The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1905-09-21

fOriginai.l

Few monthB OF caco Otners ana !, y
giri OF twenty, went to live with an
aunt. i had not been educated TO All
any position. and. my father having
ieft me nothing. the outlook was dis
tressing. made up my mind to 60 to
work at something IN which no prep
,aration vas needed, bat my aunt was
unwilling that I should be at such q
disadvantage and persuaded me. at
least temporarily. "a wait for some bet
ter opportunity.
One day she came 10 me with q let
,tes. which she read to me. II was from
Ethan Andrews. q civil engineer. who
.haA gone to Brasil to take q position
ON Q railroad that was then being
.buit and had determined to make the
country his home. He was evidently
q practical q called It byutaD sort Of
. fellow. without . spark of romance
In him. for he asked my aunt to select
4 wife for him and send her to him
just a. he would commission her to
buy . horse. She proposed that I
should Be the article purehased-
The case. On Ethan AndrewS part I
have since learned was not 20 bad as
It appeared. Ny aunt had written him
about. ma with . view to making q
match and bad sent him my picture.
but she said nothing 10 me about this.
leaving me to decide. as It were. In
cold blood. The letter abe had shown
M was his reply. They had their OWL
reasons for this course.
At first l rebelied. but At last In q
At OF desperation, consented. taking
the leap ns q hunted doe will jump
from q cliff. l asked no questions as
to the traits of the man into whose
arms I was about to cast myself. nor
20 see his likeness. l was taken to the
steamer a. q lamb led to the slaughter.
The steamer touched 1t Havana. and
this was my hrst appearance on deck.
Under other circumstances would
have been interested In this scene 30
recently connected with the Spanish
American war, but now I was too
heartsick to be Interested In anything.
When later we steamed out Of the
harbor, a gentleman began to tramp
back n forth apparently for exercise
near where I was sitting. Presently
he noticed my forion appearance and
gave me an involuntary look Of SYM
patty. Then he went below, / infer.
rcd. TO get rid Of 90 iugubrious a sight
MS myself. but he soon ~reappeared with
a bundle of magazines and defcrentlal.
" offered thera 70 me. This was the
beginning Of IN Acquaintance that In
q few days ripened into friendship
Though he delicately refraincd from
asking me the cause OF my gloom, |
5onge1 TO tell some one and consded II
10 him.
"Poor child" he said. a world of sym
pathy In his voice. his manner and
especially In his kindly brown eyes.
do you wonder" asked. "tiiat |
am the qulntcsscEcc Of misery"
II do not. At the sane time ! can
understand the motives of the man
who has sent for you. Doubtless he
missed the companionship Of his own
countrymen. especially OF his country
women. and. remembering that love
Is blind and marriage II q lottery
concluded to rely upon your nunt's Sc
lection. especially since he could not
60 and select for himself. No. I am
not prepared 10 admit that the man
you nrc to wed has the unrefined In
stincts you infer"
"And what do you think OF my action
In the matterT'
lie made 40 reply for some time
lie was ponderlng.
"You have evidently found 1t easier"
I said. ito EXCUSE him than me-"
My hesitation In rather that you
require q woman instead Of a man to
Judge for you. The adagc put yourself
In his place Ia In this Ease impracti-
cable. No man can put himself In q
woman's place"
you can at least judge whether
have acted wisely or not"
Under duress you have made a de-
clsion involving a risk. but who shall
say whether your circumstances Just-
fed the risk or whether It Is a greater
one than II you had selected your life
partner after q study Of him during a
courtship In which you were blinded
by love and in which each participant
studies TO conceal every defcctf"
II the man who had sent for me had
put his proposition In such comfort
Ing words I'm sure I should have
fallen into his arms. Possibly l gained
comfort from the modest manner In
which my companion analysed my
case. and more especially his soothing.
kindly tone. At any rate I was re-
lieved and did not relapse into my
former state TIL we entered Rio har.
Dor. But at parting with my friend.
although he stvove to cheer me. as
soon a. he was gone I collapsed. |
The same evening at q hotel In Rio
. card came up 10 me. and, brushing
away tears. I nerved myself to meet
the monster who wal to be my part
ner for life. When. instead. the com
panion Of my voyage came into the