The Saint Paul globe., 1904-11-27

on the side wall opposite to him by NOV
ing shadow figures having marvellous
semoiance to realities, in conjunction with
pnonoSraphic records giving all the songs
ana words both of the score and OF the
hDretto. Incidental to all these tbinas
were delicacies for the palate and various
Hquius In tablet form which, from the
young mans visible sensations l Judged
were nothing more nor less than Scotch
nighbaHs. rickies or one Kind and another
and other and still more cocktails. In
literature OF any kind the young naan did
not indulge: although an inspection of the
Aeyooard showed that the house was pro-.
Fided With everything one could wish for
IN tnat Hne from Aesop's Fables and Herr
pert Spencer down through Hall Game and
Marie Coreiif TO Radyard Winston Davis.
the popular novelist OF the fortieth CEN
tury.
At the end Of this period of rest, my
nest rose from the divan and. taking a
Httie wireless telephone from the manteI
shell. called up No. s46s7 Bellevue. The
response was immediate
that you. Mrs. Van Glider? Yes.
this IS Tommy GoIdirox; yes, Tommy
Goidirox wanted to ask you II. oyou
We're engaged to be married vet for next
season What? You are? HIM. seeFy
l was going TO offer You my heart and
hai,d. My present term with Mrs. G.
runs out next Saturday, and I had a
sort Of notion you and might hit it off
pretty well for one of those two year
limited contracts. What? Harry de
Coopon asked You ten minutes ago? oh.
weh. Harry's a good fellow. Congratu-
lations to you both. By the way, how
long shall You be married to him?
Through the opera season? Oh, WELL how
about me for his successor? Good Put
me. down for the spring of 4fss then. IL
I'm alive I'll show up. BY by"
with a weary gesture Tommy placed
the telephone back upon the shelf again,
helped himself to Manhattan tablet and
consulted the Social Register for the cur
rent season, apparently in search of an
otner eligible matrimonial prize This he
evidently found. for, a moment later he
was at the telephone again calling up
43643-Thannes.
Hulio,' he said as the response came
us that you, Miss Spondulix? Yes; well,
this IS Tommy Goldirox. I just wanted
to ask you if yeu had made your matri-
monial arrangements for the autumn. My
contract with Mrs. G. expires next week
and the Social Register says that you are
at liberty. good--wen, how will I
do? Yes. Mrs. G. win give me frst-class
references-you will? Splendid. I'll call
around tonight and we can sign the pre-
hminary papers BY by. sweetheart
And then Tommy became so agitated
with happiness that he actually gave two
little hops before disappearing into his
bath. whittier. OF course, I hesitated to
follow him.
well said a voice at my side. What
now?'
''The most extraordinary thing yet
said l. leaning back In my chair and adj
dressing the inventor "a man actually
proposing marriage over a wireless tele-
phone to neighber's wife"
oh" laughed the old gentleman,
you've got down to the short term mat
rimony period
You don't mean to say that Is going
to be?r I demanded.
Bound to come" he said. "The Mere
dith system devised in 1904. was found to
be the only cure for the divorce evil and
through years of experiment they finally
got the thing down, not TO years. but to
seasons. In 4001 they begin the new
scheme OF issuing certificates of we'd
lock lasting from six months to ten
years.
gasped
And nobody-nobody win marry then
for life?' 1 cried. 5-.A'4>SA3
Life sentences are inflicted only upon
those that deserve them." he explained
But the children?'' 1 queried. What
of them?s
"Idiot,y said he. Didn't you. observe
that In 3O42 children were abolished!
There will be no children"
Great heavens!'' 1 cried. "and what
becomes of the racer"
''Oh. as for that-I mean in the smart
set-eommon people will continue to mpl-
tiply as rapidly as ever, whether kids Ere
fashionable or rot ~
And with that We closed up the machina
and passed out into the open air. fell
that 1 needed some.