The Monticellonian., 1903-09-24
When Sutton Forged to the Front 4 4 @

\ ] the subject With the men Of hls ac- quaintance, 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 cu- rious through a desire for sympathy. He does not need sympathy. Mrs. Sut- ton is a woman of such infinite tact that she makes him think he is very happy. Still. when he falls into a mood at once retrospective and introspective as he is wont to do when left alone, he puzzles over the complex existence of himself and neighbors.
 Sutton is not an impulsive man by nature. therefore his actions between three and four D. m. on the 22d of June, 1897. were all the more inexplicable. At three o'clock on that eyentful day he was writing a letter to his friend Hardy In Boston.
 T was 46 years old yesterday" he wrote. 'I celebrated the natal day by renewing my oath never to marry Old bacheiorhood nay entail a certain de- gree of loneliness. but that is infinitely better than the domestic squabbles in which 1 see my married friends con- stantly embroiled. Womens are well 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. a woman came in. and he pushed the letter under the blotter
 Hello. Ruth," he said How are yon9 I'm glad to see you. Won't you sit down?''
 Only for few minutes am or my way to Brooklyn. and thought would stop in and see you as passed. But don't want to bother you. see you are busy"
 "Oh, no I'm not" :" said Sutton "Busi- ness is dull. I was just writing a 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 could marry them all
 You might find that inconvenient tendencies, you don't seem to be doing much to gratify 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 account of eelibaey When a charming woman like Ruth Decker skins through life to the age of 34-"
 Forty" corrected Miss Decker. q was 70 last birthday"
 Well. then, 40. If 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 shapeIy hand But I cant help myself" she said.
 Neither can L" said Sutton.
 'Yes, you csn help 1t. You can ask somebody to marry you"
 And you can marry somebody who asks you
 Miss Decker brought her other palm to the support of her chin. Nobody asks me" she said.
 htiA IS bSNouSO 1Ou ElNt lue Iel- 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"
 Perhaps they would" remarked Miss Decker, If they got chance"
 "Oh. that's ali nonsense" returned Sutton. They get the chance. all right I don't believe the woman ever lived. no matter how ugly and uninteresting, who did not get at least one offer of mar riage. At any rate. I never saw one"
 "Yes, you have seen one" was the re- ply. You see one now. Nobody ever asked me to marry him"
 Sutton dropped his half-bantering air He looked at his caller euriously. "Oh come now. Ruth he said. you can't expect me to believe that. Why, you arc an unusually popular woman. I don' want to give you any taffy. but facts arc facts, and I hope you won't take offenst when l tell you that you are the very incest girl I ever knew. You are pretty you are bright, you are entertaining. Dc you mean to tell me that a woman O. your type never had chance to ge married? Why. never saw you wheI you hadn't pack Of men al your heels.
 Miss Decker sighed softly. But the.