The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1914-04-02
SUDDENLY
MARRIED
BY JOHN T. IARNED

10 a two family house, III" upper part
of which was vacant. | went 10 see
II and found il one Of about thirty
buildings all exactly the same size.
built On the same plan. and. 50 far as
the rear was concerned, exactly alike.
| would have declined to rent the fiat,
but we required but little room, and
there was nothing else Offering So
we signed a lease Of it and moved in.
From the first II was difficult for me
to tell my abode from the others, and
several times entered the wrong
house by mistake. one afternoon /
went home when mother was away
and on feeling in my pocket for my
keys remembered that | had left them
hanging to a drawer in my desk In
my office. | am. or was then, good
climber and could easily have got
up on to the roof over the stoop and
in at a window; but. not caring to be
seen burglariZing my own fiat and call
ed down by a policeman, | went around
TO the rear. where by one OF thirty
trellises-all alike could reach a
window in our apartment
Our fiat was either the nineteenth
OF the row from the west or from the
east, | couldn't remember which. l
counted from the west, and it seemed
to me the nineteenth house must be
ours-indeed, | was quite sure Of it,
l climbed the trellis, found window
unlocked. stepped into n room ana
pulled the sash down after me. l
was passing out OF the room into the
hall when | ran up against a girl. who
gave a Shrek loud enough to waken
the dead
My first impulse was to look about
me. This | did and saw signs Of
and mine.
live got into the wrong house"
| stammered.
Take everything" cried the girl,
evidently too frightened to have heard
me, "only don't kill me-"
my dear young lady" | protested,
do look like one who would kill
you? tell you, I've got into the wrong
house live in one of those houses"
My manner rather than my words
seemed to reassure her.
"Oh," she gasped, how you fright
ened me-
| went back In the room toward the
window with the intention Of going out
the way I came, but the girl inter
posed.
For heavens sake, don't go out that
way! Are you sure no one saw you
come in"
81 don't krow. What way shall go
outT"
This is my bedroom. If any one
saw you come in
MY dear girl'-
10 "Come with me. Go out the front
door"
Certainly, IL you wish it."
Tread softly. | live with an old
woman who is great stickler for pro-
priety. l am her companion. | read
to her and take care Of her pets. She
has seven cats, two parrots, three dogs,
to say nothing Of rabbits. squirrels and
other animals. II she caught a young
man in the house not burglar l don't
know what she would do"
Edith" came a cracked sound from
a front room, who's there"
l made a dive for the window and
was raising the sash when the girl
caught me by the coattail.
Don't! It's too late. We must in
vent a story. 1t would never do to tell
the truth. She's coming! For heav-
ems sake get me out of it!'
An old woman whose face alone was
enough to scare the life out of stuffed
zebra came along the hall and stood
facing US. The girl gave me an appeal
ing look. There was no time to delib-
crate. jumped into the first plan that
came into my head.
Madam" l said, forgive Edith.
assure you 1t is not her fault that she
had not told you that she has a hus-
band. | positively forbade her do
ing So"
The old scratch of a woman looked
at me luridly. She had no teeth, so
she brought her gums together over her
lips as an indication Of determination
$50 you are Edith's husbandl Per
haps you expect me to believe that
statement Edith is a truthful girl
and would not lie to me- II you have
deceived her.
IL assure you I have not. We were
married just before she came to live
with you"
'Tf you have married her you surely
can have no objection to marrying her
again"
Certainly not, but
Never mind the but. I'm not going
to have an unsophisticated girl deceiv
ed right under my nose. You shall
either marry her or go to jail under a
charge of burglary"
She hobbled to a telephone and call
ed for the Rev. Mr. Starkey, who lived
In the next block, and. although so
near, II seemed to me that he must
have swooped down upon US in an
aeroplane. The old woman told him to
marry us. and when Edith demurred
she started for the telephone to call
the police | whispered TO Edith that
the marriage would be under duress
and not binding. So she consented.
81 \ hoH al h