Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-07-25
SUSANNA MORTON.


heartily tired of it was the evident and
continuous purpose of mankind to per-
Knit her to remain spinster.
True she had been one SO long it
would seem that she should have become
accustomed to it; but by some strange
fatality women-that Is, the ma ority
of vromen=never accept their lot in
this Christian spirit which has won for
them the endearing title of the gentler
sex
And Susanna Morton had put up with
1T Just as long as she was going to.
Four leap years had passed her by,
and she had submitted gracefully, but
aaah year less gracefully than she had
done the year previously, and there
were moments in the last of the four
when she became almost desperate.
Now that fifth had come her mind was
made up. She would take the reins of
Cupid in her own hands and drive that
hara1m-scarum little rascal in manner
to ssIit herself. She knew her good
points, one of which was that she was
thirfv-five years old or Whereabouts,
and possessed a poise and balance no
u1zn who was looking for real sensi-
bic woman as a wife could afford to dis
regard In addition to this she had
what men seldom disregard = oom-
Portable fortune.
H was this fortune that had been the
real stumbling block in the matrimoni-
al gath of Susanna, and not any lack of
attractive qualities in her possession,
for she was not homely, nor was she
anything but charming. The fortune,
however. which was hers from her six
tenth birthday, had developed in her
a fear that men sought her for her
Il f<.,-
having fallen in love with any of her
soszr1iers she did not find it difficult to
resist advances, believing, she did,
that men were mercenary a rule,
and that some day the one man in all
the world for her would appear and
claim her as his own.
However, he did not appear, and he
continued not to appear, until Susanna
had reached an age and a firIDness of
character, to put it mildly, when her for
taDe would have to be at least doubled
To make her as attractive as she was at
fvsez1ty-
This knowledge had come to her
gradually, but was none the less force
full on that account, and she was de-
tsrznined not to let this leap year pass
without results of a lasting character.
Of the men IN her train there were
and any one of whom would have made
q husband any woman could be proud
OF But they were merely friends; not
n Enan-jack of them had ever suggested
such q. thing as matrimony to her, and
possibly this was why she liked them.
So Eerverse is the nature of woman.
Among the half dozen was one who
1puzId the greatest favor in Susanna's
eyes, the others taking their positions
-sd1nr him in regular graduation, and this
sozzs. Susanna selected as her victim for
Lap rear, resolved to try all the others
In Q-ase of failure in the first instance.
Truly, Susanna was a desperate spin
stSr
And no less spry, for in the course of
his 5rst call in the new year she began
her operations. But IL was a dread
fs1Y task and the evening passed with
COZ - single step taken forward. The
effort had been made, however, and
courage always comes with effort.
Nhsn he came again she was so
wrought up over the work before her
that her eyes sparkled and her cheeks
giOvTS-d in rosy color.
Ele. was ten years older than She
md always assumed that bless-my-soul
style affected by elderly men,
Oh thank you, Mr.. Culver she
wv HueaA- l. IN sure you only think So
Leak just as always look"
--OF course, Miss Susanna, only slight
ly more so.'' He smiled, but there was
that IN the tone which had the ring of
zn<zxzznrity, or at least superficial and
society sincerity, which is very nearly
the saxTe thing, and which made Su-
sanHA Giespise the fattery of men that
50 far had meant to her TO dissolution
of tlls continuity of her spinsterhood.
SSr WIS good-natured about it, how
ever and let Mr. Culver go on with what
exsr he had to say, for If there was any
Una2 sSsao could make fiattery any more
pakafabsr TO her than any other man
that man was Mr. Culver. But it was
soof7 over, and when he had fixed him
<eIs comfortably in an easy chair with
which tae was familiar he seemed to
have forgotten whether Susanna looked
Ike a fright or a fairy, and began talk
ing about all sorts of things, as people
do who talk for the mere sake of talk
Ing
AS all events, that's the way it pre-
esDxsA itself to Susanna, and she felt
esprit of desperation slowly creeping
ezser her She took q long breath for en-
enlargement, and tentatively turned
the subject Of conversation upon the
most recent wedding which had &C.
CURED in their circls.
wv hat \ pair of fools thew were and