The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-06-07
WHAT SHE
REGRETTED.
o0oooooooOoooOo0oOooooo
D. HARRIET 1. aEnnEa-


SEN AT noon tomorrow nay annuit,
IN the oelibacy Insurance company l
due, and be has not even proposed"
There is nothing Ineligible in tbIl
to an American spinster unless sh,
may happen to know OF a certain al
vantage possessed by her sisters ii
Denmark.
There a ceIibacy insurance company
exists In which a Danish maiden NAV
take out a policy that will provide fol
her support Qf she be not married) ii
her old age. She pays her premiums
MI she Is forty; then, unless she has
taken a husband, she receives her an
nuity. II she marries before attain,
Ing that age, she forfeits the premiums
she has paid
Lena Olsen had been making pay.
ments on her celibacy policy for TWEEN.
~ years. and In twenty hours she
would be forty and entitled to her an.
nuity. And now on the eve OF her
reaping the benefit OF her self denial a
man had suddenly appeared to inter.
fere with the Joy she should expert
ence on becoming independent for the
rest Of her life.
Miss Olsen had inherited the little
house in which her ancestors had lived
for two centuries, and to eke out a
subsistence and more especially to
enable her to pay her celibacy insur-
nnce premiums had rented rooms to
dodgers. An elderly American gentle
man had taken an apartment and had
now occupied It for several months.
He had not been well and had come to
her from hotel In order, he said, that
he might be quiet
Now. Mr.. Johansen. the gentleman
referred to, had been born ia Dem
mark. but had gone to America when
he was a young man. He had returned
to bis native country an invalid in the
hopes, he said, that revlsiting the
scenes Of his youth would restore him
to health. He had been tenderly
nursed by the little old maid and had
given strong evidence that he desired
to avail himself Of her services per-
manently
Miss Olsen made the remark with
which this story begins to her bosom
friend. Miss jacobson, and Miss Jacob
son had advised her TO give Mfr. johann
sen some idea Of what was troubling
her. She had promised her friend that
she would try. She went up to Mr..
Johansen with some refreshment as
an excused, but returned without hav-
ing mentioned the natter
The next morning at II o'clock her
iodger came downstairs and said:
II find myself so much better under
your care that I would like TO have
You become my permanent nurse. This
can only be satisfactorily and properly
done as my wife. win you marry
meYv
Miss Olsen looked disappointed. she
did not answer at once, and when she
did there was no hesitation IN her
voice.
you make It a business proposition.
There is another matter Of business
which looks more advantageous to
me-" And she told him about the in
Euranee.
It was Mr. Johansen's turn to look
disappointed.
'eThen you would rather live inde-
pendentiy?"
Eyes, without love. I had a lover
once when I was very young, though
no word OF love was spoken between
us, for was but fifteen and he was
twenty-five"
IF | were that lover would you pre-
fer me to your annuityT
Il would prefer you to the whole
world. AS it is, / prefer my annuity
to you"
This insurance company Is all
wrong" be said sharply. 1T makes
women too independent But" he
added thoughtfully, in America our
girls are made Independent By the
fields open to them in which to earn
a living. You say you would resign
your annuity for Iove|
Eyes.
But supposing your lover had ac-
cumulated nothing and. besides. was
broken down In health"
II would love him all the better"
"And give up your annuity for him."
Eyes; / would give up the whole
world for him.
"Humphi Women are strange crea-
lures"
"And SO are men, You have acted
very strangely toward me. You come
from I know not where, and know
not who sent you to me. You remain
under my care, and do all ! can foi
you. You only appreciate this as you
would appreciate it from domestic.
You would buy it permanently"
At her last words her voice trem-
bled.
well, will keep you in the dark
no longer am Johan Housen. As
grown man loved you when you were
d chit / went to America, made a
fortune and have returned to find you
that you may enjoy it with me"
He took her In his arms.
The invalid had so far recovered that
he preferred to go back to America
and, since he was not yet old enough to
Law himself on the shelf resume an
active life. His little nurse cared not
whether she stayed or went so long as
She was with him. On the day Of the
wedding just before they started for
the church to be married her lover no.
ticed q shadow pass over her face.
''You are regretting something.
yves If Is very foolish. but l can't