Evening journal., 1899-08-07
HIS BID FOR A WIFE.

Talk about anything you like, but for
goodness sake don't tell me you love me"
she said, holding up her fan TO stiiie yawn.
But | can't help loving you" said the
young man, sadly.
Then don't show it,"
The young man was silent. From the adj
joining ballroom came the strains Of the
last thing in waltzes II struck him that
after all the Green Hungarians were decid-
edly overrated.
Il didn't ask you to sit like mummy"
she remarked, at length IF you have
nothing to talk about you had better take
me back to the ballroom"
"I beg your pardon, l am sure" he began,
"but you put me in a trying position. My
mind is full of one subject and one subject
only, and am not allowed to talk about it."
'Trhen undoubtedly gathered her
skirts together-''we had better 60 back to
the ballroom. To be depressed is almost
worse than to be bored.'
"No; please don't go" he said; "at least
not till have asked you one question"
''What?" she said, yawning this time with
out any attempt at concealment.
Il want 70 know" he said, "if there is
really nothing l can do that viii make you
alter your felings toward me-"
II am afraid not" she said, a smile curv-
| ing her red lips. "You see you are-well,
you-nothing could make you any different,
nothing. You are, l admit goodlooldng,
well-dressed, sufficiently wealthy to be able
to keep me in the state TO which / am ac-
customed but then so are plenty OF other
men, all just as much in love with me as you
say you are Why should choose you in
preference to the restY
lie was silent. The haclneyed retort that
he loved her better than these other men,
was, he well knew, out Of place on such an
occasion. It would have only excited her
ridicule.
NO" she continued, tapping her fan
against her skirts, you see my argument is
unansweranie. Only if it is any satisfaction
to you it applies equally to the others as to
= yourself. There is no reason why l shouidn. {
marry any one Of you On the other hand,
. there is equally no reason why should. Un.
der the circumstances l prefer to remain as
3 am"
"But you will marry some day."
"Perhaps-it depends If | do l shal
marry a man not in the least like any Of you
:, Anyone can be well dressed and good
: looking and sufficiently rich. Those three
. The man | marry must be all that and some
4 thing more. / want a man who is man
( not mere taior's dummy, OF even reason
4 ing machine. We hive in a very artificia
age, when people pen up their emotions an'
{ have no higher craving than to be Away
considered good form. The man l woul'
4 like to marry should be cast in quite dii
, ferent mold He must have done something
n TO testify his manhood; shown me something
OF the strength. that is in him. In an ag
! when heroism is fast becoming extinct
should like to marry a hero; Ike that ma
4 in India the papers are so full Of this morn
j ing. or that policeman who held two bur
= glars at bay in some suburb or other for hal
h an hour. If prize-fghting had not degcnel
ated into a mere method Of making the mas
imum Of money with the minimum of excl
. ton believe l should have liked to marry
, prize-fghter, whose stakes had been not
!. belt or purse or anything Of that sort, br
!, a real, living woman.
y "And risked society declining the acquain
ance of you susband?
"Ah. that is the worst Of 1t. Nowadays
seems a man cannot be virle without beir
.s = a cad and a bully at the same time. Brui
I, strength always seems to lead to brute fore
Still there must be cases Of men who have u
y one without the other, who are strong witl
q out being violent. All, If only l could hn
III onel Why aren't men like that now!'
at is surely more a question Of opportu
ity than anything else" said the young ma.
meditatively. Every man does not get u
~ chance of risling his life for the woman
~ loves. Plenty Of us would take such a cham
gladly if it occurred
u don't know" she said, rising.
Il "But / am certain Of it." he replied, ofe
ing her his arm.
There is only one thing odo," he though
7n as he walked home two hours later I'D
az blaze Of early sunlight, "the opportuni
&c must be found
Before his home was reached he h
ne thought Of the way. He would force
as opportunity that so many waited for, al
pc which never came. The money that won
support a wife should win her as well
No
sW A week later people turning out Of t
he park one sweltering afternoon were hor
n fed TO see a hanson cab, the horse Of viii
had evidently bolted, dash iuriousy past I
corner and on up Piccadilly. Following
be with their eyes up the hill they saw It, All
an escaping by some extraordinary chance
a. Vulnerable collisions, at length came tc
sudden and violent stop, while down
en- wind came r0czd after round Of hear
cheering.
- What actually happened, according 20 I
evidence Of bystanders was this: The CT
which contained young lady Of great p
sonal attractions, was heading straight
r..-........t ~. tl,o r.t,111o of fho ro