The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1909-04-22
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8 WHAT SHE {
3 REGRETTED. i;
By HARRIET L. cEppEs.
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wv nat snail dO! mO0ned Miss OIL.
sen. AT noon tomorrow my annuity
In the Cclibacy Insurance company is
due, and he has not even proposed"
There is nothing Ineligible in this
to an American spinstcr unless she
may happen to know Of Il certain all
vantage possessed by her sisters in
Denmark.
There IL celibacy Insurance company
exists in which Danish maiden may
take out policy that will provide for
her support III she he moi lnarried) in
her old age. She pays her premiums
till she is forty: then. unless she has
taken a husband. she receives her an
nuity. If she lnarries 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
reaping the benefit of her self denial a
man had suddenly appeared to inter-
ASAC MtSu SuC JOS CIV SuOulu CAkbCll-
ence OH 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 a
| 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 1t for several months
He had not been we'll and had come to
her from hotel in ORDER he said, that
lie might he quiet.
Now. Mr.. Johansen. the gentleman
referred to, had been born in Dcn-
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 rcvisiting the
scenes of his youth would restore him
to health. He had been tcndcrly
nurscd by the little old maid and had
given strong evidence that lie desired
to avail himself of her services per-
mancntly.
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.. johann
sen some idea of what was troubling
her. She had promised her friend that
she would try. She went UP to Mr..
| JohanScn with some refreshnent as
an cXruSe), but returned without hav-
ing mentioned the matter
The next morning at IL O'clock her
lodger came downstairs and said:
II find myself so much better under
your care that would like to have
you become my permanent nurse. This
| can only he satisfactorily and properly
done as my WIFE Will 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 business proposition.
There Is another matter Of business
which looks more advantageous ia
me-" And she told him about the in.
surance.
1t was Mr.. Johansen's turn to look
disappointed.
"rhen you would rather live inde-
pendently:"
YES, without love. I had lover
once when l 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"
IL would prefer you to the whole
world. AS it is, prefer my annuity
to you
'"rhis insurance company is all
wrong" lie said sharply. ut makes
women too independent But" he
added thouSmfully, 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 love:"
"Yes."
But supposing your lover had &C.
cumulated nothing and, besides, was
broken down In health"
IL would love him all the better"
"And give up your annuity for him:"
EYES; would give up the whole
world for him"
"Humph! Women are strange crea-
lures
| ".And so are men. You have acted
very strangely toward me. You come
from l know not where, and know
not who sent you to me. You remain
under my care, and l do all can for
you. You only appreciate this as you
would appreciate 1t from Il 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 a
grown man loved you when you were
a chit. I went to America, made a
fortune and have returned to find you
that you may enjoy 1t with me-"
He took her In his arms.
.
The invalid had 30 far recovered that
he preferred to 70 back to America