The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1903-10-02
When Sutton Forged
to the Front q 8 8

CUTTON has never compared notes on
y the subject with the men of his ac-
uuaintance, but he often wonders if any
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 a woman of such infinite tact
that she makes him think he is very
happy. Still, when he falls into mood
at once retrospective and retrospective,
puzzles over the complex existence Of
himself and neighbors.
Sutton is not an impulsive man by
nature, therefore his actions between
three and four p. m. on the 22d 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.
Il was 46 years old yesterday" he
wrote. Il celebrated the natal day by
renewing my oath never to marry. Old
bachelorhood 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 we'll
enough at distance, but when Il 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
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. am on my
way to Brooklyn, and thought would
stop in and see you as I passed But I
don't want to bother you. l see you are
busy"
''Oh. no. I'm not" said Sutton. "Busi-
ness is dull. l 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. 1 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 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 account of celibacy. When a
charming woman like Ruth Decker
skins through life to the age of "a
Forty" corrected Miss Decker. 81
was 40 last birthday"
We'll, then, 40. if you must have it so
and refuses to bind herself with coniu.
gal ties. she has no right to rebuke an
old sinner like me for Flooding along in
single harness"
Miss Decker leaned her elbow on the
desk and rested her chin in her SHAPED,
hand. But 1 can't help myself" she
said.
Neither can l." said Sutton.
Yes, you can help 1t. You can ash
somebody to marry you"
And You can marry somebody WHIT
asks YOU"
Miss Decker brought her other palm
to the support of her chin. "Nobod,
asks me- she said
That is because you give the fel
lows such scant encouragement. Yo,
shouldn't do it. Ruth. upon my word yo,
shouldn't. A nice-looking girl like yo,
ought to have married long ago. AL
nice girls ought to marry
perhaps they would" remarked Mis-
Decker, IF they got chance"
"Oh. that's all nonsense" returne,
Sutton. They get the chance, all right
I don't believe the woman everfived. n,
matter how uR.v and uninteresting, VIII,
did not &C. at least one offer of mar
riage-r AT any rate, never saw one"
.YaS. you have seen one" was tina "a