Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-03-05
WINNIE AND THE WHOEVER

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since it happened"
The widower seemed struck by the
| circumstance
Yes ne replied consideringly. Il be-
lieve it isl positively believe it is"
II hope" she said timidly, Il hope
you've got over it-by now?"
The widower reflected.
Il think / have" he answered con
| scientiously; "I'm almost sure | have.
| You see, have been trying hard-trav-
| cling and all that sort of thing, you
| know. | finished up at Monte Carlo. The
| place cheered me wonderfully; | lost
| quite lot of money at the tables"
| Il think that was very wrong of yc,-
said Winnie, sterniy. Gambling is
wicked"
"Ah--but if you knew what a relief
| it was to be able to do something wick
ed again. sighed the widower, you
would overlook it. Do you know, l was
| gradually becoming almost too good to
| live 1t gave me quite a shock, when
| realized it. My constitution would not
have stood the strain much longer, | am
certain"
THE older men grow. the worse they
| get" declared Winnie with the ',r of
one delivering profound epieram..
That. of course. is the natural tend
ency." he admitted. at doesn't do to
cheek it--beyond a certain point" He
sighed again at this sudden contempla-
tion of mans innate depravity Its
like suppressing measles" he added
little inconsequently.
Winnie was silent for moment. Then
she looked up suddenly, fixing her large,
blue, childish eyes on the widower's alb.
stracted countenance.
Il can't think" she protested, what
on earth ever made you marry her"
The widower withdrew his gaze slow
ly from vacancy and let it rest on her
face with mild wonder.
you didn't know my wife, he re-
marked graphically.
II don't see that that would have
helped to explain what made you marry
her, persisted Winnie.
1T would have helped immensely" he
corrected. 1T would have afforded
complete and satisfactory explanation, in
| fact"
Winnie shook her head.
Il don't understand" she admitted.
ut has puzzled me ever since-especially
as as" She faltered and
blushed.
Exactly" said the widower. "Espe
cially as that was the case"
Don't be absurd" exclaimed Winnie
wrathfully. "All the same, | should like
to know she added, with true feminine
pertinacity, what made you marry herr"
Shat | tell your he asked calmly.
DO. please" entreated Winnie
"She did" said the widower
l;JY What 10 ,.c,, ,,,o,,,
Il mean that she made me marry
her" explained the widower patiently.
"Nour wife ?" demanded Winnie. open
ing 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, lit was not love match
at all?"
We'll. perhaps not exactly what YOU
would describe as love match" he con
| ceded; although she pretended to be
very devoted to me. l may add that
she had a rather remarkable way of
showing her devotion at times"
What sort of remarkable way?"
inquired Winnie, becoming interested.
Did she pet you too much?"
Hardly too much" replied the wild
over rehectively You see. the poor
girl had somewhat fiery temper. She
was terribly jealous entirely, oh, quite
entirely without cause" he FASTENED to
add, Nevertheless. she would not
allow me on any consideration to speak
to woman under As"
! That must have been great hard
ship murmured Winnie
Il could have supported it with
equanimity,' he sighed. But she lat.
terly developed various uncomfortable
eccentricities. Among other things she
became vegetarian, and compelled me
| to live ON herbs. like herself. She EN-.
braced the absurd theory that two meals
a day We're enough for human beings to
-subsist upon, and from that moment |
never knew what it was not to feel hun
cry 1t was this practice believe. that
eventually carried her Off"
! She-she was not very young?" haz-
arded Winnie.
Poor girl-no! She-she had been, |
believe But she outgrew it. She was
| in her Oath year when she expired"
Sixty -four!' exclaimed Winnie.
"Sixty three" he corrected.
"O-oh!" calculated Winnie in a LONG.
N'AN''l' sup "AAAA y y Ou NblG only
IS when You married herl"
when she married me-" the widower
interposed mildly. Yes; l couldn't help
that. you know 1t was three years ago
now, so | became considerably older as
we went along"
She was old enough to have been your
grandmother" exclaimed Winnie indig-
nantly.
True: but she would never have con-
scented TO act in that relation towards
me-though. of course, l should have
preferred it, if it could have been ar
ranged"
Il feel declared Winnie severely. !
that we are treating the subject much |
too tlippantly"
You've not been married" he sighed: |
so you don't know