Evening journal., 1905-04-04
The E1efbod Of an
Ex-Sociefy Belle
rorlelnaL1

0llNDeEl were nOnoldDlet Silc lulncN
the matrimonial key.
One morning the elder Woods receiv-
ed letter from his son announcing bis
marriage with Miss Lucy Briggs. The
father made no reply to the letter, but,
after giving himself time to COOL wrote /
a friesd in the city to make inquiries |
as To his sor's wife and report. The /
friend wrote that Miss Briggs had been
a social belle, but, her father having /
died insolvent, she had previous to her /
marriage been preparing tc earn her |
own living. On receipt OF this letter |
Mr.. Woods wrote his son reminding /
him Of the warning given and stated |
that the boy could in the future shift /,
for himself, supporting an extravagant- /
y brought up wife as best he could.
Now, young Mrs. Woods did not feel
satisfied to have brought this trouble
on her husband, but she did not sit
down and mourn over IL. nor did she
do what some women would have done.
charge her husband with being the
cause of IL She went so far as to as
sumo the whole blame herself. declar-
ing that no girl had any right to make
trouble between parents and children
by marriage which was not even an
nounced to take place
"Cuthbert," she said one spring morn
ing few years after their marriage,
Il need a rest This doing housework
and taking care Of two children is
breaking me down. think Id better
so to Aunt Deborah's this summer for
a visit. She will be delighted to re-
lieve me OF all care Of the children, and
I'll have no hOusework to do"
Certainly. my dear. and the quicker
you go the better"
Meanwhile Mr.. Winslow Woods was
finding life tedious. Being a widower
with no child save Cuthbert. he had al
ways looked forward to his son and
her sons family living with him. This
| dream had failed TO materialize on ac-
count Of his sons folly. Mr.. Winslow
Woods was but fifty. and he would have
married again, but he lived in a quiet
] place among quiet, prosaic women, not
one Of whom was in the slightest de-
gree tempting to him. But when, one
morning, a stranger, Miss Aylesworth.
called on him and after announcing
her intention to open a school in the
place asked him to countenance the
project he saw something different
Miss Aylesworth did not seem fitted
for a schoolma'am, but the moment
Mr.. Woods looked into her pretty face
and noticed her engaging manners Il
occurred to him that she would be JUS
the person to take the place he had
intended for his sons wife. He KEEP
her chatting over her proposed schoo
for an hour, promising to support th'
enterprise not only with influence, bu
with money. and invited her to call ev
cry day till her plans were matured
At the end of two weeks he proposed
to her, but she called his attention t
the fact that he knew nothing abou
her and would not consent till he haC
made inquiries. When he told her o
his son she declared that she woulC
never marry the father without tn
sons consent This broke of negotia
tons for a few days, but Mr.. Woo'
had set his heart on Miss Ayleswortl
and finally consented as a preliminar.
, I move to send for his son and patch Vi
a reconciliation.
, One day Cuthbert Woods, who wa
toiling in the city, while his wife AM
, babies were in the country, received
letter from his father to come to him
Cuthbert hopefully wrote his wife o
: the invitation and took the first train
r "Cuthbert," said Mr.. Woods. Sr., b
your folly l have been prevented, as
always hoped, from having you an
your wife with me In my old ag'
5 Fortune has given me an opportunit
to break my loneliness. A young won
an-rather young for me, l admit
@ willing to marry me. At her reques
!. I am going to be reconciled to yol
!. She has made no such request as I
Q your wife, whom I still do not care I
!. meet l will however, from the da
/, Of my marriage allow you $1,000
!. year"
a Half a loaf is better than none, an
Cuthbert. for the sake of his wornoJ
wife, yielded a dissatisfied consent
"And now" said his father, II wis
T you to meet the noble lady who hs
e effected this reconciliation" He opel
IS ed door and announced, Miss Ayle
worth. my intended wife!'
, To his surprise, his son stood for
moment struck dumb with astonisl
= ment. then took his fathers intende
wife to his arms. Then to his fath'
he announced in his turn, my wifev'
Mr.. Woods, Sr, having a logical min
vt concluded that If miss Ayleswortf
r. was good enough TO run his house !
lr his wife she was good enough to RI
II as his sons wife. The lady had n
spoken in the town of her matrimoni
project, and her mouth was sealed
n a $4,000 check. II was arranged tn
o Mr.. Woods. Sr., should live with b
5. sons family IN winter IN the city, al
his sons family should live with hi
IN summer in the country.
All of which goes 10 show that |
h education as a society belle may n
come amiss even for a girl who me
ie ries a poor man.
HOPE HOPKINS