Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1909-05-13
WHAT SHE
REGRETTtO.
'oooooooooooooooooooooo
BY HARRIET /. GEppEs.

sen. AL nOOn tomorrow my annuity
In the Celibacy Insurance company Is
due. and he has not even proposed"
There Is nothing lntelligibe In this
to an American spinster unless she
may happen to know Of certain ad-
vantage possessed by her sisters In
Denmark.
There Il relibacy insurance company
exists In which Danish maiden may
take out policy that will provide for
her support If she be not nlarried) In
her old age. She pays her premiums
tin she is forty; then. unless she has
taken husband. she receives her an
nuity. II she marres before attain
ing that age. she forfeits the premiums
she has paid
Lena Olsen had been making pay.
ments on her celibacy policy for twen-
ty years. and In twenty hours she
would be forty and entitled to her an
nuity. And now on the eve OF her
reapng the benefit of her self denial q
man had suddenly appeared to inter-
fere with the joy she should exreri-
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 exc out
subsistence and more especially to
enable her to pay her celibacy insur-
ance 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 we'll and had come to
her from hotel In order, he said. that
he might he quiet.
Now. Mr.. Johansen. the gentleman
referred to, had been born In Den
mark, but had gone to America when
he was young man. He had returned
to his native country an invalid In the
hopes. he said. that revislting 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 Mr.. Johan-
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 matter.
The next morning at II O'Clock her
lodger came downstairs and said:
81 find myself SO much better under
your care that | would like to have
you become my permanent nurse. This
can only be satisfactorily and properly
done as my wife. VIII you marry
me?"
Miss Olsen looked disappointed. She
did not answer at once. and when she
did there was no hesitation In her
voice.
"You make 1t a business proposition.
There Is another matter of business
which looks more advantageous to
me-" And she told him about the in
surance
1t was Mr.. Johansens turn to look
disappointed.
''Then you would rather live inde-
pendently?'
"Yes. without love. I had lover
once when | was very young. though
no word Of love was spoken between
u.s. for | was but fifteen and he was
twenty-five"
IF | were that lover would you pre-.
fer me to your annuity"
II would prefer you to the whole
world. As 1t Is, I prefer my annuity
to you"
This insurance company Is all
wrong" he said sharply. ut makes
women too Independent. But" he
added thoughtfully. lin 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 lOveT'
"Yes."
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 himT
"Yss; would give up the whole
world for him."
"Humph! Women are strange crea-
lures"
And 80 are men. You have acted
very strangely toward me. You come
from know not where, and know
not who sent you to me. You relpain
under my care, and l do all can for
you. You only appreciate this as you
would appreciate 1t from a 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
a chit. went to America. made
fortune and have returned to Hnd 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
lay 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
..ced a shadow pass over her face.
"You are regretting something"
"Yes 1t is very foolish, but I cant
help T."
What is itY'
at Ia sn hard to have paid my
celibacy insurance premiums all these
years for nothing"