St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1895-12-06

DfPRNoN IN liNIlO uNl anu IlCll-
tions it,"
HE daren't; know him too well.
He'd be so ashamed and panic
stricken he'd run away at the sight
of her"
"Well, you have been lucky so far,
but it can't 60 on like this forever"
observed Ted Merrows. "Take my
tip, and make hay while the sun
shines"
"You are old enough to marry,
and, as your uncle's sole heir you'd
be valuable article in the matrimo-
NAL market; but if he marries, you'll |
find yourself on the shelf among the
damaged goods and remnants. Dis
pose of yourself while you are still
heir and the fitting lord for an heir
ess You can't stop the old man
marrying, but you can first take care
he doesn't spoil you by marrying
first"
"But | don't know anybodyw
demonstrated Tim. "How am | to
find the heiress, get introduced and
engaged, and marry her out of hand
in
"You may find one through the
matrimonial journals"
Nonsense! Heiresses don't adver-
tise."
Don't they? All heiresses are not
in society some of them want to get
there, and they advertise. They
wouldn't marry a gentleman with
nothing, perhaps, unless they hap
pened to be old and ugly, but they
would be willing to snap up man
like you, moving in good society,
with liberal allowance from your
uncle and hopeful prospects. Then,
if your uncle deserts you afterward,
her money will keep the wolf from
the door and save you from working
yourself to death"
Young Tim had a morbid horror
of poverty and oyerwork, and that
story haunted him all day. 1t shone
through his dismal forebodings like
the moon through mist; it seemed
almost too good to be true. He dined
alone that evening al restaurantin
the Strand; and, passing a news
agents on his way back to the Tenn
pie, he noticed some matrimonial
journals in the window, and went in
and bought one. He was somewhat
relieved on entering his chambers, to
find that Ted Merrows was not yet
at home He opened the journal and
studied the crowded columns in pri.
vate, and lighted at length on bus-
ness-hke advertisemen that impress
ed him favorably:
MAUD, young, dark and cookbook
ing, with private income, wishes to
correspond with middle-agcd gentle
man of means and position, with
view to matrimony. References ex-
changed.
Replies were to be sent to letter
of the alphabet at the office OF the
paper.
Tim was not middle-aged, but he
considered that, if anything, that
should tell in his favor. He read and
reread the advertisement till from
feeling tempted to answer it just to
test the probability OF Ted Merrows
story, he began to succumb to fresh
fears for his future, and became anx
ious to answer it for his own sake.
"There's no harm in writing he
argued. "If | change my mind or 1t
: doesn't seem good enough | can DROP
| it."
And while the impulse was upor
hin, he wrote He wrote vaguely o
+ his income and said nothing OF hi:
age, but craved an interview, If nj
q explained his precise position, 1T
feared she might fancy it was too III
q secure to render him eligible; but
{ he could see her, he flattered hlmsel
that tine charm of his conversation
s and personal presence would dazzI'
her and divert her attention from nj
|, less pronounced monetary qualihca
tions. He signed his own name, |
Cottle," because, if the negotiation
= came to anything, it might shake he
G confidence when he had to acknowl
edge that he had approached he
4 under a false name; at the sam
II time, as she withheld her surnam
and address, he felt justified IN re
d questing her to direct her reply II
A., e.4 ;,s+opce RI the DOStOttlce Il