The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1906-01-18
M LotterysMarriag
[originaL.l

girl Of twenty, went TO I'VE Win an
nunt. I had not been educated to I'LL
n 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 a let
ter. which she read to me. 1t was from
Ethan Andrews, a civil engineer, who
baA gone to Brazil to take a position
ON a railroad that was then being
buir and had determined to make the
cou, try his home. He was evidently
q practical q called II brutaD sort OF
a fellow, without a spark Of romance
In him. for he asked my aunt to select
4 wife for him and send her to him
Just as he would commission her to
buy a horse. She proposed that ]
should be the article purchased.
The case, on Ethan Andrews part, ]
have since learned was not 80 bad al
It appeared. My 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 l .rebelled, but at last, In o
at of desperation, consented. taking
the leap as a hunted doe will jump
from a cliff. ] asked no questions as
to the traits of the man into whose
arms I was about to cast myself. nor
to see his likeness. I 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 80
recently connected with the Spanish
American war, but now I was too
heartsick to be interested In anything.
When later we steamed out of the
harbor, a gentleman began to tramp
back an6 forth apparently for exercise
a where l was sitting. Presently
he noticed my forlorn appearance and
gave me an involuntary look of SYM
patty. Then he went below. I infer.
red, to get rid of 80 ~lugubrfous q sight
as myself, but he soon reappeared with
q bundle Of magazines and deferenttab
y offered them to me. This was the
beginning Of an acquaintance that In
q few days ripened into friendship.
Though he deiicately refrained from
asking me the cause of my gloom, !
longed to tell some one and confded h
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 miseryY~
II do not. At the same time l a
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 TINT love
Is blind and marriage Is a lottery
concluded to rely upon your aunt's SO
lection. especially since he could not
60 and select for himself. No. I am
not prepared to admit that the man
you ore to wed has the unrefined IN.
stincts you infer"
"And what do you think Of my action
In the matter?'
lie made no reply for some tina
He was p~onderlng.
"You have evidently found 1t easier"
I said. ito excuse him than me-"
"hiy hesitation Is rather that you
require a woman instead of a man to
Judge for you. The adage put yourself
In his plnce' Is IN this case impracti-
cable. No nan can put himself In a
woman's place"
you can 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 JUST
fed the risk or whether 1t Is a greater
n than II you had selected your life
partner after a study Of him during q
courtship In which you were blinded
by love and In which each participant
studies to conceal every defectY'
II the man who had sent for me had
put his proposition In such comfort
Ing words I'm r l should have
fallen into his arms. Possibly l gained
comfort from the modest manner In
which my companion analysed M
case, and O especially his soothing,
kindly tone. At any rate I was 70
lieved and did not relapse into my
former state till we entered Rio har-
Dor. But at parting with my friend,
although be strove to cheer me, On
soon as be was gone I collapsed.
The same evening at a hotel in Rio
q 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 o m
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.