The southern sentinel., 1903-10-30

0e to Uar5 Aim
sutton dfopped biz half fbanterine x,
ue rocked ct his caller curiously. .0h
come now. Ruth. he said. you Can't
expect me TO believe that. Whv. vom.,s
en unusually popular woman. / don't
want 70 ave you any taffy, but Facts a.
lscts. ana hope you won't take offense
1nen tell you that you are the very
incest girl ever knew. You are pretty.
you are bright, you are entertaining. Do
you mean to tell me that woman OF
your type never had chance to ket
married? Why. never saw you when
you nadnt 2 pack Of men at your heels. I"
MISS Decker sighed softly. "But they
u,dn mean anything" she said. They
liked me well enough up to certain
point, but they never wanted to marry
me. 1t is sober fact that nobody ever
wanted to do that"
euteon's guardian angel gave him 4
tremendous push and he fell forward
precipitately. you are wrong there
ne said. Somebody has wanted to
marry you"
He never told me So"
your" 49,
I don't know. 1t would depend upon
the man."
What would you say II told you."
MISS Decker screamed In subdued
tones. your" she said.
sutton nodded. "Yes," he said. 'T'm
the fellow"
MISS Decker jumped to the halfway
point between laughter and tears. and
tnere she halted. ''It seems 50
strange." she said. 81 can hardly be-
heve You mean it. We have known
each other so long. We have been
together SO much. We have talked
OF % many things. but-we never
talked this way before. You never
did anything to make me think that
that you"
sutton took another unpremeditated
leap. That" said he. was because
! am such q slow-goer-such an idiot
| wanted to ask you all right. but /
was too confoundedly backward" y
Miss Decker spread her palms out on
the blotter and left her chin to take
care OF itself. Sutton came to its
assistance. .Now that have forged
to the front like q man." he said.
what are you going to say to me?''
THAT I am glad you forged to the
front"
At four o'clock Mis- Decker resumed
her journey to Brooklyn. Sutton es-
corted her as far as the elevator.
When he came back he paused before
his desk moodily.
Well. SIR" he said, .'if this isu't
the darnedest mess ever got mixed
up in-"
Then he took Hardy's letter from
beneath the blotter.
~ celebrated the natal day by re-
newing my oath never to marry" he
read. And ! wrote that just one hour
ago. ! can't send it now. I'll have
to write another letter."
Then he wrote: my dear Darnley:
have news for you. am going to get
married. have got sick and tired Of
living alone. ('That's . lie.' he COM
mented. but I'll have to let It go.1 and
have decided to seek companionship In
matrimony. have been in love with
my intended wife for many years q
honestly believe that II sol. but have
foolishly delayed my happiness unttl
now. We are going to be married next
month. hope you will come on to
the wedding"
ira Hike to know" said Sutton. - he
reread the letter. III really have
wanted to marry Ruth all this time. or
II felt sorry for the poor girl on ac-
count Of her frank confession that she
was the exception that proved my rule?
Anyway. I hope 1t win turn out all
right"
And It has turned out al right. but
even 50 Sutton sometimes wonders II
other men do the - a. suddenly a.
he did.-N. Y. Timex