The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-10-08
A MATRIMO NTAL
BE.UNDER

fOrIginlal.l

| groom with the girls parents, and the
couple are introduced afterward. Either
party may recede after the introduce
ton, but if the man wishes to do so he
must pay the brokerage and expenses.
Such an arrangement had been made
| for the union OF yittori Comet and LII
| ella Armodeo, and the Young Indy, hay-
| ing made up her mind what course 10
pursue, opened the door and stepped
| into the apartment where the gentle
/ man awaited her. Ten minutes later
| he left the house. and slgporina Armo-
| dec joined her mother in the library
/ ii think" said the daughter iHdecis-
/ lively, that shall decline TO fulhll the
I contract. He is either very wise OF
very stupid, for he opened his eyes
1 upon me-thcy are his only redeeming
/ feature but scarcely opened his
| mouth"
| The front door creaked and her "a
/ Their entered.
! "It's an OFF, he said.
what do you mean?p asked the
4 daughter. starting.
Il met Signor Conci on the doorstep.
/ He declines TO complete the contract.
4 He chose rather tospay all expenses.
\ However, since you are only seventeen,
there is yet time
Indeed there IL, replied the daugh-
4 ter under her breath aud with dan.
gerous glitter in her eye.
\ One evening soon after this episode
i Vittori and Lucia met at ball
Good evening signor." she said. Il
Rm glad to meet You again. Because
we do not marry there is no reason why
we may not be friends and, slipping
her hand within his arm. she walked
/ away with him. The orchestra was
\ playing one Of Straus delightful
4 waltzes, and what could the young
man do but propose that they should
dance? Then, when they had finished,
the girl proposed that they should sit
\ awhile In a recess and chat. He seem
I ed embarrassed at first. but his com
/ panion put him At his ease. Indeed, be-
fore they parted be felt bold enough to
apologize for having refused to marry
her, but his courage forsook him and
he stammered incoherentIy.
4 Don't speak Of that" she said 1T
was presumptuous In me even to think
Of such thing. You are so much
/ brighter than |, so prominent socially;
! a marriage between US was not to be
considered Besides. there is too great
a difference in our ages
Il am thirty" be remarked, some
\ what chopfalien.
"And am only seventeen. Thirteen
years is a great difference. respect
elderly men, but a chit like myself
should not aspire to marry one Of
/ them
\ yittori went home feeling very un-
I comfortable. Lucia IN her bah dress
4 had appeared far more to advantage
/ than In home costume. he regretted
his decision. But what troubled him
4 most was 10 have been informed that
he was passing into an age which
young girls consider old.
One day Vittori met the broker who
had made tile contract for him. The
man chlded him for Withdrawing Wit
tori admitted that he had made mis-
I take.
\ "In fx up new contract" said the
broker
"rlI pay you another commission"
/ Done
A few days later the broker notified
yittori that new contract had been
made with Signor Armodeo for bis
daughters hand. vittori was much
pleased. lie did not know how Iucla
felt in the matter, but Italian girls
were used TO obeying their fathers.
Y There would be 10 trouble.
One day the broker Informed Wit
tori that all had been arranged and
he might call upon Lucia as soon az he
liked He found Lucia arrayed m
her most dainty visiting costume, with
hat and gloves
Il am pleased TO see you, Signor
I Conci, but fear there has been mis-
take. Ny father has Informed me that
\ he had made new contract for US.
This he has done without my consent.
Yesterday was eighteen and Of age,
coming into my fortune. / am sorry
II you are disappointed. AS | have
told you. your gray hairs stand be.
tween u.s.
"AIy gray hairs" said the astonish-
ed yittori. II was not aware that
had onem
you must not be put to expense IN
this matter. Here is my check for the
commission. Good evening. ! am sor.
ry that YOU have been put to unneces-
sary trouble. You must excuse me- i
am going OUT
The sutton tottered to the door and
h out into the mir. which he sadly needed.
though Il did not revive him. For a
week he wes on the verge OF suicide,
then settled down to miserable ex.
istence The next time he met Lucia
she treated him so cordially almost
affectionatels- that he plunged into al
furnace Of hope. but on second meet
ing he was transferred to IN icy pool
Of despair. After keeping him swing.
ing between the two extremes for sew
eral years she cut him dead one day
on the street
A man who has refused d woman
had better afterward keep out Of her
way. MARK ANDERSON.
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shaving.
Few natious have raised shaving 10