The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1904-11-09
Her Splendid
Inconsistency.

S=S SOlleueu ny uiSlliiCe.
Moonlight, broken up by intervening
trees into bars and splotches Of gold
en- radiance, lay all about them as they
walked up and down the veranda.
The right kind Of 4 woman always
appreciates q proposal Of marriage
from any man IS a great compliment.
Coming from you it is the much more
to be valued, but I cannot marry you."
said the woman.
Il have to thank you for having li6-
tened to me so patiently. Might l
trespass a little more upon your good
nature and ask permission to, discuss
the matter further with you:"
mo amount of discussion can profit
either of us, so far as I can see. But,
as I have said, in asking me to marry
you q great compliment was paid me.
and in return for that compliment I
suppose that 1 owe you permission to
indulge your love for discussion or ar
Sument."
Thanks for the permission" said
the man, still in his stolid manner. 81
cannot recognize my proposal as, in
any sense, :. compliment. but l am
willing that you should. if you wish,
take the manner in which I made it as
q compliment. Recognizing the splen-
did development of your W logical
faculties. 1 have made my offer Of mar
riage in perfectly businesS-like form.
I have heard you often declare that a
contract of marriage is like any other
contract. and should be entered into
only when both parties are fully aware
of what they are doing"
do you think women are ever en-
tirely consistent:" interrupted the wo-
man.
The man looked a trilc surprised
and replied:
"At least, 1 give you credit for hay
ing 4 splendidly consistent mind. You
do not mean that 1 have erred in my
manner of proposing, that YOU would
have preferred more or an air of To-
nance, and all that sort Of thing?"
Nov, the situation is something like
this continued the man in very much
the same tone of voice that he would
have used in arguing an important case
before the Supreme Court. You are
twenty-nine-or is it thirty?-years old.
have q reputation as a beauty, and all
that. You can, 1 know, marry any one
of two or three men who can offer you
at least as much as l, but modesty was
never a prevailing characteristic of
mine, and I have not feared to meas
ure myself with these other men.
"On the other hand, 1 can give YOU
pretty much anything you desire that
costs money. I stand we'll in my pro-
f~ession, and have prospects of soon be-
ing near the top of 1t. Altogether,
am satisfied that any one would call it
q very suitable match all around"
Does the prosecution here close its
case?" inquired the woman laughing
a little.
II hardly care to regard the matter
as n Of prosecution and Defense
said the man imperturbably, "but if
you wish to use the terms I am forced
to admit their applicability. Will the
defense rest its case on the testimony
submitted by the prosecution, or will
it elect to submit an arguments"
1.-The defense will submit an argu
ment," replied the woman Il admit
that the match would be, as you say
pronounced suitable to every one. A:
for the two or three other men whom
you ave. that 1 can marry at any time
I cannot answer. I have noticed tina
the number of my proposals has beer
falling off Of late, and I attributed thu
fact to advancing age. You were RICH
when you said I was thirty. 1 may
close the discussion by saying that
have made up my mind to become al
old maid"
Far be it from me to say anything
against those estimable members O
society, the old maids" said the mar
"but I do not think you will ever b,
one of them. A wise man once sait
that the cowl of a recluse always hide
either q disappointed lover or a grea
rascal, and, while 1 do not indorse hi
opinion unqualiiedly, I am firm in tn
belief that every old maid is q womal
who was disappointed in love or VIII
was too ccld-bloodedI selfish ever t.