The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1896-03-05
A HOLIDAY TRAGEDY.

solute necessity For many years it wac
nv proud boast that was able to dis
pense with feminine aid and yet live
very enjoyable life, as, with clockwork
regularity, I went from my bachelor
lodgings to business each morning. re-
turning in the afternoon and spending
the evening at the club or some place
of amusement. The idea of having a
lady companion in my rambles never
entered my head.
True, my landlady-good old soul
prepared my meals and cleaned my
rooms, but that was because l had not
time to do it myself, and manservant
was beyond my means. But in all else l
dispensed with woman's aid. Boot
cleaning, sewing buttons on, lighting
the fire, etc. were all done with my
own hands-nay, at pinch | have even
washed pocket handkerchief.
I desired to stand forth as a living
example of the original Adam and
proof of the superfiuity of the modern
Eve But my misguided companions re-
fused to profit by my teachings or to fol
low my example. One by one they fell
under female influence, one by one they
married, and then-I cut them dead
All, me, those free bohemian days were
happy ones, as year after year pursued
my adopted course in spite of the con-
tinual falling off of my comrades Then
came time when my circle of acquaint-
ances had decreased SO considerably that
/ began to feel lonely. Bachelor chums
were more difficult to find than ever.
To loneliness succeeded melancholy, and
l grew miserable and pessimistic.
One friend, to whom l laid bare my
woes, said:
"You keep to yourself too much.
What you ought to do is to lodge with
some family where there are two or
three grown up daughters. They would
wake you up bit
This, to me, the hitherto ideal advO-
cate of an Eveless Eden! And yet,
after the advice had been rendered sew
eral times, [ began to think that such
a change might be beneficial. Such a
course need not involve the rendering
up of my tenets; but, as woman still
formed part of the world, she might
at least contribute to my amusement.
So, after very serious consideration, l
decided to seek fresh apartments, with
light society thrown in.
Now my troubles commenced. l
could not make the direct inquiry,
"Have you any grown up daughters. "
So I generally viewed the rooms, listen
ing to the landlady's verbiage, settled
the rent, and then casually asked,
"Have you any children and the re-
ply would be: Eyes, four 'five,' or
six (as the case might be); "the
eldest is 10 years old and the youngest
two months. But they are as good as
gold and never make bit of noise"
The numberless journeys I made and
the many desultory conversations I lis
tened to were all to no purpose. No one
appeared to possess grown up daughters
the eldest was always 10. Just when
/ was about to abandon my search, for
tune-or was it fate?-led me to Myrtle
Villa, Paradise gardens, Upper Dull
witch. The door was opened by vision
of loveliness, faultlessly dressed, and
with bright blue eyes and golden hair.
Newly married." thought 1. "Well,
here at least the eldest won't be ten I"
She invited me in, and then disap-
peared, middle aged lady entering
directly after. We proceeded to discuss
terms. Then came the inevitable in
quiry as to children.
Il have two grown up daughters, the
younger of whom opened the door to
you"
At last! Need I say that, within
week, l was installed in Myrtle Villa?
The landlady, widow, was genial,
homely woman, and the youngest
daughter, Annie, aged %, I have al
ready described, but the other daughter,
Julia, did not impress me favorably.
She was neither good looking nor pleas
ing, and, without being exactly bad
tempered, always insisted upon having
her own way
now seemed to be in a new world
My boots bore brilliant luster each
morning without my aid, and my slip
pers were laid ready for me in the even
ing, and as for lending me a needle and
cotton-the idea If would only leave
them outside, they would only be too
happy.
no longer needed to seek relaxation
at the club after the labors of the day.
Julia played the piano we'll, her only
nj ich xrhi1o
vinely, and thus the evenings passed all
too quickly. Male acquaintance they
did not seem to possess. Yet, stay, there
was one-a Mr.. Malcolm, whose name /
frequently heard mentioned, but as his
calls were always made in the daytime
I never saw him. had rapidly passed
into that condition of mind which raised
feeling of jealousy ON his account, so
one day I questioned my landlady on
the subject.
"Oh, he's very old friend of ours.
Once we thought he would have pro-
posed to Julia, but nothing came Of it. 4"
So time went pleasantly on, and then
how can l confess it?-my lifelong
creed was thrown to the winds, my
proud ambition humbled in the dust,
and l became willing slave to the sex
! mad so long despised and ignored. My
only thought now was how and in what
words should beseech my darling An
ME to become my wife. Time after time
Twas on the point of speaking, but Julia
always turned up at the critical mo-
ment.
One evening Julia announced that a
week thence she had an engagement to
play at concert. Then burst upon me