Amador ledger., 1906-08-24
By C. B. Leavis
Copyright, 1906, bG Homer Sprague

not affect Hannah any. She had been
left $4,000 in cash, had never had a
beau nor read a love story, and she felt
that all she had to do in this world was
to keep right on being proper.
One day another proper young wom-
an came to call on Hannah. She wasn't
quite as proper as Miss Wray, for she
had once permitted young man to
walk home from church with her, but
she was trying her best to be forgiven
by society for that sin.
When she departed she left circular
on the floor, and Hannah picked it up
and gave it careless look. a moment
later she was turning pale and gasping
for breath. Two minutes later she was
she read. 1t was Il circular from a
matrimonial bureau.
Notwithstanding her properness,
Hannah had heard Of such things, but
only to be Mortified She was Mortified
now. She was also interested. She was
Mortified that her caller should be in re-
ceipt of such literature and interested
to know if men and women did really
get married through such agencies.
For five minutes she refused to read
further than the heading Then she
looked all around her room, gave a
shudder and proceeded 10 devour every
word. She even read the circular twice
over. 1t was call to all those in love
to send on so cents and receive the
names of three persons, with whom
they might correspond. On the books
of the agency, so it was stated, were
the names of heiresses and wealthy
widows pining for husbands, as we'll
as widowers with Millions and young
men needing wives to help them take
care of inheritances. The reader was
assured that there were governors, SEN
ators and railroad presidents making
use of the agency.
Hannah Wray found her heart beat
ing faster as she read, and when she
glanced at the glass she found that she
was blushing. Her first thought was
to rush after her friend and restore the
circular and cut her acquaintance for
evermore. Her second was to keep the
circular and read it over again. OF
course she acted on second thought
She did more than that. She allowed
her mind to dwell on it and romance
to creep over her unromantic soul, and
after two or three days she could read
1t without blushing.
That should be the end, however.
Never, never would she permit herself
to send away so cents and receive the
names. She stuck to this resolution
for three days, and then she sent off
the money. 1t was the first letter she
had ever written to any one except
relative. 1t was the first time in two
years she had visited the village post
office. The day the letter was mailed
Dan Wray's wife said to him as he
was milking the COW in the barn:
Say, Dan, something is wrong with
Hannah
What do you mean?' he asked.
shes got something on her mind.
Two or three times today I've caught
her looking in the glass and acting
girly. I'm not quite sure of it, but l
have a feeling that when she went
downtown it was to post a letter.
What do you think it is?'
81 know she had humps, measles
and the chicken pox the same time l
did," replied Dan after thinking things
over, ''and she can't be coming down
with any of those"
"Of course not. Didn't 1 say caught
her acting girly?"
"And what's thatF'
"Why, twisting herself and shipper
ing and trying to blush"
well, what's that the sign Off"
Dan Wray, you don't know beans
when the bags united. 1t means that
Hannah is in love. Yes, sir; old as she
is, she's either in love or wants to be,
and it's our duty to keep an eye on
her"
"Well, let her love-" answered Dan
as he turned to his milking, and that
settled matters, as far as he was con-
cerned, for a little while.
In due time Hannah received a reply
to her letter. She had described herself
as single, moderately wealthy and good
tempered, and the agency had sent her
the names of three rich men who want
ed just such wife as she would make.
If the old maid hadn't been so proper
she would have opened correspondence
with all three of them. As it was, she
decided that one was enough. She
fhof CHI 10.
struggled with her feelings for three
long days.
Curiosity and romance finally got the
better of prudence and propriety, and
her letter was duly mailed. During the
next five or six days she gave herself
away to her sister-in-law in fifty differ
ent ways, and even the hard headed
brother was compelled to notice that a
change had taken place.
"What do you think it is, DAM" ask
ed the wife as he sat on the milk stool
again.
burned If l know, Lucy. Has Dea-
son White or any other Whoever peen
spoolling around here?"
mo, not soul.'
"She keeps primping and looking in
the glass and blushing, does sheT'
Twenty times a day. 1 heard her
humming love song upstairs today,
and she's taken to going to the post
office every night and morning. Dan, l
tell you we've got to keep our eyes
open. Suppose some rich man should
come along and coax her to elope with
him.