The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-07-16
A FAREWELL TO THE
ELOPEMENT CLUB.
lOriginal.l

LIE GlopemenL cluD was IN session,
and the president said:
Girls, since our last meeting one Of
our number has accomplished what
we all pledge ourselves to accomplish
and Is present to take leave of us. The
secretary will read that part of our
constitution bearing on the case"
The secretary then read:
ARTICLE II.
Recognizing the wrong committed by
men (who by nature have an advantage
over women in active fields) in selfshly
supporting themselves alone and depriv-
| Ing women of the home and children, we
each agree to capture some man for a
husband and carry him off by persuasion
or force, by hook or by crook to the
matrimonial altar.
ARTICLE III.
When a member has been successful
In this praiseworthy object she shall be-
fore retiring from the club narrate the
methods she has used.
The president then called on the suc-
cessful member to comply with the
She arose and said:
Girls, l must say that l have found
my object more easily accomplished
than l supposed-not that the man l
have captured had in the beginning
any especial fancy for me; indeed, he
was rather inclined to avoid me. He
created in me an antagonism which
spurred me on in my work, thus help
ing me amazingly. What do you sup
pose he had the brutality to say? Why,
he said, "A man is fool to marry un-
til he is too old to have any fun
II didn't scold him bit for that l
just said: I think so too. Let's have
lot of fun
How? he asked.
"'We'll spin around together till we
get tired of each other-go to theaters,
drive, and all that My uncle gave me
check last Christmas, and I'm dying to
spend it,
HE assented to all except my spend
Ing any money, proposing to do that
himself. I let him do it and put my
check aside for trousseau. He took
me out to drive the next day and when
we were in lonely place put his arm
around my waist. didn't object in
the least; indeed, I encouraged him.
Then we went to the theater together,
and he held my hand under fold of
my dress most Of the time during the
performance. Then we went boating,
and, pulling the boat in under over
hanging trees, he sat down at my feet
and held my hand some more. On this
occasion he offered to kiss me, but one
must have limit, and l drew the line
there
81 had been fishing for him month
when l got bad scare. Another girl
set her cap for him. If had thought
she could get him I wouldn't have
stood in her way, but she was stupid
creature-didn't know men at all 1
had a sharp hook at the end of my
line, and l don't believe she had any
thing but bait. She would only divert
him from me. So l made up my mind
that must put the steel through his
gills and land him.
81 laid desperate plan. got time
table of trains to and from Eyed lake
| and studied it. Then I asked the man
who had said "A man is fool to
| marry till he's too old to have any fun
to take me out to the lake on Satur-
| day afternoon. He did. We got out
| there just in time for dinner and dined
on the hotel porch overlooking the
lake. 1t was growing dark when we
finished, and he proposed boat ride.
| l told him feared it was too late. He
Insisted, and yielded with pretended
| reluctance In the boat offered to bet
him kiss against pound of candy
that he couldn't pull across the lake in
given time.
| Here comes in the beauty Of not
going too far with man. If I'd given
him kisses he would have been tired
of them by this time. AS it was, he
was crazy to get one. l asked for his
watch to keep the time and when he
nearly an hour.
HE won the bet.
Il had noticed by the time table that
the last train left at IL; no other train
TIL Monday morning When it got too
dark to stay on the water longer we
landed and went up to the hotel. saw
several people l knew and took pains
to pass directly under their noses that
they should see that I was there.
had my watch in my belt and when
my fish was not looking took note Of
the time. At quarter past II l sug-
gested that we go to the station. He
looked at his own timepiece and said
1t was only half past 10. l told him he
must be wrong and insisted on going.
When we got to the station, the train
had been gone half an hour.
II fell over in his arms in faint.
when ! came to myself again 1
looked up at him with all the reproach
I could summon.
My reputation / gasped It's
gone forever. I'll be cut by everybody
I'll drive you home
"'Drive home fifty miles and at
night! We couldn't get there till morn
ing. oh, heavens! What shall do?
III stand by you,' he said. I'll kill
any man who says you're not pure as
an angel
l