Lum Engaged to Bertha

Originally Aired: February 22, 1939 Lum #128, "Lum Engaged to Bertha," When Cedric delivers Lum's marriage proposal note to the wrong Bertha—Bertha Skinner instead of Bertha Skimp—Lum finds himself accidentally engaged to a woman he never intended to marry. The situation spirals out of control as Bertha Skinner accepts the proposal and her father eagerly plans an engagement party for that very evening. Desperate to escape this unwanted marriage, Lum enlists Abner to visit the Skinner household and explain the terrible mistake. However, the plan backfires spectacularly when Abner reveals that Lum doesn't love Bertha and only wants her money, prompting old man Skinner to chase him off the property with a shotgun. Back at the store, a panicked Lum tries to devise new schemes to break the engagement, including the far-fetched idea of having Abner and Elizabeth adopt him so Abner can refuse parental consent to the marriage. As the engagement party looms closer, Lum grows increasingly frantic, realizing that once the announcement is made public, escaping this accidental betrothal will become nearly impossible.