Putnam patriot., 1909-05-21
WHAT SHE REGRETTED.
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g. HARRIET L. csDoEs.

" s=&tH f1i=s-a q A@aS- Fit-e-aAtE8 -tAeaH .ta zen At soon tomorrow my annuity tn tae celli,aeg Insurance company ls ige. ani n- has not even proposed
 Tbere usytiing infeiiigible in this to aa American spinSter unless she may hapl,efl 10 know of a certain ad. vantage possessed by her sisters in Denmark
 There a eeiitacy insurance company exists in which Danish maiden may take out 8 policy that will provide for her support df she be not ma rrledl In her old age She pays her premiums til she k forty. then. unless she has taken a husband. she receives her an naify If she marries before attain Ing that age. she forfeits the premiums she has paid.
 Lena Olsen had been making pay ments on her ceIibacy policy for twen- ~ 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 iu which her ancestors had lived for two centuries. and 10 eke out a subsistence and more especially to enable her to pay her celibacy insur- anee premiums had rented rooms 10 Iodgers An elderly American gentle man had taken an apartment and had tow 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. Jehansen, the gentleman referred to. had been born in Den mark. but had gone to America when he was yonng man. He had returned to his native country an Invalid in the hopes. he said. that reYisiting the scenes of his youth would restore him to health He had been iendefly nursed by the little old maid and had given strong evidence that he desired to avail himself Of her services per manenfly.
 Miss Olsen made the remark with which this story begins te her bosom friend Miss Jacobson. and Miss Jacob son bad advised her to give Mir. Johan- sen some idea af what was troubling her. She he'd promised her friend that she would try She went up to NIT Johansen with some refreshment as an exeuse1. but returned without hay Ha
 The next morning at il o'clock her iodger came downstairs and said:
 .i find myself so much better under your care that l would like to have you become my permanent nurse. This can only be satisfactorily and properly done as my wife Will you marry me- s''
 Miss olsen looked disappointed. She did not answer at once and when she did there was no hesitation in her voice
 You make il a business proposition There Is another matter of business which looks more advantageous tc me. And she told him about the in. surauee
 If was Mr Johansen's turn to look disappointed
 Then you would rather live inde- pendentlys"
 Yes. without love. l had lover once when 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 annuity f'
 "f would prefer you to the whole world. As 1t is, prefer my annuity to you"
 wrong" he said sharply. Tt 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 living You say you would resign your annuity for loveg"
 Yes"
 But supposing your lover had ac. eumulated nothing and. besides. WAS broken down in health"
 ''l would love him all the better"
 And give up your annuity for himT'
 Yes: would give up the whole world for him.
 "Humph. Women are strange erea- tunes "
 And so are men. You have acted kery strangely toward me. You come from l know not where. and l know not who sent you 10 me. You remain under my care, and l do all l can far you You only appreciate this as you would appreciate 1t from a domestic, You would buy it permanently
 Al her last words her voiee trem- bled
 Well. win keep you in the dark no longer am Johan Housen. As q grown man loved you when you were chit. l 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 hsd so far recovered that he preferred 10 go back to America and. since he was not yet old enough to lay himself on the shelf. resume an active life. Ills little nurse cared not whether she staved or went 80 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 shadow pass over her face.
 You are regretfins something"
 "Yes. IL is very foolish. but l can, help it.s
 "what is its''
 "lt is so hard 10 have paid my eelihacv insurance premiums al these vearS fa~ se-kftss.