Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1911-12-07

Miss Matilda weathersby on open.
ing hef morning mail read circular
tsttes. as Follows: oido q
! d You are invited 70 Be- present as q meet
ins Of hacheiors and splnstera for the pur-
pose cr organizing snatrtmonial exchange
! Recaase that period q which persons
usrally fnarvy bee ra~.ee tssE = Z ; rea,
sen why marriage shoula be entlraiy Civ
en up The exchange In intended for those
VINO have before them q lonely old age.
fhae thar, may ee thrown tegsther with .
view to forming matrimonial eopartner-
sAips for their mutual comfort
+ N Miss Weathefsby thought the matter
svsf and concluded to attend the meet
tng. She was flfty-two. but did noe
consider herself old enough to entitle
her 60 a membership to the exchange.
Nevertheless she was very lonely and
ready TO catch at any straw that might
/ bring her eofnpanionship. t"
sdOA' catering the room where the
meeting was held Miss weathersby re-
ceiyed q shock Men and women
whose hair was either sprinkled with
gray or had turned white were chat
ting together. any one Of whom. she
thought. must be older than herself.
She was received by the chairwoman
Of the ladies' reception committee and
Imales bold 60 express the opinion that
those she saw present were entirely
too old, for marriage To her aston
ishment the lady informed her that
most OF the women present were her
juniors .t''.tI' Z. AFt"..
} "A gentleman was presented 20 Miss
Weathersby, whose name she did not
hear. who began to chat with her, nat
uraily choosing for subject the pur-
poses Of the exchange Miss Wealth
ersby declared that she had come sim
ply from curiosity; that she was per-
fectly satisfied with single life and
would not marry on any account
|"c Perhaps said the gentleman.
years ago you loved some young man
from whom fate separated you"
h., Rather say his own innate wicked
ness"
"And you were Obliged to send him
awayY' 'l79Nrr ..
i Il certainly was"
| TG 7COusumes Al suCH SAeO WV
man In Dartlp - AauII
q -l-SiaL was not 30 I'm my case"
I 81 was dismissed by a girl 1 v,~.
vas but twenty-five years old. she
nineteen. She considered herself very
badly treated by me. ! felt sure that
she was in error. therefore II yield
ed TO her / would not only make n
: mistake in that instance. but be oblig-
ed to continue yielding TO her, right or
wrong. throughout our married lives.
Therefore refused. and she dismissed
me-"
"My case was very different" said
y Miss weAfhersby. - was entirely
right. and my lover Was entirey
! wrong, ! had a brother who nee,i"d
my care. insisted Oil his living with
me after ms marriage. Ny lover very
setfshiy declIped the Arrangement,
/ naturally clung to my brother and let
my lover 10"
".Was your brother worthy Of the
sacrifice Of the happiness Of two per.
sons"
.1ie was" ~-"
| 4 -Affectionate. unselHsh. honorablef"
"All these" q
aIs he still living With your'
"No. He died twenty years ago.
There was a pause In the Dialogue.
during which the gentleman looked
thought fully at his companion +hnd
with q tinge OF melancholy in bis Se.
Then he said: .. -.
"what would you think OF your, pr
tion if II could be proved to you that
your brother was unworthy Of the She
/ rifce you umde for him-a Sacr4fire
that Involved your lovers lifelong hap
pinessT r. sr1 ,,ug
"No such supposition Ii possible
Tie drew FORTH his pocketbook and
I took ont paper which he handler 10
her. She read IL. and every vesiig"
!. Of color left her face. II was a rc0r.
fession written many years before 10
: her lover by this same brother that
he had stolen money from him. the
confession being made on condition
b, that the debt was Cancelled and the
theft kept a secret When Miss
weatherby looked up she gaspedtT
"And you are Tom"
S'f am Tom"
/ why ala you not tell me of tlRs
| az the time II occnrredT b Ddi
'I preferred that ron should eh09se
between me and your brother rather
than between me and a criminal. 4
J lover, N husband who In willing 70 se
secoua 10 aay one r. a weaklinfS 9'i
/ II From the time Of her entrance tBsD
the world to the present moment %iss
/ weathersby had been one Of those
women who are best described by the
gwerds @she Knows II all" This trait
\ was strengthened by a strong is'iu
The paper tt1ar trerTt'cd in her hand
I had produced In her a revolutiaHT IL
/ came laIe Uui II Jeff ln her DpJ e9S
] FracS q" rar former '.'nl' From. =
/ Horic<s@S'ie 'ad Uccof.e y lamb ~ :.
bra az = NJ forgiven a. '''r shbwth !;
.,ssI shGIi7F-rf"'Fr resunes rb- - al.
Il bad al abIect ia dolRg ~. tqE
typ d! ade- | have lived In u fore,Sa
country. Returning. I received az ",
vitation 70 tofn this exchange and az
cidsntafy learned that youii Were =
member. b I came here with Dns' otS
ject. to meet you. and that We shOoii
meet understandingiy ] preterred ~
explain the past" N -
D At Che next regular meeting OF the
: exchange ths president annouh reed
that the nrst match had been snafiR
Mr.. Thomas Harrington and Miss Ma
tiida wsathersby were engaged.
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