The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1914-02-06

MARRIED
3, JOHN T. LARNED

III 1910 Cyhy041IN IL A<AENNEA III
My mother and I, house hunting,
were referred by a real estate agent
to a two family house, the upper part
of which was vacant. I went to see
1t and found it one Of about thirty
buildings all exactly the same size.
built on the same plan. and, so far as
the rear was concerned, exactly alike.
l 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 it was difficult for me
to tell my abode from the others, and
several times l 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 l had left them
hanging to a drawer in my desk in
my Office. l am. or was then, a 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
see %burglarizing my W fiat and call
ed down by a policeman, l went around
to the rear. where by me Of thirty
t~rellises-all alike-I could reach a
window in our apartment.
Our fiat was either the nineteenth
Of the row from the west or from the
east, l couldn't remember which. 1
counted from the west, and 1t seemed
to me the nineteenth house must be
ours-indeed, l was quite sur of it.
1 climbed the trellis, found a window
unlocked, stepped into a room and
pulled the sash down after me. l
was passing out of the Don into the
hall when l ran up against a girl, who
gave q shrek loud enough to waken
the dead.
My first impulse was to look about
me. This l did and saw signs of
difference between the fat I was in
and mine.
Olive 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," I protested.
do I look like one who would kill
you? l tell you, I've got into the wrong
house. live in n OF those houses"
MY manner rather than my words
seemed to reassure her.
"Oh," she gasped. chow you fright
ened mel"
I went back in the room toward the
window with the intention of going out
the way I came. but the girl inter-
posed. r.
"For heavens sake, don't go out that
way! Are you sure no n saw you
come in?"
81 don't know. What way shall I go
out?"
"This is my bedroom. II any n
saw you come in"-
"lIy dear grip
"Come with me. Go out the front
door,"
Certainly, If you wish it."
TREAD softly. l live with an old
woman who is a great stickler for pro-
priety. 1 am her companion. read
to her and take are 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 a burglar don't
know what she would do"
Edith" came a cracked sound from
a front room, who's there?"R
made u 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 tdStell
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 q stuffed
zebra came along the hall and stood
facing us. The girl gave me an appeal
ing look. There was no time to DELHI
erate..sI jumped into the first plan that
came into my head.
Madam" 1 said, forgive Edith. 4
00DUEC YOU ~ lS tlOI uCE luuAt Su0k SuC
had not told you that she has a hus-
band. I positively forbade her do
Ing So"
The old scratch of a woman looked
at me luridly. She had NJ teeth. SO
she brought her gums together over her
lips us an indication of determination.
$50 you are Edith's husband?' Per-
haps you expect me to believe that
statement. Edith Is a truthful girl
and would not lie to me. If you have
deceived her.
Il sur you 1 have not. We were
married just before she came. to live
with you" Il
III 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-S
ed right under my Q You shall
either marry her OF 30 to Jail under a
Of burglary"
She hobbled to a telephone and CALI
No. hE4- A AfGN. - fAE NE