The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-05-10

done had it not been her browning
beauty Then when she had recovered
bit of calmness she determined to
make one more appeal She wrote:
'The law compels me to accept by
tomorrow one of number of offers
have received"
To this the reply came: "You fill me
with grief. How happy would be to
save you If only you loved me. But a
marriage of convenience-imposs
To marry one devotedly love merely
to convey upon her favor would pro-
fame my most sacred feelings
When Miss Dumbleton received this
message a suspicion came to her that
Mr.. Whitmarsh was not such a fool
after all. Indeed, it occurred to her
that he was playing with her. Was 1t
in revenge for the treatment he had
himself received at her hands, or did
he propose to punish her for what she
had inflicted ON his sex? At any rate.
she could go no further. She consid-
cred the plan of inviting him to come
TO see her with a view to determin-
attitude toward her. but she felt that
she had already demeaned herself to
the utmost. and she could not bring
herself to do so any further
On the morning she must accept one
Of her suitors or violate the law a
basket of beautiful cut flowers came
to her with Mr.. Whitmarshs name at
tached. For few moments she was
oyerjoyed. Could it be possible that
he would relent? She waited awhile,
but received no further word from him
and abandoned herself to despair.
''The state against Dumbletonr'
called the clerk of the court
Miss Dumbleton stepped to the front.
Irene Dumbleton." said the judge.
you are charged by the matrimonial
bureau with a violation of the mar
riage laws in that you have refused to
marry Alfred Trimmingham, first of
ifty-four proposers, and you made no
claim that he is of bad character or
that he cannot support you. Do you
plead guilty or not guilty?"
Guilty, your honor"
How comes it." rejoined the judge,
that with SO many suitors to choose
from you cannot find one to please
your"
The lady stood silently looking at the
floor.
"This. your honor" said the prose-
Of ~ f1no of,.i,, ;.,f
reau, sis the most fragrant case we
have had. This woman ever since she
came of matrimonial age has drawn
suitors to her. keeping them from pro-
posing to other women and refusing to
marry any one of them herself And
now we have all these bachelors who
claim that they have complied with
the law in proposing to her to encum-
Der the calendar with their cases.
trust that your honor will infiict upon
her the heaviest penalty the law al
lows"
"Once more. Irene DumbIeton," said
the judge, 81 ask you to choose one
from among the fifty-four men who
are willing to marry you, would re-
mind you that the law does not permit
woman to change her mind and be
released from the penalty after sen
tence has been imposed, though she
may do so before she has received her
sentence. The extreme penalty that
can impose upon a woman refusing
to marry is ten years Imprisonment.
with the addition of one year for every
man who has made her a proposition.
1t will therefore be my duty to send
you to prison for sixty-four years. and
when you are again free to marry, you
being eighty-six"-
Eighty four. your honor"
-"you will not find a matrimonial
market equal to that of today Will
you choose"
The woman remained silent.
Then, Irene Dumbleton. SEN
tence"-
Hold, your honorY' cried a voice.
Egbert Whitmarsh advanced. II pro-
pose for the hand of this woman.
Irene, will you marry meT'
mo"
"In the feminine vocabulary, your
honor, l am told No means Yes"
said Whitmarsh. and. taking Miss
Dumbleton's hand, he drew it under
his arm and led bar out of court.