The morning call., 1891-06-30
WHY THEY MARRIED.
BY GRACE GRINNELL.

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are not previously in that fanciful state
called love, ten to one they make match
of it, All this nonsense about ones SOULS
mate is trash Congeniality has little to do
with 1t. Even considerations of wealth and
position will not stand against continuous
companionship."
But 10 you mean to say that people love
and marry. being for a time accidentally
placed near each other, who would not have
cared for each other in the least had they
only met occasionally in crowds or with
other yeople?"
"Precisely. Youth is the time for mating
and a man naturally falls in love With his
next neishbor; the woman with the man
who has tie best opportunity of winning
heT-namely. her nearest neighbor."
THAT spoils all the romance of love and
courtship. l must disagree with you, for,
old bachelor as l am, ] know l would not at
any stage of my life marry a woman simply
because she was always near She must
possess certain qualities and attractions,
must be 10 me What no one else could, and
if saw her but once IN year l must love
her"
You speak as though you had had ex-
perience."
Yes, there was but one woman in the
y
raised together"
You have given your case away-yOu
were raised together-propinqulty again.
The speakers were two men somewhat
advanced IN years-hale, prosperous, Kind
ly. They sat in a cosy den, smoking good
cigars, with some choice wine in q silver
decanter between them. IN confidential con-
fab natural to the clrcums stances. Mr..
Laurence Maxwell was a retired merchant
and WIdOWeT, with two married children
a.. Z N.rrsn
excellent elderly lady, dead brothers vile,
and shared bY the various poor relatives he
had picked up along his successful career.
DR.. Hugh GsythOrn, a prosperous phys
ician, had never married, was eYeTybOdy's
good friend, believed implicitly IN chlyalry,
love and romance, ana possessed plenty Ialth
IN human nature.
Maxwell tried hard to be an irascIble
Cyuic, but no one would believe In him, and
Il was hard, with all his pooling" al emo
ticnal sentiments, to sustain the character.
81 should have loved her If l had met her
for the first time in the FIJI Islands" DR..
Gay;horn replied, a little testify.
MI Maxwell gave a Satlrlcai laugh, but
looked so g0Od-natuTed and sympathetic
that it lost its intended effect.
"Well, let us put it TO the test l have q
young ward who has recently left school
the usual nice-lOOkIng, Well-dreSsed, fairly
educated young lady Of the period. She IS
well lowered and comes Of good family.
Now you have a nephew, and a very good
fellow he is, too, but with nothing so re-
maTkable about him as to particularly at
tract a sensible gIFl if he appeared with a
thTonE Of other good fellows. l am sure we
would neither Of US object to their marry
ing If they were 10 choose TO do so. Let
Us plan TO bring them tOsether-Quite by ac-
cident you knOW-WiIh fair field and none
10 interfere. I'll wager a good setting out
for the Young couple that they marry within
a year"
Doctor Gaythorn watched the misty circle
over his head a few moments in silence.
"WelI, [ see DO objections I'll take the
wager, though Il is scarcely TAR one, Tor
they may prove to be specially fitted Tor
each other. But yet l believe 1t requires
more than accidental proximity TO arouse
genuine love. They are not TO be Influenced
by a word from either Uf Us, OF course.
How shall We manage it?'
Doctor Gayth0Tn's nephew, We're La
tnTOp. was young medic Il student, and also
something Of an artist, and could probably
be induced, as II was vacation, to 90 down
TO a beautiful country place, very quiet and
healtgful for rest tine scenery and lnSplra-
ton. Berenice Wayne was t. be "dIscOY-
cred " resting from studies and the strain Of
graduation exercises, 10 the hOme-like farm
house where she had often before spent her
summers, and where y ere LathrOp would
be directed to seek for board. Then the
play would proceed.
ing inteTfered 10 mar the success Of the
arrangements, and one Daimy evening Ia
August the gentle, mOtherly lanGlady, with
great deal OF cOmplacency, Introduce Mr..
LathrOp to her pet, Miss Wayne, glad that
BeTTle would have company during the long
summer day. So occupied was she with her
own satisfied thoughts that she did not notice
the pleased start on the part OF Mr.. LathrOp
nor the puzzled expression on BeTenlce lair
face; for they bowed and mUrmured con-
yentional compliments after the usual
method of polite society.
Five weeks glided by-weeks Of sunlight,
leisure and enjoyment. But now low moan
ings at dusk, Ominous WATTS of a chill wind,
dead leaves filling the pathway, warned the
lUiteTers that summer and summer dreams
were over There had been long, long days,
Sled up with walks, desult0ry sketching
and studies, dreamy talks and poetic read
lngs. The young people had enjoyed them
selves without thought OF the future, OF their
relationship or Of results, and no one could
have SurmlSed whether MI MaXWelIS pre-
diction would prove true or not But over
the spirits Of each some faint shadow Of
change fell softly and sobeTed their exuber-
ance.
''The leaves are beginning to turn" said
BeTenice, sitting under their fayOrite maple
one afternoon. "SeeW and she held up the
varegated leaf that had tl0ated into her lap.
What pity that leaves should ever turn,
or summer leave US, or unwelcome changes
comel l am going home tomorrow, OF
rather to my guardians home, for this and
The schOOl-TOOm are tue only homes nave
known for mary years"
''What-so soon? 1t cannot be possible?
Why, winter does not come on US in a mo-
ment's time; you cannot have the heart to
end the summer so abruptly p
We're LathrOP stood at her side, with one
hand against the tree, looking down at her
with startled face.
al do not end the summer by my depart
ure. The sunlghtis warm yet"
but il will have lost its charm. ! can
not think what life will be when | see you
no more. Berenice, do not believe l knew
it i've minutes ago, but l love you; [ want
you to be my wife. l have loved you all
along in fact, ever since l first met You a
year ago, only had not realized how neces-
sary you are TO my existence"
You met me year agO?"
do you not remember the little Wayside
station at Mott, where we were cast ashore
on a desert island, or rather stranded for
several hours IN a miserable little town lack
ing all the conyeniences Of life?"
8. And how i'll l had become from riding,
and how kind you were in exploring the
unciVliZed spot for some Of the necessities
of life2 Was that really you? l had such
binding headache That scarcely saw the
young man who did me such service, one
whose similar misfortune l could not re-
greet, as it lessened my own. fear ]
thanked you poorly that day-let me do Sc
nOw"
Berenice extended her hand in cordial
frankness. We're took and held it.
=" Do you give 1T to me?"
"0h, Mr. Lathrop, not in that wayl Say
no more on that subject tO-day-Will you %
Z" No more, when my heart is so full2"
I" But you cannot know your own heart In
so short a time. We have had many pleas.
ant days together and you are naturally
saddened at their termination. You will
miss me, of course. But this is not love-
YOU cannot be certain l shall suit you as q
life partner because l have been a pleasant
companion during a summers vacation. y
Berenice, since l realized what this feel
ing is, / an loving you more intensely every