Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-06-16
The Fittest Survives
by j. II. CONNOLLY.

aAoI Inv tithN IA ~ ~
prudence of handicapping yourself
with "A wife at this time. You are just
starting in life, without business or
even a profession, and only $1,000 be-
tween o and the cold, cold world
YoG have plenty of time. There will
always be as many girls as there are
n~ow-probably more if the statistics
of Increase of population are correct
an l as your capital increases selection
will be easier and choice lots in the
matrimonial market more readily at
tainable."
VI don't believe you are talking
from your heart, Jack"
IL am talking horse sense for you
just now anyway. Why, man alive!
You just out of college and talking of
marriage! 1t is madness"
ut would be worse madness for me
to let slip the chance for happiness
that L have now and wear my heart
out afterward with longing and vain
regret"
''Oh, well, if the ease is so bad as
that | have nothing more to say. Who
is she? Some unsophisticated Cam
bridge flower who has been training
on freshmen and sophomores since she
began wearing pinaforcs?"
mo, Jack. She is SO far away from
that field you cannot nettle me by
any such chaff. l have no objection
TO telling you who she is. The girl L
propose to maTdy is Miss lrma VIII
marth of New York.
John Latham DOL his cigar from
his lips, his jaw dropped, he sat up
straight and stared at his companion
as he echoed:
stI,.nn lNi1D,nrfh nf Nau Nnrl ~
Eyes. Have you any objections?
Your amazement is very funny, but [
don't know whether it is compliment
airy or not"
Daughter of Richard Wilmarth the
big banker?"
IL believe SO, though / don't know
much about him"
"Why, great Scott, Chester, he is
worth ten millions and she is his only
child"
We'll, j don't see that that is any
thing against the girl"
perhaps not, but it may be some
thing against you getting her. DO you
suppose old Wilmarth will let his
daughter marry a man whose capital
is only about $1,000? Not much"
Don't neglect to keep before your
minds eye that it is the daughter l
propose to marry and not the old
man."
you propose, yes; but what will he
dispose"
Whatsoever seemeth good unto
him, / suppose. That which he will
do, if he is sensible, is to say to us,
Bless you, my children clinch the
blessing with a substantial check, and
when we get back from a bridal tour
in Europe put me into business. Oh,
I'm willing to work, Jack. I'm not
scheming to marry a rich girl that |
may live an idle drone aftcrward. i
wouldn't think of marrying Irma if
i didn't love her"
"No. l don't suppose you would.
But you may make your mind up to 1T
that the old man will think out some
pretty little program not at all like
that you have arranged for him.
"Well, then we will marry without
his consent. | car support a wife. 1t
would he n pity if | could not after
the education l have received"
"Ah, Chester, my dear boy, don't
overestimate the value of your col
legiate training. If you can afford to
sit down to a new course of studies
for two, three or five years, to give
you practical fitness for one of the
professions, and hen wait for bust
ness to make your knowledge re-
munerative, what you have already
learned and the formed habit of ac-
quiring knowledge will help you. But,
old fellow, very little of what you
have had stuffed into your head at
Harvard will aid you much until you
have put a practical handle to 1T.
Some newspapers, / understand, af-
ford employment to college graduates
by preference, mainly because they
dress well and are cheap; but you can
hardly expect to support Trina Will
marth upon what you could earn in
that way"
swell, even if a fellow doesn't go in
for a profession, Greek and Latin will
not do him much harm, anyway"
That's the best that can be said for
them" retorted John, dryly. German
and Spanish would do him a blamed
sight more good"
The young men smoked in silence
for several minutes, each submerged
in his own reflections. Finally Ches-
ter remarked ina tone of insistence:
'The old fellow may as well accept
the inevitable gracefully"
Nobody is more likely to do so
when he is convinced that there is
nothing else to be done"
Trina will do that, even if / can
not"
by the way, how did you ever be-
come acquainted with her?"
II met her at her cousins in Boston,
where she was visiting. 1t was a case
of love at first sight for both of u.s."
Sand you feel quite sure of her?"
"Sure of her! AS / do Of myself.
All, John, the pure love and glorious
fidelity of girls like Irma Willmarth
are the redemption of our sordid, sin
stained race, the illumination Of our
souls which enables us to conceive
what the angels are like"
LET us go to dinner"