The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1905-08-04
MLotterysMarriage
tOrlginal.l

aunt l had not DJtI GIuCdtcN " hiA
any position, and, my father having
left me nothing, the outlook was dls-
tresslng. l made up my MIND to go 10
work at something III which no prep
aration was needed, but my aunt was
unwilling that | should be at such d
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, civil engineer, who
had gone to Brazil to take a position
on a railroad that was then being
built and had determlNd to make the
country his home. He was evidently
practical q called 1t brutal 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 O horse She proposed that /
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 view to making u
match and had sent him my picture,
but she said n hing 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 a
1t Of desperation. consented, taking
the leap 90 hunted doe Will Jump
from q 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 lamb led to the slaughter
The steamer touched at Havana, and
this was my first appearance on deck.
Under other circumstances / would
have been interested in this scene 50
recently connected with the Spanish
American war; but now l 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 | was sitting Presently
he noticed my forlorn appearance and
gave me an involuntary look Of sym
patty. Then he went below, ! infer
red, to get rid of 50 lugubrious a sight
as myself, but he soon reappeared with
a bundle of magazines and deferential.
ly offered them to me-. This was the
beginning Of an acquaintance that in
few days ripened into friendship,
Though he deiicately refrained from
asking me the cause of my gloom, !
longed to tell some one and confided It
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
am the Quintessence Of miseryT
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 a lottery
concluded to rely upon your aunt's Sc
lection, especially since he could not
60 and select for himself. No. l am
not prepared to admit that the man
you are to wed has the unrefned in
stincts you infer"
"And what do you think of my action
in the matter"
He made no reply for some time.
He was bordering.
you have evidently found 1t easier"
l said, ito excuse him than me-"
my hesitation is rather that you
require a woman instead Of man to
judge for you. The adage put yourself
In his place Is in this case imprach-
cable No man can put himself in
womans place"
You can at least Judge whether l
have acted wisely or not"
"Under duress you have made a de-
cision involving risk, but who shall
say whether your circumstances justi-
fed the risk or whether II is a greater
one than II you had selected your life
partner after study Of him during u
courtship in which you were blinded
by love and in which each participant
studies to conceal every defectT
If the man who had sent for me had
put his proposition in such comfort
ing words I'm sure should have
fallen into his arms. Possibly | gained
comfort from the modest manner In
which my companion analysed my
case, and more especially his soothing
kindly tone. At any rate 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 to cheer me, as
soon as he was gone l collapsed.
The same evening at hotel In Rio
a card came up to me, and, brushing
away tears, 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 a moment then
asked:
"Well, have you seen your brutal
partnerS can't presume to call him
your lover"
mo. his card has Just come up. and
l supposed you were he. / presume
he will be up In q moment"
my poor child" he said, "I am
Ethan Andrews"
Your
Eyes, went to Havana to meet
you. feared so businesslIke court
ship might Fepel you and preferred
that you should have an opportunity