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Show QUEER MARRIAGE PACT Who Shall Dulld Fires and When Guests May Come Stipulated In Agreement Couple Happy Thus Far, Dei Moines. Isaiah F. Harding and Mrs. Isabella Engolbrccht of Dallas county, Iowa, bad not found smooth sailing upon tho sea of matrimony, nl-though nl-though both are, comparatively speaking, speak-ing, rich. Twlco each had been married mar-ried and twlco divorced. When, therefore, seeding a consola- tlon prlxo, Harding asked Mrs. Engol brccht to bo his, extreme caution attended at-tended her adlrniatlvo response. "We'd better lay down some rules to go by," sbo said, and Harding agreed. Tho result was tho most romarkablo Duptlal contract over drawn In Iowa and, perhaps In tho world Vctoran lawyers say they liavo novcr seen anything qulto like It. It arranges for nlmost ovory possl bio contingency that may arise In the wedded life of two people Tho contract plainly seta forth who ball build ttio fires, when tho husband may bring homo guests to meals, when the relatives of each shall lalt them, how tho money Is to bo divided, how often tho wlfo mny attend social functions func-tions without being scowled at and ever Uses a limit to tho number of posslblo future llardlngs, Ily observing In minutest detail tho terms of this rcmarkablo document Harding and his third wlfo havo already al-ready enjoyed two months of Ufa to-got to-got ho r without a cloud appearing In LVIr matrimonial sky. Tho contract provides: "That wo, by tho terms of this agreoment, mado this third day of May, A. D 1900, between Isaiah Harden Hard-en on fixes a limit to the number of lng, u( tho county of Dallas and stato of Iowa, party of tho first part, and Isabella Engclbrccht, of tho county of Polk and stato of Inn a, of tho second part, do hereby bind ourselves by this covenant to carry out en tiro and In detail tho terms of this solomn obligation ob-ligation so that wo, as man and wife, may dwell together In ponce and harmony har-mony so long as this said covenant hall be In force, to wit: From tho aid third day of May, A. D 1906, until un-til tho third day of May, 1821, a period of IS years, "It is hereby agreed and stipulated between said Isaiah F. Harding, party of tho first part, and said Isabella Engolbrccht, En-golbrccht, party of the second part, that If at tho end of the fifteen years aforesaid described wo or either of us shall have rauso to bellove that such union Is not for the best Interests of cither of us tho said same union shall ' bo terminated by cither party without further formality, providing that. If at any time during the period above set forth, either should wish to relinquish relin-quish the bonds of mntrlmony such ac tlon shall not ba taken except with duo process of law "Wo hereby agreo that wo shall jointly and soverally settlo upon tho children of each by former marrlago one-half of tho cstato of each, the said one-halt of tho cstato of tho party of the first part to be settled upon his children and tho said one half of the rstato of the party of the second part upon her children. Deeds and papers to this effect shall ba duly signed, transferred and recorded upon the completion of this covenant And this shall be regarded as applying to personal per-sonal property as well as real "And we hereby bind ourselves to ,tho faithful performance of the fob 'lowing stipulations, aa far wlt' us lies: "Isaiah V Harding, party of the flrsl part, ngrrr-s that Isabella Engelbrocht, party of thu second part, shall, upon her wedding to him, tho party ol tho first part, receive each week tho sum of fIC with which to defray tho household expenses, but It Is understood that he, tho party of tho first part, shall furnish fuel and water. wa-ter. "It Is expressly understood that from this union shall come not more, thnn three children Upon the birth of each or any child tho abovo amount of I5 per week shall bo Increased three dollars pc week. "Tho party of tho second part shall furnish domestic help and to assist her In this she shall bo allowed the financial output of poultry and one cow from tho farm herd Hut It for any reason It shall bo found necessary neces-sary to dispense with domestla help, then It shall bo tho duty ot tho husband hus-band to build tho fires and prepare tbo morning meals for six months throughout tho winter and for tho wlfo to build tho fires and prepare tho morning meals for tho remaining six months of tho year "Neither party shall Invito guests to the bouse, except with tho express permission of tho other, and then not oftcner than twlco per week; relatives shall not bo allowed to visit tho fam Ily, except that relatives of tho party of tho first part shall bo permitted to visit tho homo at any ttmo within tho first two weeks of tho month of May; relatives of tho party of tho second part within tho last two weeks of tho month of October This shall not relate In any way to tbo children of either of tho parties of this covenant. cov-enant. "If tho parties to this covenant shall romovo to tho city to llvo It Is agreed that In addition to the costs men-tolned men-tolned nbovo party of tho first part shall pay Ico and gas oxpensoa. Furthermore, Fur-thermore, It shall bo tho prlvllego of tho party of tho second part to attend two social functions each woek, ono of which. If tho partloa reside In tho city, shall bo tho theater, and this expense ex-pense shall ba borne by tho party of tho first part. "Each Hunday tho party of the first part shall escort and accompany the party of tho second part to church In tho morning and again In the evening even-ing should she desire It "Party of tho first part shall keep up the houso Insurnnie, keep the premises In good condition, furnish at all times respectable conveyance to ami from town, see that both himself and wlfo nro properly clothed, take an active part In any civic or rural Improvement, Im-provement, and assist In any political movement for the general good It Is expressly declarod that he shall voto according to tho dictates of his con science." |