The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-28
THE MUTABLE MANY
by
ROBERT BARR.
CHAPTER NXNII.
Copyright, isse, BY Robert Barr.

There IL an lhen rTcNhieht Nhh Nv s"u"k
ro,aen Of our land welcome addresses which
,be.rolden youth OF the OPPOSITE sex urge upon
,,sI- cor sideration. nad that a girls happiness
,rsmen,s IN proportiona,e ratio IS the num-
of tie ri proposals. bestowed upon her In
,,sases. This. however. Is merely asippost-
Inn and there arc unfortunately no STATS
III. 10 wli~h a historian. anxious 10 DO a'cu-
,,,r. IN statement. may turn In order to substan-
date or overthrow tsis almost universally heiu
ooinlon. II Is to be regretted that the census
which fathers together In tabrlatcd form so
many Interesting facts pertaining to the race,
gives no attention to this particular subdivis-
lon OF human data; AMI that so far from o'ins
able 10 form any definite estimate OF the ieel-
ins with which a girl welcomes the undouoted
comullment OF q marriage offer. we are left In
the dark as to the average NUMBER OF proposals
woman receives. say. between the ages OF
.venteen and thirty'seven. An inauisitive
government which does not hesitate to ask n
woman every ten years TO set down her are In
black and white seems. strangely enough. TO
shrink from tnduirinE into a vital question on
which the future weli'oeing or nation LARGELY
depends; thus no one can state positively that
matrimonial advances are held In high estima'
ton by their rccipients. clinchine the PROPOSE
lion By r-fer-inG the doubter to Blue BOOK such
snumber AMI such a PAGE.
II beng thus Impossible 20 eeneralize' the
careful writer Is compelled 10 t'll oacK on IN
tividual instances. anu IL must DO net uo"n
that Edna sartweli. so tar from oeihs happy
or elated over the iact that Two young m'n
within one week had asked her to share theIr
varying fortunes walked hurrieoiS oaek 10 INC
school. Allied with terror ana oismaS. oh the
very threshold OF womanhood she han SUD
denly and UNEXPECTEDLY been nrousif race 10
face with a state OF things which MADE her
wish 10 shrink hack Into the untrouoled tran.
guilty OF the life she had hitherto I'D. lheso
,wo disduieting events, following one 30 closely
on the other. doomed up In undue proportion
10 their i'm portancc. aad threatened to over
shadow the future. II seemed an appalling
th,rr that the fac OF two men should be placed
At her disposal: that on her shoulders should
be cast the great responsibility OF deciding. un-
AIDED. . momentous question with far-reaching
consequences. And II tho frst two young men
with whom size became acquainted acted thus.
what was to be expected from the numerous
host she was still likely to mcetr A pathway
,trswn With broken hearts offered no allure
m,n,, TO the feet OF he young traveller. q
M. lived in an atmosphere OF deep signs was
,ptol.r ,ble. The girl was frightened at the
,,,,oot. which WINS nil the more bewildering
b,e,u e only partly understood. 1T Is often
o., i~nportan, to classify your problem as to
,olye n. - her father had once said TO her. hut
olu,ion or classification appeared equally
dnseul, TO her.
Barney had taken his rejection badly. He
made no attemrt TO conceal the fact that his
m. was blirhted; that lie would re-enter the
world n changed man. but herorcally deter
mined IN make the moot out o. the wreck. The
sp.,s-e ruyy.d road that now lay before him,
pnhrIvh,.n.d nv love or human sympathy. he
would walk with grim. II somb-e, resolution :
brushing aside the ,rtyoIItIes OF existence; ret
.i,c his face with su len but logged pers'st-
.rce toward the ch,.rless tourney Of life:
boping for no -ecompense excep, that he might
have tie cor ISOLATION OF knowing lie left the
No-,d A trlfe better for having lived In II.
Inexperienced as she was. Edna could not
help contrasting the actions Of Hore and Mars
ten. rot altogether TO the disadvantage OF tie
latter. There was no question IN her mind
that Marsten had In reality an uphill re nd ,o
tny,l: ret he hi Il gone into no heroic. atom,
Il. AMI he asked nothing but that she Should
remember him. She had oeeu sorry that -h,
co1id give no encorra=iny word to Mar~tNn
ont Barney made her feel someho~ that sh.
vas TO blame IN his case and that 10 was an III
used man. Then, Il was difficult to realize IN,
serious nature or hardship ~ Barncy's futur,
career. when every one knew he had more mouei
than was good for him. Some thought OF thl
see'ned 70 occur IN Barney himself ut the time
~ s''"" ',,er'F anu 'on.'nhp'uo"si' o. u"
wealth. AMI OF how IL Handicapped him: how
ever. he was going to give Il all away when h.
ca-e irto bi. ,rII fo-,,r. ard s.,,, ,bo vol,
Afrrsh. winning his laurelS and what Int
cash would suffice FOR his frugal needs. Will
his good right arm. assisted presumably by bt
main, h-p.lo.. 40 IN a.. ,,,e ,,bi. rob,o 80
- '"O' ''
Iu'lhn u would have teen unfair - oensu-'
him for the possession OF riches he had had n,
hand IN ,c,pmrI,,i,r
:"
rama hurried toward the school. thinking
little NJ the reprimand In store for her. AND
nr,h NJ tho co,,,ory co,s,,to,.. ,,I. -,
w '"'' .h'S "o''a
me ike barney. nee'ied ADVICE. YET had no on'
In whom she might confGc. She thought O
writing ,ulIs IN b.r ,a,b.r ro-.ut.rt,., ~.
- "'"e e
p'omlse 70 'ell h'n everything that troubled
her; lut she shrai.k from the thought almo,
AZ .oonns .. ,ool ,orr &, b.,ut,., p..I,..
-, 20 urn" ~ A' MINI nes'"e
o"h combinations were settled finally AM
forever. so why worry him unnecessarily nbou
. n, bor u,oo, ,.,,.h go. ......
AAA ~ 'Hh III III III