Connecticut western news., 1908-04-30
Fhe Old Folks
 A Matrimonial Exchange.
[Original.l

 merchant. MT. Shanks rose, bowed pointed to O seat and asked her whaE he could do for her.
 "I have come to see you, Mir Shanks-- on very peculiar mission. l have m plan which must preface by bit or explan" tlon."
 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 thosa who live to be our age. The first half Is entirely unlike the second. I'm youth we know nothing of the lonelf- ness of old age. Many n man nnd woman up to forty is absorbed In that which has nothing to do with provid-- ing companionship for old age Them perhaps suddenly a realization comess to us of the fact that we need the home. We remember the lost oppor-- tunities of youth to form connectior | which would have resulted In sons nntE daughters growing up about us and
 Madam" interrupted Mir. Shanks- "you are describing me. I have built up a fortune, but have neglected to build up home. have reached the time when | would gladly give the fortune for the home. What Is there for me when l leave this officer \ miserable existence till the next morn Ing, when resume my duties. \ dine- alone, spend a lonely evening at my club, and when I go to my desoiates apartments"-
 And l." interrupted the lady--"L live in a room by myself. I manage to get along during the day, since am interested in several charitable associ- ations-presidont of one and secretary of another-but when evening comes how can I go out alone and where can goT
 "Does your plan aim to relieve such conditions, madamT' > "It does You have made 1t very / easy for me to propose 1t. knew you
 were a bachelor and past-well, pasE fifty"
 "Fifty-five, madam
 Therefore knew you would sympH-
 thize with me. propose to estnhlisn
 an exchange for those elderly people
 who would like to marry, but have no > one to marry. True, the major part oS Is the deficiency we can never make ap-
 the children. Dear little things, how;
 would love to have them always abouE .a me, with their funny ways, their"-
 And grown, madam. | would give 5, my check for a million for n. son to g succeed me In this business <. And if had had children when '' was from twenty to thirty I should
 now be betting my grandchildren. \
 love them best from eighteen months 'e to four years. from the time they are Q. learning to walk and to talk till they Y, begin to crave playmates." '" And think what fine. thing 1t Is tos IT watch them while they arc being edu- Is cated - the boys growing strong and
 manly, the girls good and beautifuIF
 "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. I would like you to enter yours ns the first man mems- Der" l .'@
 "GIadly, madam" regretfuily. We
 cannot, as you say, surround ourselves with families. We are too old. But we Y. may make homes for each other. No
 man can make q home without wo-
 man.
 ~ "You will need some funds. madamr + first for stationery for your notices and '1 invitations, then to secure place Tor
 meeting. I trust you will permit me
 to furnish q little fund for starter" y"
 He took a check book from n drawer ol What name, madamp
 "Spinney-D. A. Spinney."
 "What a coincidencel' remarked Mir.
 shanks. pausing in his work, laying
 down his pen and looking at the lady m through his spectacles. Do you know l' ,l madam. had 1t not been for one Of ', those asinine conditions incident to '. youth I might have had home wills a,, a lovely girl by the name of Spinney." <; "we all have those memories. one ,s day parted in pet with man.
 "An ass probably you mean"
 "He took me to a ball. I noticed the t., name of a girl on his card of dance
 engagements who I thought was try
 ing to get him away from me. l told ',s him that he must either strike or that I'D name or strike off mine for the five ,ss dances I had agreed to give him." ae "Stranger unused MT. Shanks. Do a you know that that very same thing he happened to me? X girl made the ny same requirement. and drew my pen n, aD ell through her own name wherever if ' appeared on my card. was n fool
 The fact that she wouldn't brook a ts. rival was proof positive that she loved K, me-"
 Nevertheless she had no right to Ike make such demand unless she was
 engaged to you"
 - "But for that tiff I have always be- . Iieved she would have been my wife-- > He handed her the check. She looked ' at the signature, and her eyes seamed . riveted to 1t. Without raising them ' she said:
 | "I didn't know your first name was