Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1896-03-06

- N ssSs5A NIT her to re-
(SSs (S~Ses main q spinster
True. she ha been one 50 long it
would seem that she should have be-
como accustomed to it; but by some
strange fatality women, that is, the
majority 0; women, never accept their
lot in this form with that calm resig-
nation and beautiful Christian spirit
which has won for them the endearing
title of the gentler sex.
And Susanna Morton had put up
with it just as long as she was CO.
ing to.
Four leap years had passed her by,
and she la submittel gracefully, but
each wear less gracefully than she had
dono the year previously, AMI there
we're 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 Cupil in her own hands and
drive that hlrum -scarum little rascal
in manner to suit herself. She knew
her good Hoints, one of which was that
she was thirty-fve years old or there
abouts, and possessed a poise and bal
ance no man who was looking for a
real sensible woman as vile could
affird to disregard. In addition to
this she had-what men seldom disre-
gard-a comfortable fortune.
It was this fortune that had been the
real stumbling block in the matrimon-
ial path OF Susanna, and not any lack
OF attractive qualities in her posses
sion, for she was not omely, nor was
she ANYTHING but charming. The for
tune. however, which was hers from
her sixteenth birthday, had developed
in her fear that men sought her 1oI
her money and not for herself, and,
never having fallen in love with any OF
her courtieys che did not find 1t din
calt to resist advances, believing, as
she did, that men were mercenary
Wretches as rule, an | that some day
the one man in al the world for hel
would appear aud claim her as hi
own. =,
However, be did not appear, ana III
continued not to appear, NATL susan
ma had reached an age AMI hrmneS
OF character, to put it mildly, wnei
her rtortune would have to be at leas
doubled to make her as attractive a
she was at twenty.
This knowledge had come to he
gradually, but was none the less force
Julspa th4t account. and she was de
termined not to let this leap year pas
without results of lasting character
Qs the men in her train there wer,
perhaps half o dozen who were ellgl
bic, and any one OF whom would hav
made IusbSnd any woman could D
proud df. Bat they ware merely
friends; not man jack OF them ma.
ever suggested such thing as matri
mony to her, Nnd, possibly, this wa
why she liked them. SO perVerse II
the nature Of woman.
Among this half dozen was one VIII
found the greatest favor IN Susanna
ewes, the Others taking their position
after him in regular graduation an'
this one Susanna selected as her VIC
tim for leap year, resolved to try al
the others in case OF failure IN IN
first instance.
spinster. -,
And no less spry, for in the c0urs
OF his first cal in the new year she be
gan her operations. But it was
dreadful task, and the evening passe
without single step taken forward
The effort had been made, however
and courage always comes with enor'
When he came again, she was
wrought up over the WORK Dei9r
her that her. eyes sparkled onI he
cheeks glowel in rosy color;
"WbV bless my soul, Miss Su'
anna" he said, chow pretty you 100
this evening"
He was Zen. years older than she
and alwaysassumed that bless-my-soT
stvle affected by elderly men. :,
.Oh. thank YOU, Mr.. Culver" sh
twittered. "I'm sure You only thin
so. I look just as always iooA'
"Of course, Miss Susanna, onl
slightly more 50, he smiled but Sd thsI tG
was that in the tone which hal tn
ring ng Of insinoerity, or at least s1,p super
ticial and society sincerity wn'ch
yery nearly the same thing, an whic
ma ie Susanna despise the fattery
",, +hot go far had meant to her n
dissolution Of the continuity OF he
spinsterhood.
She was good naturei about it, how
ever, and LEI Mr.. Culver go on wit
whatever he had to say. for il ther
was any man who could make fatter
auv more paIatable to her than an
other man, that man was Mr.. Culver
But it was soon over, and when
b.d fxed himself comfortably ID Z