The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-07-17
Settled Out of Court.
TOriginaIl

Marry him, madam" said the attor-
ney. There's no other way out of the
difficulty"
Marry that old rascal? Neyerl But.
supposing I should consent TO your
plan. how could marry a man with
whom I have had legal quarrels for
yearsY''
ANY woman is more than a match
for man, especially for superannu-
ated man. Let me see. You are forty
five. Bless me, you don't look it! He
is thirty years your senior He'll not
, live long"
Mrs. Peabody promised to think of
the matter and was not long in taking
the attorneys advice. She wrote old
Goldman letter, which she showed to
her niece, Elizabeth Ward. who lived
with her, but the girl told her that IT
was too cold, matter OF fact and gen
orally unromantic, whereupon the cid
er woman charged her niece to write
such a letter as she would herself send
TO man she admired. The result was
an epistle that warmed old Ephraim
Goldman from the tips of his toes TO the
crown of his hairless head. There was
no business in 1t, but 1t tended to
bring about a conclusion OF the law
suit The letter was handed with the
mornings mail TO Mr.. Goldman by his
grandson and heir, Louis, who acted
rs his secretary. Louis opened all let
tiers before submitting them Indeed,
be read Mrs. Peabody's to his grand
decipher woman's handwriting. The
old man, fearing that a matrimonial
alliance might not please his heir, IN
dertook to make the reply himself, but
Louis Intercepted the reply and sent
one that he had written himself. For
reasons of his own he poured out just
such words as he would write to his
own ladylove
Then followed a correspondence that
ries. Miss Ward would write Mrs.
Peabody's letters, read them to her
aunt for approval and mail them.
1.-THE old fool" the lady would ex-
claim, ''to be caught by such chaffl
| It's lucky, Betty, have you to write
| these letters. 1 never could do it in
the world" Then when the replies ar
rived 1t would be: "How sickeningl l
wonder If he will expect me to listen
to that rubbish when we are married?
However, he viii pay well for the
privilege. He Is sure to win his case
In the end, and that will bankrupt us;
whereas this marriage will make US
rich. You'll be well paid for your let
ter writing, Betty l shall settle 500
a year on you for dress"
How generous you are, auntiei You
are always thinking of others; never Of
yourself"
And so the correspondence went on,
growing warmer the while, till at last
there came a proposition OF marriage.
In it was nothing OF the business prop
osition Mrs. Peabody had intended to
call forth, but an ardent love such as a
young man would pour out to young
girl 81 shall love you," the old man
said, Sin your youth and cherish you
in your old age" The lady threw
down the letters, muttering: 'Not in
my old age, you old fool! You'll be
under ground twenty years before I'm
an old woman
When Miss Ward handed her aunt
the reply she had written Mrs. Peabody
commented on it. eff he were a young
man, Bett, it would be lovely. There's
some excuse for him, after all, consid-
ering how sweetIy you write
Then came the arrangements for the
first meeting between the principals,
| who had never met except In court,
where they had glared at each other.
Mr.. Goldman wrote that he would call
at IL In the morning of a certain day,
and since he was subject to a tempo
rary indisposition his grandson would
accompany him.
Temporary indispositiony ex-
claimed Mrs. Peabody. Hell bring
his grandson to hold him up. Write
him that owing to superabundance of
maidenly modesty l shall have my
niece with me at the meeting"
The girl, laughing merrily. flew away
TO write the last letter Of this unique
correspondence before an engagement
and Mrs. Peabody went to her room
to prepare for the ordeal.
When Mr.. Codman's carriage drove
up to Mrs. Peabody's door the sun was
shining, the birds were singing-indeed,
everything portended a betrothal OK a
youthful pair. Louis Goldman alight-
ed, got his grandfather out Of the car
riage and supported him into the house.
Mrs Peabody and her niece received
them In the drawing room. The old
man was trying to say something gal
liant when his grandson interrupted
him.
Grandfather" said he, permit me.
l am about to make an announcement
to you and Mrs. Peabody jointly.
When Mrs. Peabody's first letter came
I recognized IN it the genuine freshness
Of young girl. | answered it for its
recipient in the same strain Miss
Elizabeth Peabody and 1 have been
corresponding over the heads of ouI