St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1903-10-24
When Sutton Forged
to- the Front q 4 q

Of them proposed marriage on impulse,
as he did. If so, he would like to know
the circumstances. He is not thus GU
rious through a desire for sympathy.
He does not need sympathy. Mrs. SUIT
ton is 8 woman Of such infinite tact
that she makes him think he is very
happy. Still. when he falls into mood
&C once retrospective and interpretive,
as he Is wont to do when left alone. he
puzzles over the complex existence Of
himself and neighbors.
- Sutton 10 not an impulsive man by
nature, therefore his actions between
three and four p. m. on the I'D OF June,
1897, were all the more inexplicable.
AT three O'Clock on that eventful day he
was writing letter to his friend Hardy
In Boston.
u was 46 years old. yesterday" he
wrote II celebrated the natal day by
renewing my oath never to marry. Old
bache1orhood may entail a certain de-
gree Of loneliness, but that is infinitely
better than the domestic squabbles in
which l see my married friends con-
stantly embroiled. Women are well
enough at a 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. a woman came
in, and he pushed the letter under the
blotter.
Hello, Ruth" he said. "How are
you? I'm glad to see you. Won't you
sit DOWN."
only for few minutes. lam on my
way to Brooklyn, and thought would
stop in and see you as I passed. But I
don't want to bother you see you are
busy"
"Oh, no, I'm not, said Sutton, "Busi-
ness is dull. was just writing letter
to my old friend Hardy. In Boston. was
telling him what think of the ladies"
YES? And what do you Think"
THAT they are all angels. | wish l
could marry them ALL"
"You might find that inconvenient.
But If you really have such Mormonistic
tendencies, you don't seem to be doing
much to crafty them. You don't even
make a start in marrying one"
Sutton grinned. You needn't say
anything" he said. You're the last
person in the world to find fault with a
person on accountsof celibacy. When a
charming woman like Ruth Decker
skins through life to the age of 3d.
Forty corrected Miss Decker Il
was 40 last birthday
well. then. 40. II you must have it So
and refuses to bind herself with conju-
gal ties, she has no right to rebuke an
old sinner like me for plodding along in
single harness"
Miss Decker leaned her elbow on the
desk and rested her chin in her shapely
| hand. But can't help myself" she
said.
Neither can l." said Sutton.
I Eyes, you can help 1t. You can ask
somebody to marry you"
And you can marry somebody who
asks you" @ ss
Miss Decker brought her other palm
to the support of her chin. Nobody
asks me- she said.
THAT is because you give the fel-
lows such scant encouragement. You
shouldn't do it, Ruth, upon my word you
shouldn't. "A nice-looking girl like you
ought to have married long ago. All
nice girls ought to marry"
n"Perhaps they would, remarked Miss
Decker, IF they got chance"
..Oh, that's all nonsense" returned
sutton. '"rhey get the chance. all right
! + don't believe the woman ever lived, nc
matter how ugly and uninteresting, who
did not get at least one offer Of mar
risge. At any rate. I never saw one"
ssYss. you have seen one. was the 10
plt. You see one now. Nobody ever
asked NE to marry him.
Sutton dropped his hah-bantering air
He looked at his caller curiously. oh
come now, Ruth" he said, you cant
expect me to believe that. Why, you are
an unusually popular woman. l don't
want to give you any taffy, but facts are
facts. and Il hope you won't take of1ense
when tell you that you are the very
incest girl ever knew. You are pretty
you are bright. ron are entertaining. Dc
you mean to tell me that q woman o.
your type never had q chance to gel
married? Why, never saw you when
you hadn't pack Of men at your heels. :
Miss Dsckss sighed softly. But they