The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1914-09-30
SUDDENLY
MARRIED
By JOHN 7. HARMED

! OF WHICH WIS vacant. went ~ ste
it 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.
| would have declined to rent the flat.
but we required but little room. and
there was nothn. else offering. So
we signed lease of it and moved in.
From the first it 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 IL drawer in my desk i'll
my office. ] am or was then. Il good
climber and could easily have got
up on to the roof over the Stoop ana
in ut Il window: but. not carin. TO be
seen burglariZin@ my own Hat and call
ed down by Il policeman, went around
to the rear. where by one of thirty
trellises-all alike-l could reach Il
window in our apartment.
Our fiat was either the nineteenth
Of the row from the west or from the
east. couldn't remember which.
counted from the west. and it seemed
TO me the nineteenth house must be
ours-indeed. l was quite sure of 1t.
| climbed the trellis. found Il window
unlocked. stepped into Il room and
pulled the sash down after me. |
was passing out OF the room into the
hall when ! ran up against Il girl. who
gave Il Shrek loud enough to wnken
the dead.
My first impulse was to look about
/ me. This | did and saw signs OF
difference between the Hat was in
and mine.
II I've got into the wrong house"
| l 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 wroni;
house. live in one of those houses
My manner rather than my words
seemed to reassure her.
"Oh." she gasped, how you fright
cned me-"
| went back in the room toward the
window With ,i.r intention Of goin, out
the way came. but the girl inter-
posed.
"l'or heavens sake don't 90 out that
way! Are you sure no one saw you
come in:''
Il don't know. What way shall go
out:'
This is my bedroom. If any one
saw You come in
MY dear girl
Come with me. Go out the front
door,
Certainly. II you wish it,"
TREAD softly. | live with an old
| woman who l., Il great sticli!er 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. If she caught Il young
man in the house not a burglar l don't
know what she would do
Edith" came Il cracked sound from
Il front room, who's there"
| made Il 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
.,t IL Il ,.,Ii
the truth. She's coming! For beav-
ems sake get me out of it,
An old woman whose face alone was
enough to scare the life out of Il stuffed
zebra came along the hall and stood
facing us. The girl gave me an appeal
ing look. There was no time to DELHI
crate. jumped into the first plan that
came into my head.
Madam" said. forgive Edith
assure you it is not her fault that she
band. positively forbade her do
ing So"
The old scratch of Il woman looked
ut me luridly She had no teeth. so
she brought her gums together over her
lips us IN indication of determination.
$50 you are Edith'S husband? Per-
haps YOU expect me to believe that
statement. Edith is truthful girl
and would not lie to me- Ii you have
deceived her
Il assure YOU have not We were
married Just before she came to live
with YOU"
"If You have married her You surely
can have no objection to marrying her
again"
"certainly not. but
"Nevcr mind the hut. I'm not going
to have an nnSophisticated girl deceiv
ed right under my nose You shall
either marry her or go to Jail under Il
charge of burglary
She hobblcd to Il telephone and call
ed for the Rev. Mr.. Starkey. who lived
in the next block. and. although 50
near. it 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. l whispered to Edith that
the marriage would be under duress
and not binding So she consented.
and twenty minutes after l had climb
~ s,, 1,,,,1 I,,n MI 4