Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-03-08
Waiting For
a Title
A Girl Takes a Legal
Husband to Saue
a Fortune
By ALAN HINSDALE

efforts I could not get any money
ahead. 1t was plain to me that could
not make money without money to
make it with. and l bemoaned my in
ability to save enough to enable me to
get a start
One day an uncle of mine telephoned
me asking if | would like to make a
thousand dollars very easily. replied
that | certainly would like to make
thousand dollars, even if / had to work
to his house at once. When reached
it he said to me:
II am guardian for a young lady
whose fortune is considerable. Her
mother is ambitious that she should
marry an English nobleman who is
likely to inherit a title. His father has
recently died. and his older brother,
who inherits, went to the big war
and after recent action was reported
among the missing If he is dead the
title 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 if her
suitor is really the Earl of Arraskilling.
because her fortune, which came to hel
through her grandfather. is secured by
| the will to her firstborn son, and, to
| make it more probable that she shall
| have son. it is stipulated that she
must be married by a 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 ont the testator's intention.
Bertha Tiverton. or, rather, her
mother. being in a Quandary about
what to do in the matter. have sug
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 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. | understood him perfectly
was to marry girl with fortune. II
her suitor was the Earl of What-dy'e
call-him was to resign her in his ia,
vor; If not l 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 | was sure of would have a
thousand dollars. and | knew just
where to put that thousand dollars to
start fortune. l 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 l decided affirma-
| lively the wedding would take place
| at 8.
There was but one drawback in the
matter. and that was my becoming a
divorced man. But divorces are not
stigmatized as they used to be. and in
case l should later fall in love the wo
man l loved would not be likely to OBJ.
ject to me on that ground. l conclud-
ed by s o'clock in the evening to sub.
nit to the ceremony and so notified
my uncle. He instructed me to be at
| his house at quarter to and he
would take me to my brides home fol
| 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 ia
me. and glanced over it. Since it wa.
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 a pretty and otherwise at
tractiye looking girl, without the slight
est appearance of worldiness express
ed in her countenance | made up my
mind that her mother was alone re-
sponsible for this marriage of TEN
porary convenience and that the
uduSuteT IL lell 10 uefSeiI WOulQ De
likely TO marry for love alone, She
cast a glance at me which denoted an
interest in the man who was to be
tied to her temporarily. above what
seemed 10 be called for. Naturally | |
cast similar glance at her | noticed
something between pleased and a re |
lieved look IN her, and have no douln |
she saw admiration i'll me-
So far as the others were concerned |
II WAS all ii mere matter of business |
and | WAS regarded in the same cate |
CORY as a legal document. We wer.
instructed to stand side by side. unO |!
the ceremony was performed by a civil
officer who was empowered to MARI
couples. Though Il tigurehead for
husband. resolved To have one taSt;