The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1906-02-22
M LotterysMarriage
[original.l

any position, aud, my father having
left me nothing. the outlook was dls'
tressing. | made up my mind to go to
work at something In which no prep
sration was needed, but my aunt was
unwilling that | should be at such q
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, a civil engineer, who
haa gone to Brazil to a k a position
on a railroad that was then being
buip and had determined to make the
cou, try his home. He was evidently
a practical q called 1t brutaD sort of
a fellow, without a spark of romano
In him, for he asked my aunt to select
4 wife for him and send her to him
1ust as he would commission her to
buy a horse. She proposed thai ]
should be the article purchased.
The case, on Ethan Andrews part, ]
have since learned was not so bad a;
1t appeared. Ny aunt had written him
about me with a view to making o
match and had sent him my picture,
but she said nothing to 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 a
dit of desperation. consented, taking
the leap as a hunted doe will jump
from a cliff. l asked no questions as
to the traits of the man into whose
arms | was about to cast myself, nor
to see his likeness. l 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.
Under other circumstances ! 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 anG forth apparently for exercise
near where l 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 SO lugubrious a sight
as myself, but he soon %reappeared with
q 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 hn 1aIiaafnlty rnfrafnn1 From
asking me the cause Of my gloom, !
,onged to tell some one and confided II
20 him.
poor child" he said, a world of sym
pa.hy In his voice, his manner, and
especially in his kindly brown eyes.
DO you WONDER" I asked, that
am the quintesscnce of misery?"
Il do not. At the same time / can
understand the motives of the nan
who has sent for you. Doubtless he
missed the companionship of his own
corntrymen, especially of his country
women, and, remembering that love
Is blind and marriage is a lottery
ccac. iel to rely upon your aunt's SO.
lection, especially since he could not
go ana select for himself. No. l an
not prepared to admit that the MAJ
you are to wed has the unreined in
etincts you infer"
"And what do you think of my action
IN the matterl"
lie made no reply for some time
lie was bordering.
"You have evidently found it easier"
| said, ITO excuse him than me-"
My hesitation is rather that You
require q woman instead of a man to
Judge for you. The adage put yourself
Ia his place is In this case impracti-
cable. No man can put himself In a
woman's place"
You a at least Judge whether ]
have acted wisely or not"
"Under duress you have made a de-
cision involving a risk, but who shall
say whether your circumstances justi-
fed the risk or whether 1t Is a greater
II than If you had selected your life
partner after a study of him during a
courtship In which you were blinded
ey love end In which each participant
'it0ito " IDiScdi CNci1 uClCCts
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 manne 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 / collapsed.
The same evening at q hotel In Rio
a card came up to me, and, brushing
away tears, I nerved myself to meet
the monster who was to be my part
ner for life. When, instead, the corn-
panion of my voyage came into the
room my heart beat with a wild hope
that Providence had sent him with a
reprleye. He stood looking at me with
an amused look for a moment, then
nsked: