Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1911-10-21
Matrimony
y For Sale
By JOHN PHILIP ORTIZ

seat, and her eye being caught by
some Of the advertisements, she had
taken the paper home with her.
Among the other attractions was
the advertisement of Madame Kane,
who made it business and a delight
to provide handsome wives and
wealthy husbands for the small sum
of SO each. She had brought about
hundreds of happy marriages, and
was anxious to bring about hundreds
more. 1t was matrimony while you
wait, and no mistake ever occurred.
! Miss Laurine read that advertise
ment and giggled. She read it again
and chuckled. There was certainly
three dollars worth of fun in it.
Dressing in one of her plainest cos
tunes, she rang madam's bell and
was welcomed with a smile. Yes,
madam brought human hearts to-
gether-male and female hearts.
Sometimes those hearts loved at first
sight; at other times they didn't
love for two or three days, but love
was sure to come. What sort of a
husband would Miss Brown like?
She had old men, middle-aged men
and young men on her list. She had
rich men and men who were without
wealth, but romantic. The list be-
gan with statesmen and ran down to
artists starving in garnet.
AS Miss Brown was fair, she
would probably prefer a dark hus-
band. She had seventy dark ones
on her list, and could warrant each
and every one sound, kind and gen.
tie. You pay SO, register your name,
and the thing is as good as done. A
meeting is arranged, you see each
other, Cupid fires his arrows, and
there is a marriage and bridal
iRuri
ST. think l prefer a starving
artist" said Miss Laurine, who had
of course given a false name. 81
have always heard that starving art
lists cling to the romance of marriage
longer than any other class"
r"fhey surely DO" said Madam
ne. whether it is because they
go around with empty stomachs, or
from their artistic natures, | can't
say, but they continue to be roman
tic for years and years. / have i've
starving artists on my list, and all
are dark. We shall have no trouble
at all. Long hair, dreamy eyes,
dropping mustache and ragged jack
et-I know just what you want. Call
in one week."
Miss Laurine didn't mean to call.
She had been actuated by spirit
of mischief and curiosity. She didn't
like Madam Kane, and she didn't
believe in love and matrimony being
reduced to business. The five starv-
ing artists must continue to starve.
If she could get their addresses she
would send them a dollar apiece, but
the matter must end there.
And yet, when the week was up
she rang madam's doorbell for the
second time. She had said she
wouldn't, but madam had said to
herself that she would. Curiosity
would fetch her.
''I am so glad you have come,
Miss Brown. 1 have an artist here
waiting. He is the incest one one
nv list. He has been diving in q
garret and starving for the last
three years, and oh, he is 50 very
very romanticp
"But II don't want to NEE
himp faltered the girl. "Pll JUS
look at his photo and then take thre'
or four days to make up my mind
"But that is unusual, my dear.
have no photo of him, and you know
that delays are dangerous. II yo'
wait three or four days he may b
picked up by some one else. onl,
five starving artists in the city, an'
there are hundreds and hundreds o
s1s who want to get married ; seiz
the golden opportunity now"
"No, l think I'll wait"
At that moment three blocks ava
and headed for Madam Kane's, wa
PhillipA Bennett, a young mar
YOungylr. Bennett had also go
hold of copy of the same matrlmc