The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-03-15
and under an infinite varitv Of condi

and under an infinite varitv Of condi-
tons.
Size that loves and rams "A way
Will live to love another day,
was Miss Winthrop's motto that mar
rage was, like death, a thing to be de
ferred as long as possible and accepted
finally as heroic remedy for some
thing worse was her philosophy. Being
twenty-eight to-day she felt that the
time had come for heroic measures.
She did not look day over twenty.
Her hair was the same soft tint of
brown that it had always been; her
cheek had a firmness of contour and a
delicate blush upon it that might have
belonged to a girl of seventeen; the
beauty which had made her conspicu-
Gus as a debutante gave no signs Of
approaching deterioration, but what
did all this amount to when everybody
knew she was twenty-eight, and at
tested with exasperating indelicacy that
she was remarkably well preserved"
She could not possibly put it off
much longer, and vet she felt 4 certain
shrinking from her destiny-as the
hand of a suicide might recoil from its
instrument-as she began to review
mentally the opportunities remaining to
her.
Money is no object" she exclaimed
at last 81 want freedom, and the only
condition compatible with perfect free
dom is widowhood. Unfortunately we
can't be born widows, and the odds
against being left widow without in
cumbrance are inhnitv to one. If
there was only some way of making a
woman widow by an act Of Congress
or decree OF court It's shocking 10
think of the risks a woman must run to
attain that seventh heaven of indie
pendence. | believe | will advertise
for consumptive, and agree to nurse
him tenderly through the remnant of
his existence if he will obligate himself
to die within given time
Mrs. Ainslee, her sister, and her
senior by two years, turned toward her
the face of shocked and outraged wife
hood.
But Mrs. AiLsee to the indiscretion
of marrying young, had added the
folly of spelling her husband, and Miss
| Winthrop expected this silent protest
from her.
"If you want something of that
sort" said the doctor, laying aside his
paper, '.it is not worth while to adver-
tise. l have patient on hand that
will exactly fill the BILL
Tell me about him." she said, with
sudden enthusiasm.
''He is not a consumptive," contin-
ued the doctor. HE is even a more
helpless case than that He may die
Al any moment he can't possibly live
aGngcr than few months, and is as
sore!y in need of competent nursing as
any poor devil | ever saw. He has no
friends here. though he was born and
raised in this place. tried to get him
into the hospital, bat it is crowded, and
there has been SO much sickness this
season that | could not get a nurse for
him, though I've been looking for one
ever since he came. He was class
mate of mine at college, but he went
away, and | had not seen him since he
graduated until | was called to attend
him several days ago He was a splen-
did fellow then, but he is total wreck
now. The worst of it is that the fel
low doesn't want to get well. | don't
want to know what has happened to
him since he left here, but whatever it
is it has crushed him utterly. He seems
to have money enough for everything
he wants the only trouble is, he can't
get nurse for love or money"
The doctor had forgotten what start
ed his recital he was thinking only of
this friend, wondering what could have
| subdued jovall and naturally buoyant
fellow SO completely, when he was sud
denly called to order by Miss Winthrop.
"You are positively certain that he
l can never recover?" she asked.
r an the natural course of events he
, cannot. He might be restored by a
miracle"
And can only live few months at
, best p
| Il should say five or six months at
t most"
: "rhis," said Miss Winthrop, with
t perfect gravity, is the one opportunity
of lifetime. 1t would be like living
t in the face of Providence not to accept
a it."
1 1T looks rather pointed" replied the
| doctor. at does not often happen
v that woman while indulging a whim
S can at the same time do an act that
may be counted unto her for righteous
: ness"
D eff | were to talk like that | should
f expect something to happen to me, y
S said Mrs. Ainslee, shocked at her sister
: and surprised by this unusually flip
S pant behavior on the part of her hus-
: band.
- Perhaps out OF regard for Mrs. Aims
f lees abnormally sensitive sympathy
= the discussion rested here, but the sub,
e ject was not forgotten. Miss Win
e throp pondered it in secret and ulti-
| ota1,