The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1917-02-23
Y aiiiinag For
a Title
A Girl Takes a Legal
Husband to Saue
a Fortune
By ALAN HINSDALE

ahead. 1t was plain to me that could
not make money without money t.
make 1t with. and bemoaned my In
ability to save enough to enable me tG
get start.
One day an uncle of mine telephoned
me asking If would like to make q
thousand dollars very easily. replied
that I certainly would like to make o
thousand dollars, even If / had to work
for 1t, whereupon he told me to come
to his house at once. When l reached
it he said to me:
IT am guardian for young lady
whose fortune is considerable. Hei
mother is ambitious that she should
marry an English nobleman who is
likely to inherit title. His father has
recently died, and his older brother
who inherits, went to the big war
and after q recent action was reported
among the missing. If he Is dead the
tito falls to the man my ward Is think.
ing of marrying. If he is alive the
match will not take place.
"The girl can't wait to learn II heI
sutton is really the Earl of Arraskilling,
because her fortune which came to hei
through her grandfather, is secured by
the will to her frstbOrn son, and, to
make 1t more probable that she shall
have a son, it is stipulated that she
must be married by certain date
that is, tomorrow noon. But there is
nothing in the will to compel her to
live with the man she marries. In
this respect the document Is lame In
carrying out the testator's intention.
Bertha Tiverton. or. rather, her
mother. being In quandary about
what to do in the matter, have sug.
gested that the daughter comply with
the will technically by marrying some
one who will leave her after the cere.
mony and consent to a divorce when
required. This plan has been agreed
upon, and a thousand dollars will be
paid to such person as will fill this po-
sition of temporary husband"
My uncle ceased to speak at this
point, but there was no more to be
said I understood him perfectly.
was to marry a girl with fortune. If
her sutton was the Earl Of What-dy'e-
call-him was to resign her In his IA
vor; II not was to resign her In some
one else's favor. But since had never
seen the girl and was not expected to
see her after the wedding she person
ally did not enter into the matter. One
thing I was sure of would have a
thousand dollars, and l knew just
where to put that thousand dollars to
start a fortune. asked my uncle how
long a time l would have to make a
decision, and he said till o'clock the
same evening and If decided affirma-
lively the wedding would take place
at 8.
There was but one drawback In the
Latter, and that was my becoming a
divorced man. But divorces are not
stigmatized as they used to be, and in
case should later fall In love the wo-
man loved would not be likely to OBJ
jec. to me on that ground. / conclud-
ed by 8 o'clock in the evening to sub
NIT to the ceremony and so notified
my uncle. He instructed me to be ut
his house at quarter to 8 and he
would take me to my brides home for
the ceremony.
found my uncle waiting for me, and
he took me In his car to handsome
dwelling, before which we alighted.
Entering, we were shown into a room
where an aristocratic looking woman
Of fifty awaited us, and my uncle took
from his pocket document, which she
read carefully. Then she handed It to
me, and glanced over it. Since 1t was
what had been led to expect sign
ed it, and my uncle and the lady.
Mrs. Tiverton, witnessed my signature.
Then we all went into another room.
where we found the bride waiting.
She was pretty and otherwise at
tractive looking girl. without the slight
est appearance Of worldliness express
ed in her countenance. / made up my
mind that her mother was alone re-
sponsible for this marriage Of tenn
porary convenience and that the
daughter If left to herself would be
likely to marry for love alone. She
cast glance at me which denoted an
interest In the man who was to be
tied to her temporarily. above what
seemed to be called for. Naturally l
cast q similar glance at her. l noticed
something between pleased and re-
lieved look in her. and have no doubt
she saw admiration in me.
So far as the others were concerned.
1t was oil a mere matter Of business.
and I was regarded in the same cate
CORY as legal document. We were
instructed to stand side by side. and
the ceremony was performed by a civil
officer who was empowered to marry
couples. Though a 6gurehead for
husband. resolved to have one taste
Of my wife's pretty lips. and the mo-
ment we were pronounced man and
wife stopped and kissed her.
Both my uncle and Mrs. Tiverton
looked daggers at me. but my wife
submitted without protest. slight
tinge OF color coming to her face.
was hurried cut Of tho room, a check