The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-10-26
NEVER INTEND TO MARRY.
1HE AIM USING DENOUEM ENT OF SOME OF THE TOWS
That are Made to Celihacy.

It seems almost incredible in an az
 of romance that there should exist peo
 Die who, of their own free will, ente into compact never to marry, and ye it is fact that there are to-day hun
 dreds of celibates who are pledged t shun the altar.
 There is occasionally a sufficient ant
 honorable reason for this foreswearin
 of natrimony. Not long ago the Worl
 was startled at hearing that a wei known and wealthy old bachelor hat left the whole of his fortune, amount ing to over three hundred thousant no way connected with him by blood to the indignation and disappointment of his own kith and kin.
 The explanation of this singular be quest revealed pathetic story of loy- atty In early life the testator and the lady, then girl of remarkable beauty and gifts, had fallen in love with eacf other, and were on the eve of marriage when they learned for the first time that the brides father had died insane and that there was a strong taint of in sanity in her family.
 1 So deeply was she affected by this discovery, and so fearful of transmit ting this taint of insanity to her chill dren, that she declared she would nev- CT marry; and, after much vain plead- ing with her, her lover had to abandon all hopes of ever making her his wife. In loyalty to her he took a VOW that he, too, would not marry.
 At the same time he made a will, leaving the whole of his vast estate to the girl who. under happier conditions, would have been his wife.
 compact of this kind was made some years ago by two trusty friends in Leeds, each of whom had experienced the fickleness of a maids affection. For some years the compact was kept, until one of the parties to it fell vic- tim to cupid again, and after a more or less feeble resistance led a bride to the altar.
 To ease his conscience on the we'd ding day he sent a telegram to his friend, who was then living in London: Married to-day; very sorry to break compact" Within two hours he re- ceived this amazing answer: Don't mention 1t; l was married last week"
 An agreement of the same kind made between the four orphan daugh- ters of Birmingham professional man came to a similar unromantic ending. The eldest sister had made an unhap- py marriage, and her experience had so alarmed her sisters that they vowed they would remain single, club their slender resources and live and die old maids together. If any one of them violated the agreement her share of the small fortune was to be forfeited to the remaining unmarried sisters.
 But cupid was not to be so easily tricked, for after three years of eelibate life the younger sister broke her VOW and married. Within two years more Nos. ? and 3 had followed suit, and the remaining sister enjoyed the whole of the small estate in single blessedness.
 But at last the contagion reached and restored to each of the sisters the share she had forfeited.
 An amusing case came year ago before a SiIesian court of law A gen. tleman, called Nelson. an invetarate hater of matrimony, left twenty thou sand kroner to his valet, and similar sum to his cook, on condition that if either should marry his or her share should be forfeited to the other. He had scarcely been laid in his grave be fore the valet and the cook became man and wife, thus combining the leg acies.
 When the news of this defiance of MT. Nielson's will reached his relatives they demanded the restitution of the forty thousand kroner, and the dispute was taken to court. The valet contend ed that he and his wife had had strict ly carried out the testator's intentions, for on their marriage he had trans ferred his legacy to his wife, and she by transferring hers to him, The court, however, was not convinced by this spacious pleading, and the val ct and cook had to mako the best of married life without the forty thou sand kroner. Occasionally these com- pacts lead to gratifying and unexpect- ad results, as in the case where three brothers agreed to remain single all their lives, and on their death to leave heir fortunes to the survivors. This agreement was carried out to the letter, with the result that some years ago, he last surviving brother, when he lied. left the combined fortune, amounting to upwards of one hundred l pounds, to his native town Tit Bits.