The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1894-12-04

| for both partiesp You see, we can't
abolish love, but the calamity OF
marriage might be--might be-
"Avoidedp" inquired Marina calm.
ly.
There was hooking CLEAN in
those thoughtful eyes of hers as she
spoke.
No, we must recognize the newt
able, fear But something must be
done surely to moderate its evils.
well, what should you say to q
seven or ten years lease instead of
the present lifelong contract?"
LET me see-how would that
work." said the young sailor mus
ingly. IT marry you--don't be
alarmed, the case is purely hypothet-
zealand at the end of seven years
you have had enough of me. But,
although you may then be glad of
your liberty, your chances in the
matrimonial market cannot be, seven
years hence, as good as they are now.
That is the difficulty, isn't it?"
"Yes, sir, and allow me to say that
your chances will not be any better
than mine, if can help it,"
Miss Mulgrove, you are feminine
and not philosophic," interrupted
Walton, with severity.
Pardon me. am merely prac.
teal AT the end of those seven
years you will certainly try to marry
again, and the next lady of your
choice will certainly come to me for
references.
"Um--that will be awkward. A
genuine widower is snapped up by
the sex without inquiries, out of
sheer sympathy; but this widower
by arrangement must needs be
armed with first class testimonials
from his previous partner"
"Of COURSE" said she, with mis-.
chievous smile.
''Still, there is this to be said:
Couples will have all the more rea.
son for renewing the lease with each
other because of these unpleasant
consequences we have been discuss.
ing. In fact, in the majority of cases
it seems probable that the partner.
ship would be lifelong one, just as
it is now. i"
"Only they would, to make that
certain, always be obliged to be nice
to each other, said the young lady
mockingly.
"How dreadful -
However, there would be an en-.
tirely new theme for tea table Cos.
sip. That would be at least one adj.
vantage for the new matrimonial
method. Mr.. and Mrs. So-and-so's
lease will shortly expire. l wonder
if they intend to renew? Neither of
them has said word yet How are
they behaving?'"
Evidently there were elements of
strongmindedness in Miss Null.
groves character. But she possessed
beauty and grace of behavior to neu.
tralize these. She passed as an "odd
girl" among her female friends
none of them ever said worse than
this. With men she was distinctly
popular. Her personal charms no
doubt partly accounted for the fact.
Still it was, ! think, chiefly due to
her ready comprehension of the mas.
culine temperament AS her own
brother said--he was a naval officer
and Walton's intimate friend-"Ma.
rina makes fun enough of us poor
wretches, but at the same time we
are not such blind puzzle to her as
to most girls. She seems to under.
stand by instinct what a mans no.
tions are like and to accommodate
herself to them in what she says"
1t must not be supposed, however,
that Miss Mulgrove was in the habit
of conversing with all her male &C.
quaintances with just as much free.
dom as she did with Richard Wal.
ton. Him she had known for many
years. He and the brother referred
to began their naval career together.
When on shore they, as lads, were
n the habit of spending part of their
holidays together. And, although
now both of them lieutenants and
serving on different ships, it was an
thing that friendship
With their respective friends should
70 maintained. On the present occa-
ion Lieutenant Walton's visit had
,een somewhat longer than usual,
o. unfortunately he had been in
'alided home from the gold coast.
But his months stay at the par.
onage--Marina's father was rector
# small parish in a remote part of
,ssex, near the Laidon hills-his
months holiday was just coming to
n end. In another three days he I
you'd have to report himself to the
And yet l am afraid he had only {
from one maladv to he 1