The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-05-25

"But marriage isn't for time; it's foi
life," | contended lamely.
GLOW old are you?" This with the all
of physician who has right to dagnos.
ticate my case.
''Thirty-iive, let ms say, at venture
smiled. Chow old are you?'
THAT'S neither here nor there" she
laughed, 'rm married"
Mrs. Pettigru was 40, and | may add
incidentally, that she was also fat and
fair.
''If the years stop when one marries, .
said /, 81 think | shall announce my
engagement at once and follow it immed
lately by the tying of the knot"
Mrs. Pettigru was evidently letting hel
mind run off into some other channel, foI
she passed my brilliant repartee as if il
had been dead stick under her carriage
wheels.
"When a man reaches 3d." she said,
somewhat seriously, thought, for woman
at a tea, where one takes nothing seriously,
except the tea, lit is really time that he
began to think where he stands on this
important question"
'What if he knows where he stands 2"
interrupted inquiringly.
"Then he doesn't need to think, " she
said, with a look that was full of interro-
CATION points
"Im not sure" | contended. Gin
fact, | am almost sure that then is the
time when he should do his most serious
thinking"
''Of course, if he knows that he will
make a confirmed bachelor of himself" she
put in very quickly.
"YOu think he should think some way
of getting cut of such dreadful situa-
ton ?" | asked, letting the argument so
her way.
That's it exactly"
"And of course there is only one safe
way"
''Certainly'
''But Pm not ready to die yet" | said
gravely.
"Die ~ she exclaimed. Who said any
thing about dying? Get married ~
''Oh," and was on the point of adding
a few more flashes OF wisdom to our already
dazzling dalliance when the lovely Miss
Fitch appeared and presented claim for a
cup of tea.
Really" she twittered as Mrs. Pettigru
was pouring it, ''it is too bad to interrupt
such charming tete.a-tete, but there vas
no possible way to avoid it, unless | missed
my cup of tea, and am so shivery from
the raw air outside that couldn't think Of
it,
ave are so glad you didn't, | FASTENED
to say. eve have been discussing very
important question.
"rhe New Woman % ventured Miss
Fitch, who had stray advanced idea or
two, which she was fond of giving an air
ing now and then, when the men she was
talking to were not eligible, or the
women were So olu-ldSllloHcu anu hdlIoN
in their views of woman's sphere as to be
tiresome.
"No any woman, laughed Mrs. Pet
iigru 81 was urging Mr.. Mergitroyd
to marry, and as he doesn't appear to
have any mind at all on the subject,
think any woman is better than no
woman"
Fedora Fitch looked at me as if she
thought was given to the prevaricating
habit, but said nothing which would lead
a casual auditor to think she thought so.
"Mr. Mergitroyd," is what she did say,
''has some queer notions on the subject of
matrimony, and incidentally, on women in
general"
"And one woman in particular, " added
in a tone which struck Mrs Pettigru into
attention
as there any woman in the world he
thinks of more than he does of any other
woman 2" she asked quickly.
"Of course not, | answered for Miss
Fitch, IF there were he would marry
her."
"Men are so conceited," laughed Miss
Fitch to Mrs. Pettigru.
"People who live in glass houses should
MT throw stones, my dear" said Mrs. Pet
tigru to Miss Fitch. GAS soon as have
finished my lecture to Mr.. Mergitroyd and
got him started on the right path, Pm
going to take up your case, Let me see, "
and she began counting on her fingers,
"you are "a, and if you weren't already
quite rich, should begin to make a match
between you two, but I'd prefer to divide
you up between persons who are less we'll
to. do, in order to distribute the wealth
of nations, as it were. Besides, don't
quite think you are suited to each other.
You never would get along smoothly,
because you are 10th altogether too sensi-
ble.n
as it necessary that one of the contract.
inc parties in a""marriage be a fool % | in.
quired, with the natural cynicism of a
man who was still bachelor at 50.
Mrs Pettigru laughed. Miss Fitch
looked rather hard at me.