Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-11-12

AAtiAL L10SC OA 1llpuiSC, tS lie
did. If so, he would like to know
tie circumstances. He is not thus
curious through desire for sympathy.
He does not need sympathy. Mrs. Sut-
tor is a woman Of such infinite tact
that she makes him think he is very
happy. Still. when he falls into Il
mood at once retrospective and intro
Spcctiye, as he is wont to do when left
alone, he puzzles over the complex ex-
iSTence Of himself and neighbors.
Sutton is not an impulsive man by
nature, therefore his actions between
:; and p. m., on the 22d Of June 1897,
were all the more inexplicable Al 3
O'Clock on that eventful day he was
writing a letter to his friend Hardy in
Boston.
Il was forty-si years old yesterday
he wrote. Il celebrated the natal day
by renewing my oath never to marry.
Ola bachelorhood may entail certain
desee Of loneliness, but that is infinite
~ better than the domestic sQuabbles
IN which l see my married friends
constantly embroiled. Women are we'll
enough at distance, but when it
comes to taking one of them for a
wife,
Sutton stopped to study out the most
convincing way to wind up his sen
tence. AS he pondered, woman came
i'll, and he pushed the letter under the
blotter
Hello. Euth.' he said. Glow are
r!a TO
sin down.
Only for few minutes. I am on
Ivy way to Brooklyn and thought
would stop in and see you as passed.
Fat / don't want to bother you. l see
you arc busy"
"ch, no, I'm not" said Sutton. "Busi-
hess is dull. I was just writing let
ter to my friend Hardy. in Boston.
was telling him what think OF the
lasiies.'
Yes And what do you think?''
'',Ihat they are all angels. 1 wish
ceuld marry them all''
You might find that inconvenient
But if you really have such Mormon
istic tendencies. you don't seem to be
even make start by marrying one"
Sutton grinned. You needn't say
auything," he said. You're the last
person in the world to find fault with
person on account Of celibacy. When
charming woman like Ruth Decker
SKINS through life to the age Of thirty
fOur-"
Oh
W"s forty my last birthday"
Well. then. forty. if you must have
II SO, and refuses to bind herself with
ronlugal ties, she has no right to re-
huke an old sinner like me for ploddinS
along in single harness.
Miss Decker leaned her elbow on the
Gesz and rested her chin in her snapely
land. But can't help myself she
>aid.
Neither can l." said Sutton.
Yes, you can help it. You can ask
somebody to marry you"
And you can marry somebody who
ASKS you"
Miss Decker brought her other palm
I" the support OF her chin. Nobody
"SN& me- she said.
That is because you give the fellows
Soch scant encoura cement. Yoy
shouldn't do il, Ruth, upon my wore
S'o shouldn't A nice-looking girl IKE
YOU ought to have married long ago
Az nice girls ought to marry
ierilaps they would reslaike.
N''ss decker, IF they got chance"
oh. that's all nonsense returned
sutton. They get the. chance. al
'sht don't believe the woman eve
l''ed' no matter how ugly and unin
resting. who did not get at least on
''lef OF marriage. At any rate, neve
saw one
1fs, you have seen one,'' was III
'Vp!S' You see one now. Nobod
VIZ asked NE to marry him.
'n.ton dropped his -bantering all
lle looked at his caller curiously. 20!
>''lie now, Ruth," he said. "you can
eIDsct me 20 believe that Why, 20
iH an unusually popular woman.
.'i , want TO give you any taffy. bu
.'S arc facts, and I hope you won
~' ehcnse wien tell you that 20