The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1910-04-20

our number has committed matr-
mony Edward Hammerton has tax
en- to himself a wife. will read arti-
Gle : from our constitution. applying
to his case:
when any member shall become en-
gagged or has been married he shall pay
u fine. and his membership in the club
shall cease lie shall state the arts by
which he was shared If there are palli-
ating circumstances in his case he shall
not pay the "hole line. but such portion
of II as the club may consider Just
amount In his case.
MIR Hammerton will now make his
statement"
II assure You. gentlemen" said the
retiring member, that no intention
whatever To desert you ever entered
my head until diabolical combina-
ton of young women in the town
where | live forced matrmony upon
me. These persons organized club
based on a custom prevailing in Il fer
eign land. Between the mountains of
India and Persia. have since under
stood, is Il powerful tribe, among
whom the ladies can choose their own
lshands All single woman has 10
/ when she wishes to change her
st is To send Il servant 10 pin n
han. terehief to the hat of the man ON
whom her fancy lights. and he is
obliged To marry her unless he can
show that he is too poor To purchase
her ut the price her father requires
INSPIRED by this suggestion from II
land where secret venomous methods
underlie NIL social conditions, every
unmarried woman in the town where
| live formed a club-rather entered
upon II eonspraey-to force The bach
elors into matrimony. one morning.
being about to leave my home, on tax
ing my hat from the hall closet some
thing soft and scented tiuttered against
my hand. | shuddered. | had touch
ed the Indian poison Hover and was
reminded of its waXen petals and its
seductive odor. Taking the hat 10 the
light | saw pinned to II n blue silk
handkerchief in one corner of which
was embroidered my monogram in
white silk thread Observe. gentle
men. the insHuating method of this
designing creature. She not only knew
how dear to every man is his alma
mater, but SHE was aware that blue
is the color Of my college.
Mind Won. gentlemen. | did not at
the time know of this society or OF lis
maleyoent purpose, for the members
kept both secret SO long as possible.
asked my butler how the bandkerc hlef
came to he pinned To my hat. He
said that the servant of Miss Eugenia
Tomlinson. living at the other end of
the street. had called before | was
out of bed. asked for my hat and at
tached the handkerchief Why he had
done SO he did not state.
Going to my club after | had break
tasted, | sat down to "a cigar and II
paper. In the paper | read II full ac-
count Of the organization and prac-
tees of this pestilent Indian plant that
had been imported to Our soil. also
read Il list of the bachelor heads that
had already fallen and was aghast to
see the names of two of my most init
mate friends.
"'Great haavens.' cried, the per.
SEPARATION starting out on me. and
have already received II deadly Black
Hand notification.
The lady who had thus marked me
for matrimonial misery. both from her
beauty aud general attractivcness was
all powerful. Any man on whom she
pinned the skull and eroSsboncs must
walk the plank There was no hope
for him. Nevertheless. though seeing
the signal to heave to. ! made up my
mind to pay no attention to It,
business
why didn't You take 10 an aero
planeT' a mcmber interrupted.
Rats" "Buncombe,. Brave boy"
and the like greeted the speaker
"One week after the receipt Of the
signal he continued the period
given b!acklisted bachelors by this
club, | met one of my most respected
woman friends on the street. She
cut me dead The same day | met
several others and received the cut
direct from all. Here was, indeed,
a boycott. You must remember
gentlemen, that. although we do not
wish to surrender our Independence
to these creatures, to be ostraclzed by
them Is a serious matter In time J
was cut by every unmarried woman In
town. Besides, the most attractive
married women were honorary mem
bers of the club and joined the boy
colt.
'And then, gentlemen, appeared the
most alluring feature Of this malig
nant scheme Last of all my femi-
nine acquaintance met the girl into
whose tolls II was intended that
should fall. A seductive blush over
spread her features. bewildering
smile parted her vcrmilioB lips and
showed two rows Of pearls beneath;
then a modest dropping of the eyes
These women who had united to as
sist In Sharing me were all denying
me the benefit f their society for the
purpose Of driving me like an limo
cent bird into the opening of the net
intended for me-"
At this point in the speech there
were groans and cries OF Poor boy!
Innocent bird.' where's his moth
err Hes going to cry and the like.
Here, fell was going TO say fel
low bachelors; alas, | can call you
such no longer,-I took that first step
which leads to the final inevitable fall.
turned and Joined her. Like the inc
briate who sips the first glass OF wine
that he knows will drag him down to
his ruin, / submitted myself to n pres
ence which knew would steal away
my brains. might as well have
swallowed laudanum."