Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-01-24
BecamQ a GifQ Boarder.

hesitated upon the verge of autumnal
decline.
Like all Poughkeepsie women, she
was clever.
Europa had not married owing to
the almost criminal arrangement by
which modern social custom compels
girl to wait until she is asked.
1t was a hard fate for girl who
knew that she could love just as well
as any other girl, conjpgate a French
verb as well as the best of them
turn out as daintily a cooked buck
wheat cake from the pan as chef.
Europa had money, too, lots Of 1t
and was almost without a relative
in the world; for, melancholy fact, she
survived most of them She also
owned a snug farm. just a mile. out
side Of Poughkeepsie, where she her.
self presided.
Finally there came to Europa a
strange, wild, Irresistible longing to
get married
She scanned the matrimonial col
umns of the papers, subscribed for a
paper called "Cupid's Wings. and had
her name registered in a. LIST of per
sons open for matrimonial offers.
But there seemed something fabulous
about the thing. for week after week
passed and Europa did not get so
much as an answer to any of her COM
munications or a reply to any of her
advertisements.
She was on the verge of going to a
fortune teller in order to learn if she
We're destined forever to remain single.
But a brilliant idea occurred to her
So important was the idea that it
took quite an amount of study to
evolve it into practical shape. There
was an advertisement connected with
it, and every one knows how difficult
it is to express just what is desired in
! an advertisement.
Finally, after a considerable amount
of stationery had been spoiled, Europa
was satisfied with the following, and
duly mailed it to certain paper,
! which has an extraordinary large cir
culation:
"For sale cheap, good farm, with
life CIRCUMFERENCE"
The latter part of the advertisements
was really the point over which most
of the plzzling had been done 1t was
difficult thing to express the pecu-
liar circumstances under which the
farm would have to be disposed Of
In fact, Europa had no right to
dispose of 1t at all, except under GER
tain conditions clearly expressed in
the will Of the late Mr.. Brown, her
father
1t read funny, Europa thought after
it was printed, and she wondered
whether any one would ever care to
reply to such a proposition.
Presently letters began to arrive, and
Europa scrutinized them with the pre-
cision of a scientific investigator
There We're two which she finally
laid aside as being worth answering.
and to each Of them she sent letter
suggesting personal interview and
inspection of the property.
One of the two correspondents, who
lived in Vermont decided to look over
the place, and for that purpose put i'm
an appearance one day before Europa
had a chance to get her hair out of
the curl papers.
He was a rather young looking man
and had the appearance of being a
person Of common sense.
A woman is very keen at making
an inventory Of Il mans character and
by the time they got around to the
farm. Europa had sized her customer
UP about as accurately as could have
been done.
Sentiment don't amount to the
weight Of a feather in the mans deal
| ings,' she decided, when she asked
him If he had any intention of getting
married.
He replied that II would be neces-
sary to have some one to milk the
cows. and a servant might steal the
milk; anyway, 1t was necessary to
have a woman around the farm, and
wife was the cheapest.
Finally, after he had examined
everything, down to the odds and
ends which had accumulated in the
barn, he asked Europa what the IN
cumbrance on the farm was, a mort
gage. he supposed Of course. Europa
nerved herself for the supreme crisis
with the resolution OF desperate
woman.
..The price first" she said, and she
promptly stated the amount which
was the lowest that would be con
sidered.
The man nodded his head. He was
evidently not the Kind Of person who
'..eant to buy pig In a sack, for he
/ remarked that the incumbranee had
need to be insignificant If such price
We're asked.
..The incumbrance,' she said, speak
ing firmly. is the life of d woman Of
forty. she is a good worker and an
honest woman, but she has TO have
d living out Of the farm as long as
she lives; that is the clause IN ny
fathers Will