HIDE AND SEEK IN GRAVEYARCS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3169, 15 March 1911, Page 8

HIDE AND SEEK IN GRAVEYARCS.

A LOVE-MAKING UNDERTAKER,

Stories of courtship amongst coffins and hide-and-seek in graveyards were related in New .York on January 19 (says the “Daily ,Telegraph”) .in a divorce suit brought by Airs Josephine Grasso ,the wife of an undertaker, who convinced the Court that “Mike,”’her husband's assistant in the undertaking business, was not a young man, but a prett- girl, Marie Bondi, aged 23. Miss Bondi was so fond of Grasso that she masqueraded as a young man that slie might'always be near him, and much of their love-making was carried on in a back room of the Grasso undertaking establishment in New York, when Grasso and '‘Hike” were supposed to be absorbed in preparations or a 'funeral Miss Bondi, in the character of “Mike,” passed a * great deal of time in riding round on a burial waggon with Grasso, and not even the trappings and habiliments of woe with which they were environed had any deterrent effect upon their blithe demonstration of affecion.

“Why,” said the injured wife, “they’ve been caught sitting on- a coffin having lunch ,and once they played hide-and-seek behind tombstones just after they had buried a poor corpse.” It was when a client of Grasso entered the tindeitaking establishment to inquire about the cost of a funeral that the fact that “Mike” wasn’t “Mike,” but Marie, became known. The client said that as he entered the shop he was surprised to see Grasso and “Mike” sitting side by side in the front row of coffins, their arms about each other’s waists, and their , faces closer together than is the usual custom with Undertakers and their gravediggers. The client went, away without ordering a funeral. He thought it his duty to tell Mrs Grasso wliat h© had seen.

After this Mrs Grasso hauled Marie before the police court, where the girl was fined for masquerading as a boy. The wife was willing to forgive her husband and start life afresh, but he would not reform, so sworn proceedings were brought, and a decree obtained.