The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-06-01
A Singular
Marriage
By DONALD CHAMBERLlN

de lleF ana Etlill- 'ht li'AA tHN '''''i
smells to help them do so Helen Tim
erson / little thought that within hve
days she would he my wife and we
/ would he married i'm way such as no
couple had been married before.
was going abroad to establish !
/ wireless telegraph station, wireless te- |
Biography being my profession. | Kept |
away from the wireless office on the |
ship. fearing to make known my inter
est in wireless matters, and | did not
care to have what | might say re
ported. But a time came when this
did not deter me.
We were steaming along through
thick fog one afternoon when suddenly
felt shock. We had cOllided with
vessel, which passed out of sight, leav-
ing us with big hole in our ships
bottom. | ran to the wireless Office,
and from that time till the vessel went
down | alternated with the operator
calling for help Meanwhile the ship
, had been put on q course toward the
shore, and when we were left on the
water we were not far from it.
,, | was picked up by boat that had
left the ship with but few persons in
her, and during the exposure that fol
|, lowed they all died. How | kept body
and soul together | am at loss to
know. | have a hazy remembrance of
the boat being overturned and | ex-
pecting to be drowned. But later |
found myself lying on beach. This
seemed like life to me. and ] made an
i effort Sitting up, | looked about me
. and saw only bodies of those who had
= been washed ashore from the wreck.
1t was a grewsome sight, one that |
shall never forget. And l was Cypress
- ed with the thought how narrowly !
had escaped a like fate.
y Presently | arose and staggered
y about on my feet. One Of the first OBJ
u iects to confront me was the girl
had seen on the steamers deck-Elel
- en- Tmerson. ! supposed she was
=, dead. | approached her and saw thai
pocket with top well screwed on, ant
| had RETAINED from taking the las
: drink. This | gave to the girl, and /
- revived her
~ Looking about me, discerned at I
- distance the antennae of wireless
-, station. Expecting that there woul'
:, be persons there, | took Miss Timersol
!, in my arms and carried her. there
-. What was my surprise to find tn
~ place deserted, Why no one was Their
=, is another story, too long to be give
=" here. Leaving the young lady on
lounge. | went on the roof of the sta
, ton building and saw that we wer
~ on an island, though the mainlan
Us was dimly visible. There were pre-
10 visions in plenty, and prepared som'
~, thing for Miss Timerson. feeding he
,r carefully.
,'t Well, to make long story short, W
,,r were the only two persons on that i
"e land for week Others started to 9
~ there but were turned from the
course Within couple of days {
-, our arrival the young lady and ha
az quite recovered our strength, and
a., noticed that she seemed concerned
-, the equvocal position in which 81
al was placed being alone with ma
AI-
~, which we were placed would preser'
~, us from scandal She replied tn
an they should preserve us, but thu
- would not There were always pc
49, sons who would take advantage
~ such a situation to cast n Slur.
told her that il she felt that WI
90, about the matter there was but one !
~, course for to be married. Aft
~ much bordering without reply to IL
,oI, she said that she did not see how '
mt could be married, since there was
10 one to marry us and no witnesses.
on,, plan occurred to me for a maria
mo ceremony that would be legal, but
~ seemed so wild that said nothing
, NJ her about it at the time.
lii The next day led Miss Timers
tyo into the operating room and began
- call for ships out at sea. soon cal
al, in touch with tramp steamer
,n. miles distant and asked If there was
III, clergyman aboard. The reply being
80, the affirmative, l called for him a
nov asked If he would marry couple
80, wireless. He assented, and then t
Helen what had done
-. We were an hour talking the mat
-, over, at the end of which time
,eo,, agreed to be married. l called the S
- | had called before, gave the par'
49,, our names and such other informal
t. as was required, and we went throl
ai5 marriage ceremony by wireless tel
49, raphy. The minister was reques
to send the certificate to her addr'
hoa duly witnessed by two persons
80, board the vessel
Joe nv 10y - ~ -.
;. Co of the station, and the same boat I
-. me and my bride to the mainland.
"a. reaching it we learned of the 81
49,, commotion excited by the loss of
-, Arganda and that we had both beer
: ~ ported among the missing,
~, Before going among our friends
stood Mne nc -, ~ ,a,,,,
certain how our being together o
deserted island would be received.
- soon had cause to announce to
world that we were man and wife
Although our marriage was for
purpose of avoiding blemish, it
= = oe ed out to be very happy union.
have been blessed with hume
e progeny. and nothing has occurre
cause us to regret the step we too
Perhaps That's Why He's 6os