Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1905-06-16
HOW SHE BROKE
HER ENGAGEMENT
BY BARRY PAIN.


the first words of my letter you will
gather what it is have to say. | can
no longer call you George. In fact, l
never ought to have called you George
at all. l was young and rash and had
not taken everything into account.
However, it is better that the mistake
should be rectified now than when it
is too late. That is what papa said
last night
Yes, George, told papa last night
all about what was then our engage
ment. He says that it can never,
never be; or, at any rate. we had bet
ter take time to think about it. He
had no prejudice against you person.
ally; in many ways he admires you
as, of course, anybody would do who
had the privilege of knowing you. l
should say that he really was deeply
attached to you, but it was certainly
his idea that we had better not be
engaged at present. He says that
your income is not sufficient. l am
been used to roughing it. Suppose l
fell ill.,. Think of the misery of it;
you would never be able to endure the
misery of an invalid wife. / know
seem to be in health and that have
generally a good appetite and so on,
but these things are very deceptive.
Under any strain, for instance, if
had to do any kind Of work, feel
sure that l should collapse utterly. So
under the circumstances, however hard
it may be, | feel it my duty to write
and to break off our engagement
What l am going to say now has
nothing to do with the above but as
l happened to be writing l thought
had better mention it. Do you remem-
Der saying that Miss ADELAIDE Jones
was the most perfect and complete cat
you ever met? You were quite wrong.
| | feel that | ought to mention this in
order that you may do her more justice
in the future. | saw her this morning
and l have told her everything, and
anything more considerable and angelic
it would be impossible to conceive.
She said that she had heard of the
engagement and knew from the first
that it could never come to anything.
Then she told me the reason why.
OF course, George, you are not an
swerable to me in any way now, and
it is really no concern of mine, but
think you might have told me what
passed between you and Miss Brown
| If l had known how far things had
gone between you l should never for
one moment have permitted what
! did.
At the same time you must not
think that | am blaming you OF
course she is not beautiful, very far
| from it; and | am not going to pre-
tend that her manners are in any way
pleasing. Her laugh is far too loud
and her teeth are perfectly awful
Still everybody admits that she is ex-
tremely good to her mother, and | an
quite glad and rejoiced to think thai
this was an attraction in your eyes
/ really honor you for having noticed
Miss Smiths devotion to her mother
and for having fallen in love with hel
in consequence. l know many mel
who could not have done it. Only
do think that in justice to me you
might have mentioned it, and in justice
to her you should not have allowed
her to suppose that there was even {
tacit engagement between you. o
course she did suppose it; Miss Abel
aide Jones told me so distinctly, anC
she told ma all about that week a
! Henley too; in fact, she has shown
herself a true friend in this trying
time. | feel sure now that you will b.
sorry you ever called her cat, AM
that you will never do it again. Thi
had nothing whatever to do with m,
reasons for breaking off our engage
ment, and hope you will not be small
minded enough to think that 1t has
am fairly humble and am quite will
ing to admit that Edith Brown ha
very much the advantage of me il
age and experience, but | am afraid
cannot regard her as a rival; she
merely one of the people that on
takes no notice of.
| should like you to say what 20
wish me to do about your letters an
presents. My instinct, of course, is t
return them | was crying over ther
all last night and thinking that
should much prefer to return them.
seems almost pity now that you ha
the ring altered so as TO fit me, but
daresay a good jeweler could put a
inch or so on 1t. and then it will f
Edith Brown just as we'll She ha
nice plump little hands, hasn't she
| ask you to tell me what to do be
cause have only my instinct to guild
) me and do not know what is tn
etiquette on these occasions.
So you see, George dearest, that
must submit to papa's superior wisdor
and that we must definitely say good
, by. Perhaps many years after this W
may meet again when you have maj
, ried Edith, and 1 only hope that W