The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1909-01-01


I Don't be absurd" exclaimed Win
e mic wrathfully. "All the same.
should like 10 know" she added. will
e true feminine pertinacity. what mad,
you marry herr"
Shall / tell you?" he asked calmly
DO, please" entreated Winnie.
She did" said the Widower.
7 She did. what do you mean?"
Il mean that she made me marry
her. explained the Widower patient
. ~.
Your wife," demanded Winnie
opening wide eyes Of amazement upon
him
Yes. She was a woman OF the most
extraordinary determination. She was
very rich, too" He sighed. Money is
such power" he added.
Then. said Winnie. with an air Of
stern rebuke. 1t was not love match
at all?"
Well. perhaps not exactly what you
would describe as a love match" he
conceded: although she pretended to
be very devoted to me. | may add
I that she had rather remarkable way
OF showing her devotion at times"
What sort of a remarkable way?"
inquired Winnie. becoming interested.
Did she pet you too much?"
Hardly too much?" replied the
Widower rehectively. You see. the
poor girl had a somewhat fiery temper.
She was terribly jealous-entirely oh.
quite entirely without csIse." he
FASTENED to add. Nevertheless. she
would not allow me on any considera.
ton 10 speak TO a woman under forty.
five"
That must have been a great hard
ship, murmured Winnie.
Il could have supported it with
equanimity.' he sighed. But she /
latterly developed various uncomfort- /
able eccentricities. Among other \
Things she became a vegetarian, and /
compelled me to live on herbs like
herself. She embraced the absurd
theory that two meals a day were
enough for human beings to subsist
upon. and from that moment | never
knew what IL was not 10 feel hungry.
IL was this practice. ! believe. that
eventually carried her on"
She-she was not very young?"
ha-arded Winnie.
Poor girl-no. She-she had been
believe. But she outgrew it. She
was In her sixtyfourth year when she
expired"
"Sixty-four," exclaimed Winnie.
Sixty-three," he corrected
"O-oh," calculated Winnie in
ong-drawn gasp. And you-you were
only twenty-five when you married
herr"
When she married me-" the Wido
yer interposed mildly. Yes: |
COULDN'T help that, you know. Il was
hree years ago now. so / became
older as We went along"
She was old enough TO have been ,
our grandmother" exclaimed Winnie
True; but she would never have :
onsented TO act in that relation to-
Yards me-though. OF course. should ,
ave preferred it. If ii could have been I
ranged" F.
Il feel" declared Winnie severely.
that we are treating the subject 4,
luch too iippantly" f.
4 feel that, too" he agreed. :
Marriage" she continued. ignoring y
is interruption. even with an elder :
lady. is a subject that should be
iscussed in a spirit of proper rever- q
nee Marriage is a beautiful and =
omantic idea
Yes" he said. Go on"
IL is said Winnie. warming to her 4,
leme, the most blissful state i'm =
HIGH human beings can exist /.
Pardon me" Interrupted the :
'idower. but do you think 'blissfur :.
exactly the right word TOTO ex-
ress your idea?" :,
Certainly" said Winnie, with as !,
Gritty. q
Cases have been known" he OBJ y
rived. in an impersonal tone. where 4
lere has been quite a regretable
lsence of this particular ingredient, -
believe For instance. If your wife Is :"
vegetarian n
Food has nothing to do with mar Il
age" retorted Winnie.
The Widower shook his head sadly. q
You've not been married" he =
ghed. so you don't know" III
That's true" conceded Winnie az
editatively. Il don't know-at least y"
1t yet
There's no reason why you should NJ
IT. put In the Widower, with sudden on
Igerness. a
oh. but am not sure that | want ln
b" she objected ="
iou would then enjoy the advant- -,
se OF being in a position to prove %
'ur assertion he urged. III
About food? she inquired Innocent az
"And-the other things" he added u
he romantic beauty and the blissful.
SIS. you know" re
And supposing found-when II Ju
as too late that | was wrong?" she 80
de
You wouldn't" said the Widower. IN
IN emphasis. You would find that IN
In your case-theory and practice ny
Duld entirely coincide. To begin ue
IN, you-are not vegetarian" We
But protested Winnie. my ms. er
nd might insist upon making ~. he. ne
me one" -
i can answer for him." saia the
idower decisively. do you know
innie-by the way. you don't mind
calling you Winnie do you? You TIL
e. have known you ever since Won Sc
IRE little baby"
You have known me Just six %
ars. corrected Winnie sternIy ep
nee | was sixteen" bal
Really. said the Widower 81 po'
agined-I was quite under the i'm. an
ession. In fact, that had known