Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1923-01-06
Bletheroe's
Romance
By CLARA DELAFiELD

Tell that to the Lootenant," said
the cop, as he took old BletherOe into
the station house. 'Lootenant, / found
this man lettering in Willett ayenoo
at two this morning, with apparent
felonious intent"
"Ilow about it7 Take his pedigree,
sergeant! Now, what have you got to
say?"
ITS q long story" mumbled Blethe-
roe. "I-I-yOu see"
"You can sit there. Jurgens, you
might as well telephone Or. Hansard
to step round. He looks pretty sick to
me; can't risk another death happen
ing In the cells Now, BletheroeF
II was an extraordinary story Blethe-
roe. the aged wandTer, told, and II
began forty years before, apparently,
when he was young clerk in a ship
ping house. He'd stroled down TO the
dncks every lunch hour, looking at the
ships. and wishing he had the pluck
10 take passage on one. That was his
dominant idea and he'd saved up three
nuNuFgu dollars.
But then there was a girl he was
getting fond Of, aud he didn't know
what to do. He had a shrewd suS-
picion that what she wanted was an
apartment with golden oak furniture.
SO he was troubled.
He was riding home one day on q
car when there was q disturbance. A
passenger had gone raving mad. His
wrists were covered with little scars,
and he was jabbing a strange sort OF
needle nbout
"Your furn /" he Kissed, and stabbed
Bletheroe IN the arm.
II was only n puncture The man
was thrown off. but the hypodermic
Ble'heroe He stopped the car and
walked for sheer exuberance He had
been fool to stay on with jenkins
when Romance beckoned.
tIe saw an attractive girl In the
street and knew at once that she
was for him.
He stopped her. "My names
Plctheroe." he said "T'm sailing for
Cuba In the morning VIII you marry
me tonight7" THAT was before the
days Of license laws) "and come with
me We can fad minister easy
She stared at him in terror. ITS
Ike m answer from heaven" she re
piled "How did you know7"
'Know whatp' asked BletherOe
"rhat I'm getting married tonight.
and that ! hate him. We quarrelled
only this morning, and he swore he
wouldn't appear"
II tell YOU what" said Bletheroe.
"Til come home with you, and II he
doesn't appear. marry me instead. "
you're the strangest man / ever
met" whispered the girl.
Acquaintance comes after mar
riaee. my dear" said Bletheroe.
They got on a ear again and rode,
rode uptown into block of houses
that all looked exactly alike or
course there were no apartment
houses up there then but here were
these rows of little houses stretching
away and away.
They stopped at one and went in.
An old man and a minister were in
the parlor
"Where's JackT asked the girl.
Late, darn him." said the old man.
II love this gentleman. and II Jack
doesn't appear I'm going TO marry
him instead I'll give Jack ten min
utes more"
ITS all one to me. You always
YVES a headstrong gal" said the old
man
Ten minutes passed. and, as there
YVES no Jack, Bletheroe and the girl
stood up before the minister. He
went slow. In case Jack came before
& @ crisis of the service, but no Jack.
And they departed man and wife. and
walked and walked. happy as iarks
toeether.
Suddenly the girl stopped II forgot
my suitcase" she cried.
you don't want it, darling"
~ dc. l tell you. It's got my thing
IN Il. How can ! sail for wherever
il Is without them2"
Don't be long, darling said Bleth.
eroe
The girl started on nj a run. and
Blefheroe waited and waited. One
hour went by--two hours. Then
Bletheroe went back and began 10
search for the house. But they were
all the same.
"You never found herr" asked the
doctor. who had come in
"They wouldn't let her out again,
Shes there, somewhere-an I've been
looking for henry wife-these forty
year"
Tie doctor felt his pulse and
whispered TO the lieutenant.
"Irs Bellevue he wants. not the
cells, lootenant. / guessed II when he
spun that yarn about the hypodermis
Its morphine poisoning; look at his
wrists "