The Topeka state journal., 1905-09-09
THE EVENING STOR r
The Lottery OF Marriage

My father and mother died within
few months of each other, and 1, a
girl of twenty, went to live with an
aunt. I had not been educated to fill
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 I should be at such a
disadvantage and persuaded me, at
least temporarily, to wait for some bet
ter opportunity.
One day she came to me with let
ter, which she read to me. 1t was from
Ethan Andrews, a civil engineer, who
had gone to Brazil to take a position
on a railroad that was then being
built and had determined to make the
country his home. He was evidently
a practical q called it brutaD sort of
a fellow, without a spark of romance
in him, for he asked my aunt to select
wife for him and send her to him
just as he would commission her to
buy horse. She proposed that l
should be the article purchased.
The case on Ethan Andrews part,
have since learned was not so bad as
it appeared. My aunt had written him
about me with a view to making
match and had sent him my picture,
but she said nothing to me about this,
leaving me to decide, as it were, in
cold blood. The letter she had shown
me was his reply. They had their own
reasons for this course
At first I rebelled but at last in
fit of desperation, consented, taking
the leap as a hunted doe will jump
from cliff. I asked no questions as
to the traits of the man into whose
arms I was about to cast myself, nor
to see his likeness. / was taken to the
steamer as a lamb led to the slaughter.
The steamer touched at Havana, and
| this was my first appearance on deck.
afl cir0I1r1 I would
have 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, a 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, to get rid of so lugubrious a sight
as myself, but he soon reappeared with
a bundle of magazines and deferential-
" 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, !
Ilonged to tell some one and conhded II
to him.
Poor child" he said. a world of SYM
pathy in his voice, his manner, and
| especially in his kindly brown eyes.
1
am the quintessence of misery 2"
| 81 do not At the same time l can
understand the motives of the man
who has sent for you. Doubtless ne
missed the companionship OF ms own own
countrymen, especially of his country
women, and. remembering that love is
blind and marriage is a lottery con-
cluded to rely upon your aunts selec-
ton, 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 unrefned instincts
you infer
'And what do you think of my ac-
ton in the matter?"
He made no reply for some time. He
| was pondering.
"You have evidently found it easier
said. .'to excuse him than me-
MY hesitation is rather that you re-
quire a woman instead of man to
| judge for you. The adage put your
self in his place is in this case imprac-
ticable. No man can put himself in a
woman's place"
You can at least judge whether
| have acted wisely or not.''
| sfUnder duress you have made de-
cision involving risk, but who shall
say whether your circumstances justi-
fed the risk or whether it is greater
one than if you had selected your life
partner after a study of him during a
courtship in which you were 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 comforting
words I'm sure 1 should have fallen into
| his arms. Possibly / gained comfort
| from the modest manner in which my
companion analyzed my case, and more
| especially his soothing kindly tone. Al
any rate I was relieved and did not re-
lapse into my former state till we en-
| tered Rio harbor. But at parting with
my friend, although he strove to cheer
me, as soon as he was gone I collapsed
| The same evening at a hotel in RiC
a card came up to me, and, brushing
| away tears, nerved myself to meet the
monster who was to be my partner fol
| life. When. instead, the companion OF
my voyage came into the room my
heart beat with a wild hope that Prov
| idence had sent him with a reprieve. He
stood looking at me with an amused
look for a moment, then asked:
.tWell, have you seen your brutal
partner? I can't presume to call him
/ your lover"
mo, his card has just come up, and
| 1 supposed you were he. presume he
will be up in a moment" a
My poor Child he said. "I am Ethan
Andrews
''You?''
ssYes. I went to Havana to meet you.
I feared so businesslike a courtship
might repel you and preferred that you
should have an opportunity to judge of
| me before completing your bargain. If
you prefer to return, your ticket is
ready for you"
It is needless to say that chose to
remain.
BESSIE CHACE HAIGHT.
POINTED PARAGRAPHS.