Las Vegas optic., 1913-10-21
MARRIED FOR MONEY
Then the Woman Fell Desper-
ateIy in Love With Her Nom
desCript Husband.
ey LILLIAN PETERSON

married Leland Lawson for ms
money. He had quantities of it. ana
brought up as l had been to look lor,
ward to a wealthy marriage as lns
only fitting elimination to my social
career / had unhesitatingly accepted
him when he asked me to be his Wiie.
Put would make no false pretenslons
of love to gloss over the barter OF my
body and soul to the god OF mammon'
and SO told Leland plainly
When our engagement was an
nounced was criticised freely. A Van
Cortland with some of the bluest blood
in the land flowing through my VEINS
70 marry son of John Lawson, VINO
openly declared he had worked as
common miner before he had struck
the vein in the silver mine out OF
which had come the stacked up NIL
lions. However, was perfectly indif-
ferent TO the opinion of society in gen
eral knew it too well to have
very high estimation of the value OF
its censure When the. millions were
mine / could soon alter all that
Our wedding was an imposing spec
tacle: very touching and impressive 70
onlookers undoubtedly, but felt as Il
was the principal performer IN an
up-to-date farce. 1t was only after the
ceremony was over and we had driven
i away amid shower of confetti that
looking over at the commonplace man
sitting beside me | wondered "ha'
my future life would be.
We went over to the Mediterranean
for our honeymoon, going first to Al
giers and gradually working our way
back to Paris. How did love those
first few months!
/ A wonderful Frenchy, frilly maid
was the first use made of my newly
acquired wealth, and only woman
who has had to 90 out without the aid
Of one Of these wonderful creatures
can realize what Joy she was to me
| Then Leland was the best of travelling
J companions. 1t really was astonish
! ing the amount of general knowledge
he possessed; he was continually sur
prising me as the day when we arrived
: in Rome and heard him talking Ital
ian to the hotel porter had always
t thought him absolutely devoid OF thai
! education which comprises a knowl
e edge of tongues
In wierdly beautiful Venice while
gliding along the still, dark canals, o.
: out in the broader moonlit waters,
almost fell in love with Leland. If ht
Il had been tall and dark ! certainly
Il would have succumbed to the foolisl
# passion. but he was just my owl
height, five-footseven, and monde
script, so / dismissed the idea as ab
? surd. But l could not endure his alb
solute indifference. He was alway
y most considerate and never failed II
y any of the small attentions had beer
K accustomed to receive from men Q
a my own class, but he showed not the
slightest appreciation of my beauty.
I I became terribly lonesome; money
was not quite everything. What was
the use of spending my days in Paris
r buying gorgeous frocks and marvel
GUS hats when there was no one tt
care how | looked. By the time We
had been a month in Paris was des
perate. Why had / married Leland
fancied he actually disliked me, anC
| did not wonder. What must a mar
think Of woman who frankly con
fesses she is marrying him for
money? If he had been older, it might
have been easier, but we were both
young and knew he had loved me
once. Why had ever been such foo
as to let him know l cared so much
for those wretched millions? o.
course he would never believe nov
that I loved him. | used to lie awake
at night wishing that odious money
could be lost or stolen 80 that ] coult
prove my devotion, for there was NJ
doubt about the fact that passionate
ly adored my own husband. At length
one day as we were motoring alonI
the smooth roads outside Paris al
idea came to me, and gave littl
gasp of delight, 1t was all so beautiful
" simple. A letter to Leland's fathe
explaining everything and asking TO
the help which / knew the shrewC
kindly old man would never refuse t
give. wrote as soon as we got bac
to our hotel. A lengthy letter, sayin
exactly what ! wanted and why
needed it.
We went on motor tour throug
). the chateau district, and daily fal
cied Leland regretted more and NOR
his hasty marriage. and fell more
a love than ever with the quiet, though
IS full man whom l was hourly discove
If ing so vastly different from the cor
sr monplace, nondescript being hs
imagined was marrying
My answer came at last, sudden
and unexpectedly, as things eager
waited for generally do. We were di
le ing in our private dining room VII,
~ q bellboy entered with cablegrai
u =, Leland took It from him and open
* It carelessly: AS he read the tyI
az written message a queer, puzzled 10
nd came into his dark grey eyes. He 81