Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-06-20
Easy Matrimony



In summer and become frivolous. Th
lower you let yourself down into frivo
| Ity the more chance Of your mating.
"Take my friend Paul Robbins, 70
Instance. Paul was worked out on
spring and on the LIST of July he too
off his brown linen coat, the sleeves o
which he had used for a penwipeI
hung 1t up In the closet and took tn
evening train for the seashore. I
ever q man left care behind Robin
did. It seemed to him that he woulC
explode with delight. Though he ar
rived at his destination at ii oclocl
on a dark night, he couldn't wait til
morning for bath. When he hat
bathed he sat up with the girls on tn,
piazza till the last one went In at
a. m. Then he smoked with the boyi
till 3.
Robbins found all kinds of boating
and bathing and plenty of jolly boys
and girls to enjoy them with. He
Joined a special party full Of old
Nick not one Of whom had q serious
thought In his or her head. There were
six fellows, six girls and six firtations
Nobody considered the flirtatons seri.
Gus; they were just for two weeks-the
simplest kind. Robbins and q seventh
girl arrived the same day, both Joining
the party Of frlvolers.
"'Well,' said Paul, Il suppose I'll
have to catch On to the Spicer girl
She's the only one not spoken for
al suppose said Miss Spicer, that
since you girls have monopolized all
the best men shall have to submit to
the attentions of this Paul Robbins
"And so they went at 1t like children
let out of school starting new game.
The more reckless they were the more
fun they could have. Miss Spicer had
no conscience In the matter-not only
because she knew 1t was understood to
be pure and simple fight with padded
gloves, but because she was a born
flirt anyway. But there has been many
fight begun with pacific intentions at
the end of which the gloves have been
torn off and the affair finished with
flow Of claret. II was not long before
each decided to pink the other. Miss
the start, was first to take or pretend
to take q serious view of what was
going on She affected moods. At
times she would be overgay and at
times apparently plunged in deep dis
tress When her cavalier would ask
what was the matter she would look at
him reproachfully and say nothing.
AT last Miss Splcer determined to
call forth some evidence Of an interest
on the part of Mr.. Robbins. Walking
with him on the beach In the hot sun
one day, she suddenly staggered, then
collapsed. She played 1t well enough,
but Robbins only laughed at her.
"'You're cruel and unsympathetic,
she exclaimed, the real blood mounting
to her cheeks, and, leaving him, she
marched straight to the hotel. not to
appear again till evening.
Robbins determined to 90 Miss Spi- |
Ger one better In the game Of hearts, |
paying her off for her attempt In her |
own coin. He thought Of number Of |
schemes, but none Of them suited him |
till he struck one which for It's I'M
cruelty beat all the rest. He |
should have been horsewhlpped for |
even thinking of it. But they say 'all's
fair In love and war
"Up the beach a short distance was
an inlet where there was good still
water bathing Robbins, who was at
home in all waters, persuaded Miss
Spicer to let him teach her how to
swim. He lnveigled her to the inlet
md after giving her a lesson In shall
ow water started himself, for bit Of
where 1t was deep. Sud-
lenly he gave yell and went down.
Fifteen minutes later he was 6shed
out by boy In a boat with a boat
nook from the bottom and rowed
ashore. With one eye half open, he
saw Miss Spicer faint dead away.
This time II was n sure enough faint,
md Robbins knew that it was. Be
'ore the boat touched the shore he gave
/ lively spring for a drowned mani,
an to her, bent over her, took her In
lis arms. acting all the while as II he
bought he had killed her. Then she
,pened her eyes, and the game was up
With both Of 'em. She was in heaven
# delight 10 see him safe, and he was
elleved to discover that she had re-
,ained consciousness.
"Well, Paul gave the boy quarter {
or saving his life and walked to the
otel hand and hand with Miss Spicer,
10Th evidently careless as to who saw ,
be spoonlng. For the rest Of the time {
hey remained at the seashore nobody 9
ould go into a dark corner In the no. s
Ell or concealed spot on the dunes {
Without stumbling on them. In twin {
ling sparrlng had been changed into I
laudlln love. O
Robbins when he left home had no I
lore idea Of returning engaged than
returning multlmillionaire, but he
'as, all the same, and two other cou-
les Of the party went home In the l
anne lamentable condition. (
"How did he manage to lie on the
ottom Of the inlet so long? Oh, that J
'as easy enough. He went to the vii
ge and bought a rubber quarter {
lch tube, put the ends each in spool,
Dated one end and sucked air through r
lie other While the hullabaloo was
Ding on above water he was lying on
lie bottom, holding on to eel grass to
event floating. When the boat hook 0
lme down he grabbed it and hooked Q
into his bathing suit. Il
mo, sir, you don't want to be eeri- =
is If you want to mate. It's like II
winning or skating. The harder you Il
" the worse you are Off. Just let 3
)urself 20 and it's dead easy" q
AUSTIN A. KINGSLEY. D
BY Imagination man In a dungeon !,