The suburban citizen., 1900-06-30
CUT OUT FOR AN OLD MAID.


age and all the rest younger. 1 treat
ed them all patronizingly. They
hadn't any sense yet, and that ac-
counted for me being such favorite--
at least l could not help thinking so
for all the older heads fought shy
Of me.
Well, they say all girls think about
matrimony more or SIS. l guess
must have thought less about it, for /
never thought anything about it until
now. And now that l did give it
thought, / examined the subject thor
oughly and became convinced that my
mothers words were true. l was cut
out for an old maid. 1t was strange,
too. There were men whom l wor-
SHIPPED from afar-but what was the
use of talking-they were likely to re-
main afar.
So l saw no help for 1t. In a few
years more l would be laid upon the
shelf, but my thoughts didn't stop on
the shelf, they carried me down the Wis
! Ia of years, and saw a woman with a
face looking like vinegar! Why my
ideas of the poor, prosecuted sex,
known as old maids, are associated
with vinegar l cannot tell. But l did
see that woman's face and it did look
like vinegar and she had with her
the two institutions of old maiddom-
cat and a parrot, and that woman
was l.
Suddenly my hands few to my sides
! 81,
For goodness sake, Maud, what
are you laughing at?" said Jessie, en-
tering the room, followed by Charlie
Morse
"Oh, Jessie" 1 cried, 'if you could
only see the picture tnat saw just
now you would laugh, too"
Next morning l came down stairs
rather late.
Here comes Maud now" l heard
my mother say. My dear" said my
mother to me, as 1 entered the break
fast room, "do you know this gentle
man"
A man between thirty and thirty
five years, very tall, with great, wide
shoulders, his handsome face bronzed
and bearded, rose to meet me.
looked at the gentleman and shook
my head slowly in answer to my moth
ers question.
80 you don't remember me,
MaudT"
The bronzed gentleman laughed as
he spoke, showing his teeth and eyes
to advantage-and why didn't know
him at once? 1t was Clarence Arnold.
What a mistake had made when
speaking of him to Jessie! l lost sight
of the fact that l wasn't quite fifteen
when Clarence went away, and he
was four or five-and-twenty, and
never thought about the intervening
years. 1 expected to see Clarence as
he left us, about four-and-twenty still.
Goodness me alivew l exclaimed,
on the impulse Of the moment, II
thought you were ever so much young
err"
Did you, indeed|' he said smiling,
but there was such a grave expression
in the black eyes that were always
dancing with merriment in those days
gone by.
l looked over at Jessie She was
looking straight at me, and as soon
as our eyes met we both burst out
laughing.
Clarence's grave black eyes were
still upon me. OF course he didn't
know what we were laughing at and
it must have looked charming. But,
then, TINT was what l always did. i
laughed when l ought not to laugh,
said what 1 ought not to have said,
and / came to the conclusion long ago
that there was no help for me.
People said hadn't a spark of com
mon sense. Now, 1 begged leave to
differ with them-that is, in my own
mind, for ! wouldn't satisfy them to
discuss the question openly. thought
l was very sensible, only somehow /
never could show it like other girls.
Now, saw at once that Clarence
was different from the young men
with whom l was constantly sur
rounded. He had sowed his wild oats,
and that was the sort Of man / ad-
mired But, then, 1t was no use for
me to let my thoughts run in that di-
rection, for Clarence must have
formed his opinion Of me at our first
meeting, and forever after, supposed,
like all the rest Of the sensible men,
he would wish me well-at distance.
One evening shortly after Clarence's
arrival we girls had our heads to-
gether plotting mischief. /, as usual,
had the leading voice. Clarence and
my brother Tom were present. We
didn't mind them, as they were part
of the family.
"Maud, don't take part in such fool
ishness. You ought to have better
sense"
That was what Clarence said to me
when he saw a part Of our nonsense.
His grave, black eyes were upon me,
and he spoke very seriously, thought.
Well, perhaps l ought to have better
sense, but what business was 1t of
Clarence Arnolds? Why didn't he
speak to Jessie, In whom he seemed
to be so highly interestedl
Yes, Clarence was interested In Jes-