Daily Arizona silver belt., 1908-03-26
The Old Folks
 N Matrimonial Exchange.
tOriginal.l

T have come to see you, Mir. Shanks, on very peculiar mission. l have a plan which must preface by bit of explanation"
 The lady paused and looked as if she was hunting for some place to begin, then went on:
 '"There are two parts to life for those who live to be our age. The first half is entirely unlike the second. In youth We know nothing of the lonel!- pess of old age. Many man and woman up 10 forty is absorbed in that which has nothing to do with provid- ing companionship for old age. Then perhaps suddenly a realization comes | to us of the fact that we need the | horne. We remember the lost oppor- | tunities of youth to form connection which would have resulted in sons and daughters growing up about US and"-
 Madam" interrupted Mir. Shanks, you are describing me. have built up fortune. but have neglected to build up home. have reached tie ! time when would gladly give the fortune for the home. What is there for me when l leave this office? 4 miserable existence till the next morn ing, when I resume my duties. dine. alone, spend lonely evening at my club, and when I go to my desolate apartments
 And l." interrupted the lady-"l live in a room by myself. manage to get along during the day, since am interested In several charitable associ- ] ations-president of one and secretary of another-but when evening comes how can so out alone and where can I goY
 Does your plan aim to relieve such conditions. madam?'
 Tt does. You have made it very easy for me to propose it. knew you were bachelor and past-well, pas! fifty"
 | "Fifty-ive, madam"
 Therefore I knew you would sympa, | thize with me. propose to establish an exchange for those elderly people who would like to marry, but have no | one to marry. True. the major part oi the deficiency we can never make up the children. Dear little things. how l would love to have them always about me, with their funny ways, their"-
 And grown. madam. would give my check for million for a son to l f,, tg.
 And if I had had children when l was from twenty to thirty I should now be betting my grandchildren. love them best from eighteen months to four years. from the time they are learning to walk and to talk till the, begin to crave playmates."
 And think what a fine thing 1t is tc watch them while they are being edu cated - the boys growing strong and manly, the girls good and beautiful"
 "But we are wasting time without coming to the point. I will enter my name as the first woman charter mem. Der of the exchange. would like you to enter yours as the first man mem ber."
 Gladly. madam" regretfully. "We cannot, as you say, surround ourselves with families. We are too old. Isut We may make homes for each other. No man can make a home without a wo- man.
 You will need some funds, madam, first for stationery for your notices and | Invitations, then to secure plice for meeting. trust you will permit me to furnish little fund for strter." He took a check book from a drSwer. "What name madam" "Spinney-D. A. Spinney." "What coincidence" remarked Mir shanks, pauslrg in his work, laying down his pen and looking at the lady through his spectacles. Do you know, madam. had it not been for one of those asinine conditions incident to youth might have had home with a lovely girl by the name of Spinney."
 "We all have those memories. I one day parted in a pet with man.
 An ass probably you mean"
 "He took me to ball. I noticed the name of a girl on his card of dance engagements who 1 thought was try ihg to get him away from me I told him that he must either strike off that name or strike off mine for the five dances had agreed to give him."
 ''Strange!" unused Mir. Shanks. "Do you know that that very same thing happened to me? A girl made the same requirement., and drew my pen. appeared on my card. was fool The fact that she wouldn't brook a rival was proof positive that she loved me"
 Nevertheless she had no right to make such demand unless she was engaged to you"
 But for that tiff 1 have always be. lieved she would have been my wife"
 He handed her the check. She looked at the signature, and her eyes seemed rlyeted to 1t. Without raising them she said:
 q diGn't know your first name was Phil mean Philander."
 'It is. But why do you notice that?'
 "Because"-she leaned back in her chair and covered her face with her hands-"because mine is Domida."
 The clickety click of typewriting machine in the next room was all that was heard for some moments, and when Mir. Shanks spoke 1t served to irown his words.
 The proposed exchange was nipped n the bud by the marriage of the first man and woman chaster members.
 ROSALIND HOUTON.
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