Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1906-06-14
A VERY PROPER WOMAN.

| Wray, and her very proper mother,
his wife, never had to criticise or eau
ton. AS Hannah kept adding years
to her age and was finally spoken Of
as an old maid her proper father and
mother died, and she went to live with
her brother Dan.
Dan was hard headed and hard
working and not at all a proper per-
son from some points of view, but that
did not affect Hannah any. She had
been left $4,000 in cash, had never
had beau nor read 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 wo-
man 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 che departed she left Cir
cular on the floor, and Hannah picked
it up and gave it careless look A
moment later she WAS turning pale
and g4sping for breath Two min
utes later she was up stairs in her
room ard blushing rs she read 1t
was circular from a matrimonial bu-
reau.
Notwithstanding her properness,
Hannah had heard of such things,
but only to be horrifed. She was
Mortified now. She was also inter-
ested. She was Mortified that her
caller should be in receipt of such liz
erature 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 to devour ev.
cry word. She even read the cir-
cular twice over. 1t was a call to
all tn ose in love to send on so cents
and receive the names of three per-
sons, with whom they might CORE.
spond. 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, senator's and railroad
presidents making use OF the agency.
Hannah Wray found her heart
beating 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 forevermore. Her Sec
ond 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 it
without blushing.
That should be the end, however.
Never, never would she permit her.
self to send away so cents and re-
ceive 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 che had
visited the village poetoffice. 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.
"She's got something on her mind.
Two or three times today I've caught
h er looking in the glass and acting
girlY. I'm not quite sure of it, but l
have feeling that when she went
down town it was to post letter.
What do you think it is 7"
81 know she had mumps, measles
and the chickenpox the same time l
did," replied Dan after thinking
things over, "and she can't be com.
ing down with any of those"
"Of course not. Didn't I say 1
caught her acting girly ?"
"And what's that ?"
"Why, twisting herself and sim
pering and trying to blush.
swell, what's that the Sign Of ?"
"Dan Wray, you don't know beans
when the bags united. 1t means
that Hannah is in love. Yes, sir ;