Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-06-29

Waiting For
a Title
A Girl Takes a Legal
Husband to SaUe
a Fortune
By ALAN HINSDALE

I was a young man struggling Ia
make competency, but despite all my
efforts / could not get any money
ahead. 1t was plain to me that could
not make money without money to
make 1t with, and l bemoaned my In
ability to save enough to enable me to
get start.
One day an uncle Of mine telephoned
me asking If would like to make
thousand dollars very easily. I replied
that certainly would like to make a
thousand dollars, even II had to work
for It, whereupon he told me to come
to his house at once. When I reached
It he said to me:
~ am guardian for a 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 inherlts, went to the big war
uLltT u IcCCnb uNGOh Wdo ACPOhtCN
among the missing. II he is dead the
title falls to the man my ward is think
Ing Of marrying. II he Is alive the
match will not take place.
"The girl can't wait to learn II her
sutton is really the Earl Of Arraskilling
because her fortune, which came to hel
through her grandfather, is secured by
the will TO her frstborn son, and, to
make 1t more probable that she shall
have a son, 1t is stipulated that she
must be married by certain date
that Is, tomorrow noon. But there Ii
nothing In the will to compel her tc
live with the man she marries Ii
this respect the document is lame II
carrying out the testators intention.
Bertha Tiverton. or, rather, hel
mother. being in a quandary about
what to do in the matter, have sug
gested that the daughter comply witt
the will technically by marrying some
one who will leave her after the cere
ulOuy anu COhbCHL " u hANOANO "hNi
required. This plan has been agreed
upon, and a thousand dollars will b.
paid to such person as will I'LL this pc
sitIon Of temporary husband"
My uncle ceased to speak at thi
point. but there was no more to b
said. understood him perfectly.
was to marry a girl with a fortune. |
her sutton was the Earl ofcW bat-dy'e
call-him was to resign her n his fa
vor; II not was to resign Her In SOM
one elses favor But since had neve
seen the girl and was not expected t.
see her after the wedding she person
ally did not enter into the matter. ON
thing | was sure OIL would have Z
thousand dollars, and | knew Just
where to put that thousand dollars t.
start fortune. asked my uncle how
long q time I would have to make {
decision, and he said till o'clock thu
same evening and II decided afiirma
lively the wedding would take place
at 8.
There was but one drawback in thu
matter. and that was my becoming
divorced man. But divorces are moi
stigmatized as they used to be, and II
case should later fall In love the wo
man loved would not DO likely to OBJ
ject to me on that ground. l 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 al
his house at quarter to and ht
would take me to my brides home fol
the ceremony.
found my uncle waiting for me, and
he took me In his car to a 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 tool
from his pocket document, which she
read carefully. Then she handed 1t tC
me, and glanced over It. Since 1t was
what had been led to expect sign
ed 1t, 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
tracuve looking girl, without the slight
est appearance OF worldllness express
ed In her countenance. made up my
mind that her mother was alone re-
sponslble for this marriage Of TEN.
porary convenience and that the
daughter II left to herself would be
likely to marry for love alone. She
cast a glance at mo which denoted an
Interest in the man who was to be
tied to her temporarily, above what
seemed to be called for. Naturally !
cast a similar glance at her. noticed
something between pleased and a re-
lleved look In her, and I have no doubt
she saw admiration In me.
SO far as the others were concerned,
II was all a mere matter Of business,
and was regarded in the same cate
CORY as a legal document We wero
instructed to stand side by side, and
the ceremony was performed by a civil
officer who was empowered to marry
couples. Though a ngurehead for a
husband, | resolved to have one taste
Of my wife's pretty lips, and the mo-
ment we we're pronounced man and
wife I 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. l
was hurried out of the room, a check