Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1909-02-19
A FAREWELL TO THE
ELOPEMENT CLUB.

Niilh, since our ldSI meeting one OF
our number has accomplished what
we all pledge ourselves to accomplish
and is present to take lea q of US. The
secretary will read that part of our
constitution bearing on the case"
The secretary then read:
ARTICLE II.
Recognizing the wrong committed by
men (who by nature have an advantage
over women in active fields) in selnshN
supporting themselves alone and depriv-
ing women OF the home and children. we
each agree TO capture some man for a
husband and carry him on by persuasion
or force. by hook or by crook. to the
matrimonial altar.
ARTICLE III.
When a member has been successful
In this praiseworthy object she shall be-
fore retiring from the club narrate the
methods she has used
The president then called on the sue
cessful member to comply with the
requirements Of the last named article.
She arose and said;
Girls, l must say that / have found
my object more easily accomplished
than I supposed-not that the man /
have captured had in the beginning
any especial fancy for me; indeed, he
was rather inclined to avoid me. He
created in me an antagonism which
spurred me on in my work. thus help
ing me amazingly. What do you sup
pose he had the brutality TO say? Why,
he said, A man is fool to marry I'M
III he is too old'to have any fun
Il didn't scold him a bit for that. /
just said: I think so too. Let's have a
lot Of fun
"'HowT he asked
oven spin around together till we
get tired of each other-go to theaters,
drive, and o,l that. My uncle gave me a
check last Christmas. and I'm dying to
spend IT,
He assented to all except my spend
ing any money. proposing to do that
himself. l let him do 1t and put my
check aside for a -trousseau. He took
me out TO drive the next day and when
we We're in lonely place put his arm
around my waist. | didn't object in
the least; indeed, encouraged him.
Then we went TO the theater together.
and he held my hand under a fold of
my dress most Of the time during the
performance. Then we went boating.
and, pulling the boat in under over
hanging trees. he sat down at my feet
and held my hand some more. On this
occasion he offered to kiss me, but one
must have a limit, and l drew the line
there
sT bod 1,oo,, e-tf,,.. Co. t,t,,, n ,,,on+l,
when l got bad scare. Another girl
set her cap for him. If had thought
she could ret him l wouldn't have
stood in her way, but she was a stupid
creature--dion't know men at all. i
had sharp hook at the end of my
line, and ! don't believe she had any
thing but bait. She would only divert
him from me- So / made up my mind
that l must put the steel through his
gills and land him.
II laid a desperate plan. got time
table OF trains TO and from Eyed lake
and studied IT. Then l asked the man
who had said "A man is a fool to
marry TIL he's too old to have any fun
to take me out to the lake on a Satur-
day afternoon. He did. We got out
there just in time for dinner and dined
on the hotel porch overlooking the
lake. 1t was growing dark when we
finished. and he proposed a boat ride.
told him I feared it was too late. He
insisted. and l yielded with pretended
reluctance. In the boat offered to bet
him a kiss against a pound Of candy
that he couldn't pull across the lake in
a given time.
Here comes in the beauty Of not
going too far with a man. If I'd given
him kisses he would have been tired
Of them by this time. AS It was. he
was crazy to get one. / asked for his
watch to keep the time and when he
wasn't looking turned the hands back
nearly an hour.
"He won the bet.
Il had noticed by the time table that
the last train left at IL; no other train
till Monday morning. When it got too
dark 10 stay on the water longer we
landed and went up to the hotel. saw
several people knew and took pains
to pass directly under their noses that
they should see that was there.
had my watch In my belt and when
my fish was not looking took note Of
the time. At a quarter past IL sug-
gested that we go TO the station. He
looked at his own timepiece and said
it was only half past 10. told him he
must be wrong and insisted on going.
When we got TO the station, the train
had been gone half an hour.
Il fell over in his arms in a faint
"When / came TO myself again
looked up at him with all the reproach
/ could summon.
"'My reputation gasped. It's
gone forever. I'll be cut by everybody
"Tn drive you home
"'Drive home fifty miles and at
night. We couldn't get there till morn
ing. Oh. heavens What shall do?
"Ill stand by you he said. III kill
any man who says you're not pure as
an angel
"'fan! / retorted. Men have moth
ing to do with spreading scandals. It's
the women. Do you think you could
stop their tongues? No woman can
be off like this with any man except
her husband
els that the only way out of it?' he
gasped.
"well, girls, landed him. We were
married and telegraphed notice to
the city papers. and-nnd." blushing,