Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-08-01
DAILY SHORT sTORY
ruELorTERY OF MARRIAGE.

aunt | had not been educated TO NIL
any position. and. my father having
left me nothing. the outlook was dis
tressing. l made up my mind to go TO
work at something in which no prep
aration was needed. but my aunt was
unwilling that l should be at such
disadvantage and persuaded me, at
least temporarily. to wait for some bet
ter opportunity
One day she came to me with a let
ter. which she read to me. 1t was from
Ethan Andrews, Il civil engineer. who
had gone TO Brazil to take a position
on railroad that was then being
built and had determined to make the
country his home. He was evidently
a practical Il called ii brutal sort of
Il fellow, without a spark of romance
IN him, for he asked my aunt to select
a wife for him and send her to him
just as he would commission her to
buy a horse. She proposed that l
should be the article purchased.
The case, ON Ethan Andrews part l
have since learned was not so bad as
it appeared. My aunt had written him
about me with a view to making n
match and had sent him my picture.
but she said nothing 10 me about this,
leaving me TO decide. as 1t were, in
cold blood. The letter she had shown
me was his reply. They had their own
reasons for this course.
At first / rebelled, but at last. in q
fit of desperation. consented, taking
the leap as a hunted doe will jump
from cliff. / asked no questions as
to the traits of the man into whose
arms l was about to cast myself. nor
to see his likeness. l was taken to the
steamer as a lamb led 10 the slaughter.
The steamer touched at Havana, and
this was my first appearance on deck
Under other circumstances | would
nave been interested in this scene so
recently connected with the Spanish
American war, but now | was too
heartsick to be interested in anything.
When later we steamed out of the
harbor, gentleman began to tramp
back and forth apparently for exercise
near where l was sitting. Presently
he noticed my forlOrn appearance and
gave me an involuntary look of SYM
pathy. Then he went below. | infer
red. 10 get rid of so Iugubrious Il sight
Il bundle Of magazines and deferentiaI-
ly offered them to me. This was the
beginning of an acquaintance that in
a few days ripened into friendship.
Though he delicately refrained from
asking me the cause Of my gloom,
longed to tell some one and confided II
TO him.
''POor child he said. a world of sym
patty in his voice. his manner. and
especially in his kindly brown eyes.
do you wonder" | asked, that l
am the quintessence of misery?"
II do not. AT the same time l 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 is n lottery
concluded to rely upon your aunt's Sc
lection, especially since he could not
go and select for himself No, / am
not prepared TO admit that the man
you are to wed has the unrefined in
stincts you infer
And what do you think Of my action
in the natter
ne Hdde ~ reply IOI SOilt lliLe.
He was bordering.
You have evidently found it easier"
l said. ito excuse him than me"
MY hesitation is rather that you
require n woman instead of Il man TO
judge for you. The adage put yourself
in his place is in This case impra cti-
cable. No man can put himself in a
wOman's place"
You can at least judge whether /
have acted wisely or not"
Under durcss YOU have made a de-
cisiOn involving a risk, but who shall
say whether your circumstances justi-
fed the risk or whether it is a greater
one than if you had selected your life
partner after Il study of him during a
courtship in which you We're blinded
by love and in WHICH each participant
studies to conceal every defect?'
IF the man who had sent for me had
put his proposition in such comfort
ing words I'm sure l 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 l was re-
lieved and did not relapse into my
former state till we entered Rio har-
Dor. But At parting with my friend,
although he strOve 10 cheer me, as
soon as he was gone I collapsed
The same evening at a hotel in Rio
4 card came up To me, and. brushing
away tears, l nerved myself to meet
the monster who was to be my part
ner for life. When, instead, the COM
panion OF my voyage came into the
room my heart beat with a wild hope
that Providence had sent him with a
reprieve. He stood looking at me with
an amused look for moment, then
asked:
well. have you seen your brutal |
partner? | can't presume to call him |
your lover"
'No. his card has just come up, and |
! supposed you were he. presume |