a young
lady ut the village inn whom he had
invited to join their circle. Those cogni-
zant of the wedding had been pledged
to keep the secret, and Harry did not
announce to his mother or his guests
that he was a married man. When his
wife arrived she was introduced under
the name of Miss Eugenia Reeves.
Everything went smoothly for the
J pair who were to their associates sim
ply drifting into love affair, but were
really man and wife. A week after
the lady had come into the Thurber
cottage Harry one morning informed
her that his mother intended going
back to the city the next day and the
party must be broken up. He had
been very happy there and had urged
his mother to remain longer, but with
out success "And now he concluded
"you are free to go forth unincum-
bered by husband except under the
law. But If you will remain with me
as my wife shall consider myself the
most fortunate Of men,"
This proposal of man to his wife
the wife took under consideration
promising to give her husband an an
swer the same evening. But some
thing occurred that afternoon to revea
the secret to the household. A mar
came to the cottage, forced his wa,
l into the house and, seeing Thurber ant
I the supposed Miss Reeves in compan!
with a number of guests, proceeded t
read legal paper addressed TO Henri,
Townsend Thurber and his wife, Flea
nor bradford Thurber, enjoining then
to appear before the court and SHOW
cause, etc.
The lady in the case received the ex
posure with her eyes bent upon tn
floor. while the man looked for me
ment as if he had been caught steal
ing But the first shock over he ar
preached his wife. took her hand an
said:
MY friends, ] owe you an explana
ton for introducing lady to you a
a spinster, she being really my wife.
He then told the story as 1t has bee
a. told up to this point, at the end
IS which every one pressed forward :
le congratulate the bride and groom. Al
agreed that. while the marriage by tn
justice was binding in law, 1t shout
x be repeated under different surround
ings.
In These matters served to bring abou
decision on the part OF the bride {
accept her legal husband as her rea
~ husband, and she blushingly consen
ed. A minister was telephoned for
come from the next station, and du
err ing the evening a second wedding too
place among a gleeful circle.
I'd The Bradford Thurber case from Ii
moment Of Eleanor Bradford's ma
err rage to Henry Thurber assumed yer
D different status. Since they lived 4
OF gether as man and wife all effort 0
n the part Of the guardian to annul Il
m marriage proved a failure. Har
,ff | Thurber, who had for several yea
ed been In charge Of his mothers pro
lr- erty. as well as educated to the la,
ut proved an admirable manager Of b
wife's case. He fought any furth
to efforts to prove his wife insane So
ed cessfully and placed her guardian
position where, If prosecuted,
IN would be liable to state prison. b
here his wife relented and refused
ng prosecute the man who had been
to rnnfhar,s husband There WAS mo