Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1899-11-03

yes"
/ You are looking for husband?"
Il was more looking for the man who
thought he wanted wife,"
Are you prepared to marry at once q
"Oh, dear! that depends"
upon what, madame"
! Why, the man, of course"
J DO you want money!"
/ "Oh, no, indeed. l could easily sup
| port husband"
"a protectors"
Mot Bit"
IAN adviser?"
"If / did, surely know better than
to marry a lawyer"
"Ever married beforeP"
mo, sir"
"Been deserted, betrayed, anything
of that"
| "Never."
Stanton changed the subject.
Want to be sure of having Mrs on
your tombstone?"
Not unless I've given 1t good trial
first on my visiting cards."
II don't believe that you really want
a husband at all"
This was a mistake. Stanton saw II
IN an instant; but It was too late, for the
lady had seen 1t. toe, aud taken adyan-
tage Of 1t,
"lsnttt because you don t really want
awife at all. yourself-a real wife2"
"Practtcally, perhaps"
"And yet you must marry?"
"Before midnight, tonight"
You are q lawyer?"
II am"
You look like an honest man."
Il try to be, so far as it is compatible
with my profession"
You surely wouldn't Intentionally
wrong woman?"
mo, madam"
You are in some legal tangle that
can be settled only by your having a
| wife at once?"
Precisely"
You want her for specific purpose,
and then you have no further use for
her?"
"Yes,"
what do you propose to do with her
thenq"
II supposed that such an advertise
ment would call out individuals to
whom large sum Of money would be
ample compensation for the services re-
CURED"
You propose to pay her to act as
your legal wife, TO meet some law, and
then tn Siplr In o1>1ip;o,,
II imagine that such an arrange
ment would be pleasanter than the
possession of husband without
money, to some women"
"Pleasanter than the possession of
some husbands and their weight In
DIAMONDS to any woman"
'1Than myself, for example. Yes,
madam"
But it's not high grade of court
ship, is it?"
mo, madam"
And you don't expect to secure a
woman worthy to be a Wife"
No, madam"
You know that You are casting
pearls before swine, yet you seem to
ignore the possibility that they will
trample them under their feet and turn
again and rend YOU"
Possibly ] had not thought far
enough into the future"
"Surely you'd not respect the wom-
an who sold her life to the bondage of
wife without husband, in exchange
for your gold?"
Il should hardly need to respect her"
would you respect yourself, moving
about as man in the world, with a
woman of whom you were ashamed liv-
ing somewhere as your legal wife?"
Stanton had reached point Of des-
peration. He rose from his chair as he
replied:
madam, your line OF argument is
correct. l appreciate it and agree with
1t; but don't carry it on any further for
moment. or you will shake me from
my position, when, perhaps, 1 had bet
ter not be shaken. Allow me briefly to
lay before you the incidents and argu-
ments which brought ine to act as did.
Possibly you may agree with me. At
least | am convinced that I shall value
your opinion"
The story was told, and came to an
end with a sigh and the remark:
Il vowed last night that, if l could
prevent it, Richard Raymond should
not have the property. The possibility
at reaching some one through such an
advertisement presented itself. sim
ply realized that, with no desire to
marry, l was sacrificing nothing, and
hoped to find woman similarly stu
ated, to whom an abundance of money
would be blessing sufficiently appre-
ciated."
The lady's eyes had lost their sparkle,
but not their fire. Her lips had lost
their color and their smile and curves
of scorn. They were firmly pressed to-
gether, and there were strength and
character in them.
Sir" she said, hardly above a whis-
per, you really have no right to place
such q condition before woman and
ask her Judgment. By nature she is
turned too easily to sympathy or preiu-
dice IN ha ha1l q.