The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1910-05-04
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
By r. A. mitchell
Copyright. 1910. by American Press
Association.

Copyright. 1910, by American Press .
y Association. Y
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The population of Dalmaria had been
riclning down for years. The marriage
licenses. which formerly had been is
sued by the city government at the
rate of about u hundred a week, had
diminished to ten or dozen month.
To remedy the evil the government
passed a law that all men should be
married by their twenty-first birthday
and no girl should refuse an offer I'M
less she could prove the proposer to be
not able to support her
There was CONSERVATION among the
unmarried of both sexes at the pas
sage of this law. Single men began
to bestir themselves to seeure--as some
of them expressed 1.-THE least unde-
sirable girl in the town. A woman
who had received a proposition was
given Il week to examine into her pro-
poser's fitness and come to a decision
But Mt the end of the week new pro
poser might be accepted. Consequently
the girl was not necessarily compelled
10 marry the first pronoser unless no
one else entered claim. This was
considered Il very wise cxpcdient since
1t admitted of competition Neverthe-
less it resulted in considerable litiga
ton Girls finding themselves unable
10 decide between several applicants
would defer decision till the limit of
time had passed Sometimes Il young
man within few days of his twenty
first birthday would be put off till he
had broken the law
That which has been called the DUN
bleton case has come down to us as a
cause celebre of this city of compul-
sorry marriages. Irene Dumbleton was
what is now called a flirt. 1t is said
that she once met a man mt ball and
so twisted his brain that within cou-
pie OF days he lay down To an eternal
sleep on the bottom of river. An
other within week after meeting her
Is reported to have climbed out OF the
dived to the sidewalk below Irene
Dumbleton could do anything 5. liked
with Il man. either reduce him to
dough or bake him SO hard that she
could kill an elephant with him. New
ertheless the instances mentioned were
doubtless exaggerated
When the marriage statute became "a
law Miss Dumbleton saw that she
must marry some man who might pro-
pose TO her. She did not intend that
the wrong proposcr should come with
in the limits of the law, She did not
mean to wait for proposition. She
made 1t her object to draw into her
net within a week after her first offer
as many proposers ~ possible in order
that she might choose between them.
The morning after the law had gone
into effect Miss Dumbleton received II
basketful of proposals. Some of the
proposers We're desirable some were
undesirable and some midway between
the two She wrote all the names of
men she considered available on cards
and laid them in n row in order OF
their desirability. The next day
brought an accession to the list with
Il consequent Introduction of new
names and n Encouragement of the or.
der of value. The second and subse.
euent days brought still larger acces.
sions. until ut the last day of grace
three-quarters of the eligible bachelors
of her class had proposed TO her.
one would think that with so many
TO choose from Miss Dumbleton might
find one-al the law allowed-to fill
the position of husband The truth is
that the one she really desired. one
whom she had previously declined. had
not sent in his name rs n candidate for
reconsideration
When Miss Dumblcton discovered
that the proposal of Egbrrt Whltmarsh
had not been sent In she was seized
with ii sudden apprehension. If seven
days should puss without his having
spoken again She would be obliged to
choose between humiliating herself be
fore the man she wanted or going to
jail.
Miss Dumbleton lay awake all night
thrashing her pillow like one in a
fever over this alternative. AT one
moment she vowed that she would
marry one of the men who had pro
posed to her. thus showing Mr.. Whit
marsh that he WAS not wanted At
the next she decided TO break the law
and go to Jail. Finally il occurred to
her that Mr. Whitmarsh was not sup
posed to know of her change of heart
She concluded to make virtue OF
necessity and inform him of that
change.
That day-the last but one of those
left her to comply with the law-she
spent three hours writing letters to
MY Dear Mr.. Whitmarsh" my Dear
Egbert.' MY Dear Friend" Hon
ored Sir" but she neither came TO a
decision MS TO which of these modes
of address she would use. nor did any
of the letters she wrote please her
Finally she threw them all In the
wastebasket. went out, bought few
forgetmenots and, putting one Of them
into an enS elope with her card. sent
1t to Mr. Whitmarsh
The repl, came back TO her; You
indicate that you would wish me not
to forget you. This is heaping on me
sorrows crown. If you realized my
sufferings on your account you would
wish me to forget you as soon as pos
sible'
Fool" exclaimed Miss Dumbleton.
"Sfust tell him that | have changed
my mind with regard to him? Yes!
No. What shall l do? | have but till
tomorrow at noon"
She dashed Off the words, Il have
changed my mind" and, placing the
message in the hands of her servant,
told him to take it at once to Mr..
Whitmarsh.
The reply was, to say the least, an
noying: ITO me who have loved you
from the first moment | laid eyes on