The morning call., 1893-09-17

of frowsy hair of such a vivid and brassy
yellow that ii almost made my eyes ache
Her Office was the tiny front parlor of a
shabby little cottage on cross street, and
when we were both inside and the door
shut there seemed scarcely room to breathe
1t was nearly lunchtime, and madame was
evidently hungry, so she hurried me to
business without delay, and answered my
questions briefly and conciSely.
Yes; she ran matrimonial agency and
quite successfully, too. She had many
applicants on her books - indicating a
small desk in the corner which had a bust
nesslike aspect-and could undoubtedly
suit my friend.
Oddly enough, this "friend" of mine
had, during my trip on the cable, per-
formed lightning change act" and was
now young widow with yearniDg for
ranch life. 'If she don't want too rich a
man" SAID madame. Il think / can suit
her. MIllionaires"-this in a sudden burst
of onfdenee-"dOn't come to such places
as this often; they get snapped up too
quick elsewhere. Ii your friend has q
little property of her own" l shook my
head sorrowfully. and the madame looked
doubtful.
''She can at least register" she said
THAT is only 50 so, and there is no fur
ther fee until after marriage. l will intro
| duce her to a gentleman and do my best"
]
not the custom to charge ladies a regis
tration fee and the madame gracIOusly ex-
! planned that she had done business in that
way once and came to grief.
Some women won't be suited with
| nothing" she said emphaiically, though
ungrammatically, "and If they amt paid
nothing they amt to be depended on.
| When woman puts down her 81 90 l
| know she means business"
Madame produced the regulation blank
and agreement, with a circular setting
forth the advantages of her ''parlor of in
reduction" II struck me that If two
people of madame'S size should wish to be
introduced in that same "parlor" madame
herself would have TO remain in the hall
way while performing the ceremony.
reflected, however, that as ones height
and weight must be included in the de-
scription given, madame probably matches
| her couples with an eye TO her accommo-
datiOns. Madame's circular assured me
! that her business was conducted strictly
honorable and confidential" and madame
| herself reiterated this statement She
/ moreover stated that under no circum-
stances did she ever allow hint of her
affairs TO get into the papers," OF which
| she seemed to have holy horror, and de-
parted to carry hope to my lonely friend
A meager little old woman with a wig
many years too young for her face las
wigs are unfortunately apt to be) met me
at my next place OF inquiry. Her "office'
was a back room in a dreary lodging
| house, and although she seemed TO COM
! bine the trade of fcrtune-teller and medium
with the management of her bureau" !"
she did not seem so prosperous as the
others, though she talked volubiy of the
fine matches" which she had made, and
her 'uneXeelled opportunities" for bring
ing the right people together" She had
blanks and agreements to fill out and sign,
like the others. and she, too, wanted a
registration fee from both parties She
was quite sure that she could suit nv
friend (who by this time had become a
young lady living on ranch anxious for a
city home and husband), and became
quite importunate In her urging that
should fill out the blanks and pay the reg
isration fee for her at once. as she had
lone or two very fine gentlemen on hand
10 send to the girl for signature seemed a
secondary consideration beside the tangi-
BILE 81 30, which the proprietor wrongly
thought, In spite of her medlumistic DOW
ers, repOsed IN my pocket-boOk. but |
sternly Degatived the proposition, and
neither fancying her manner nor ner sur
roundings made my escape.
| had seen sufficient to become cor
vinced that there are enough silly, igno-
rant or wicked people on this side of the
Rockies to keep the manager of several
matrimonial agencies from joining the
ranks Of the unemployed.
The silly and ignorant individuals NAV
patrOniZe such institutions in good faith,
relying implicitly on the unsupported word
of the heads thereof in regard to secrecy
ana honorable treatment. AS for me,
however firm as | ain in The belief that at
best marriage is lottery" | should pre-
fer to purchase my ticket herein elsew ere
than at the desk of a marriage bureau.
FLORENCE PERCY MATHEsoN.