The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-06-28
"A BARGAIN
lin AGE
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lONculuhiuS tudu siSutSeeluS. "A PicaS-
ant party, with nothing to do but go
about looking at beautiful works Of
art and curiosities of dead past, will
result in a match If there is any mate
rial out Of which a match can be made.
You have the beautiful and the de-
cayed. The fancy Is fed by the former,
and we know that all life springs from
the latter.
l speak advisedly, because in the
party l have In mind I was the male
part Of the material from which a
match was made. I was thirty-three,
and Nelly Smith was eighteen. We
had started in for filtration at Rome
at least she had; II she hadn't chosen
me she would have chosen the only
other unmarried man In the party. Colo
mel Peters, man Of fifty-continued 1t
at Florence and closed 1t up on the
Grand canal In Venice. Fortunately
for us her mother was In Paris and
could not watch us, so II there was any
damage it was done before it could be
helped. Whether any had been done
could not be determined till the mother
Joined us. which was to be expected in
q few days. Then she would look me
over and determine the matter.
We We're watching the feeding Of the
pigeons in the center Of the ducal pal
ace or some other rectangular COURT
was too wrapped in lovemaking to take
any mental note of such things-when
who should come numbering along but
my old friend Red Headed Tom," as
we used to call him, but whose real
name was Thomas Sayles. Though
Tom was forty and red headed, l was
glad in my heart that he had not Joined
us sooner. for had no confidence lest
the flirtatiOus Nelly would have at
least used him to bother me. l intro
duced him to all our party. and at noon
took him off to cafe to lunch.
Well, there was pair of us. 1 be-
gan by pouring my flood Of happiness
into his ear, but noticing Impotence I
asked him If bored him. He took ad-
vantage of being permitted to speak to
pour counter current into my ear.
He had met a widow In his travels, had
done endless picture galleries, crossed
the Alps in her company and was mad
~ in love. When l asked her age his
face fell, and he told me that she was
far too young for him-from twenty
four to twenty-eight. l cOmforted him
by telling him that there were fifteen
years between me and my little Nell.
The lady was to meet him at Venice.
and they were to see the carnival to-
gether.
"We'n make her one of our party"
I said.
II dare say she'll be delighted" he
replied warmly.
When 1 rejoined Nelly she was chop
fallen. She had written her mother of
her engagement. giving my age and
guess at my income. Her mother had
written that l was too old for her,
especially as she must go to school two
years longer.
IF she thinks I'm going to be barred
up In that horrid Geneva prison two
years longer she is nightly mistaken"
she said; and l swore l would elope
with her If 1t came to that.
A few days later / met Tom hurry
ing along, and when l asked him where
he was going he told me that he was
about to receive his fiancee, who was
coming little ahead of time to attend
to some important private affair. He
asked me to 60 with him to the sta
ton, and l consented. When the train
came in and the lady alighted from the
coach who should I see but my old
friend the widow Of another old friend,
Bob Smith. Then 1t flashed upon me
that she was the mother Of my Nelly.
"Why, Walter Jones! she exclaimed.
"Can it be?''
Eyes, it is"
Tom, seeing that he had no occasion
to introduce us, led the way to a car
rage. The widow and l dropped a
little behind, and she whispered,
Don't say anything to Mr.. Sayles, but
come and see me tonight at o.
She declined to permit either of us
to drive with her to her hotel and told
Tom that her fatigue would prevent
her seeing him till the next day.
Tom didn't get much out of me on
our walk His fancee did look young.
but not, to me, under thirty-five. l was
laying my plans for the evening. when
l expected a struggle for her daughter.
1 called punctually at and found her
alone.
'It's singular that l did not know
you" she said. from Nelly's descrip-
ton. She gave your last name"
Zones is common NAME" I re-
piled. 1t Is singular that I did not
place you from Toms description"
Smith is not unusual" she replied,
with a faint smile. Besides, Tom IL
not competent to describe me as l am"
II have been surprised" said, that
you object to my union with Nelly on
account Of the difference in our ages.
Tom tells me that there Is about the
same difference between his age and
yours. He gives yours at from twenty
six to twenty eight. He Ia over forty"
She looked down at the door. Pres
entity a smile began to hover about her
still beautiful lips.
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