The Forrest City times., 1903-09-25
When Sutton Forged
to the Front 4 4 4

CUTTON has never compared notes on
y the subject with the men Of his ac-
qDaintance. but he often wonders II any
Of them proposed marriage on impulse.
rs he did. II so, he would ike TO know
the circumstances He is not thus Gu
rious through a desire for sympathy
He does no, need sympathy. Mrs. SUIT
ton Is woman OF such infinite tact
that she makes him think be is very
happy. Still. when he falls into a mood
H once retrospective and interpretive,
rs be is wont 10 do when left alone. he
puzzles over the complex existence Of
himself and neighbors
Sutton is not an inpulsive man By
nature. therefore his actions between
three and four p. N. on the 22o of June,
1897. were all the more inexplicsble
At three o'clock on that eventful day he
was writing q letter 20 his friend Hardy
In Boston.
i was 46 years old yesterday" he
wrote. Il celebrated the natal day BY
renewing my oath never TO marry. Old
bachelorhood may entail certain de-
gree Of Loneliness, but that is infinitely
better than the domestic squabbles in
which ] see my married friends con-
xtanuy embroiled Women are well
enough al distance. but when II comes
TO taking one Of them for a wife"
Sutton stopped TO study out the most
convincing way 10 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
your I'm glad to see you Won't you
sit down."
only for 6 few minutes. ! am on my
way TO Brooklyn. and thought would
stop in and see you as passed But |
don't want 80 bother you. see you are
busy"
~oh. no. I'm not. said Sutton. Bust
ness is dull. was just writing letter
TO my old friend Hardy il Boston. was
telling him what think of the ladies"
Yes? And what do you Think"
THAT they are al angels. ! wish
could marry them all -
You might find that inconvenient.
But II you really have such Mormonistic
tendencies. you don't seem 10 be doing
much TO crafty them. You don't even
make a start in marrying one"
Sutton grinned You needn't say
person in the world 10 find fault with a
person on account Of eelibacy. When a
charming woman like Ruth Decker
skins through life TO the age Of 81"
Forty" corrected Miss Decker Il
vas 40 last birthday"
We'll. then. 40 II you must have Il so
and refuses TO bind herself with conju-
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 shapely
hand But can't help myself" she
said
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
20 the support Of her chin Nobody
asks me" she said.
That IS because you give the fel-
lows such soant encouragement. You
shouldn't do Il. Ruth. upon my word you
shouldn't A nice-looking girl like you
ought 10 have married long ago. All
.ice girls ought 10 marry"
Perhaps they would" remarked Miss
Decker. If they got chance"
"Oh. that's all nonsense" returned
ne.r . - Oh.
| 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. never saw one"
Yes. YOU have seen one," was the re-