Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1912-09-13
Her Aged Lover
4 Correspondence That Brought
About a Change Of Heart.
By GEENDOLN TURNLER

my dear young lady" said MFR
Peckbam. attorney at law, to Miss Lou
ise Lamond, supposed b~eiress, who's
estate he was managing, Il see bui
one way out Of the tangle. Unless
you are prepared to do as | suggest |
fear your property win pass into the
hands of John Paddock"
your plan isl
Marry him." 80
"Oh, %heavensF'
The girl sat thinking with a dis.
tressed look on her face. Finally she
asked. why are you so sure that be
will accept this-that unhallowed plan
Of settling the suitT'
Because be proposed It TO me at our
last meeting"
why. he has never seen me-"
True. but he has learned from me
that you are a very clever, a very
comedy and altogether attractive young
lady"
Miss Lamond was too absorbed in
the matter Of discussion even to thank
the speaker for the compliment She
told him that she would take a week
to think the matter over. II at the
end OF that time she decided to look
favorably on his suggestion she would
notify him and Mr.. Paddock could
then open the grew some negotiations.
She spent the seven days in an agony
Of vacilliation. then tool seven days
more for further consideration. At
the end Of the second week she was SO
worn with lndecislon that she spun a
coin to decide whether she would lose
a fortune or double It with an unat-
tractlve elderly man thrown In. The
coin turned up for the marriage. Miss
LamoDd at onc Informed Mr.. Peck.
ham of her decision.
Within a few days came a formal
letter from Mr.. Paddock stating that
be regretted that he and Miss Lamond
had become ~entangled In the meshes
OF the law and he was ready to do
anything to arrive at a settlement
he did not feel that II would be 1ust
to those who would come after him to
surrender any part of a property that
the law would give him. II Miss La
mond could bring herself to unite the
estates by marrying a man so
much older than herself and with no
~pretentions to personal attractiveness
bis suit against her estate would be
withdrawn and be would do his best
to make her an affectionate husband
Women do not always shrink from
marrying men older han themselves
simply because of the difference In
age. A hope came to Miss Lamond
that there might be a possibility of her
becoming attached to the man she
was intending to marry. and this hope
Influenced her reply. She wrote Mr.
Paddock that even to save a fortune
she could not consent to marry a man
who would be repulsive to her. She
was ignorant of both his appearance
and character. She proposed the mat
be handed with elaboration in or.
der that they might gradually draw
out a knowledge of each other; then. II
they were mutually pleased, or at least
not mutually d~ispleased. they could
carry out the matrimonial plan of stop
ping litigation. Both the matter of
her letter and the delicacy with which
It was expressed were calculated to
win the respect and admiration Of any
good man.
The reply to this letter. which sug-
only a general method and
no especial plan of procedure.
caused Miss Lamond great satisfac-
ton 1t was full of sympathy. re
again the necessity for her
making a marriage Of convenience,
and the writer offered to do anything
IA his power to make 1t as little dis
tasteful to her as possible. he sug-
yested that the courtship be begun by
correspondence. Possibly by this
means he might show Miss Lamond
what of man be was, and II
his thoughts, his impulses, hts inner
nature were not ~disagreeable to her
IN seeing him she might be favorably
Dredisposed to him in the flesh. There
vas not a word as to any doubts on
his part thai she would be agreeable
him.
From the beginning OF the CORE
Ipondence Miss Lamond began to
throw of the repulsion she had con-
for such a marriage. She won.
how a man Of John Paddock's
Ige, especially n whom she had been
disposed to consider a skinnint, could.
lway down In his nature. have such
admirable emotions. when / think
II my imp~erfections." he wrote, 81
OF ver winning the heart Of
estimable a young lady. and | can
lot be content with a mere union of
interests. Possibly the world and |
nay have exaggerated my Disagree
bile traits, or may not a better nature
n me have been warped by that bat.
10 with the world which every man
Who succeeds-especially in building
Ip a fortune-must dghtY'
This excuse that the man made for
imself appealed strongly t. Miss La
nond. Her father had made a fortune,
nd she had often heard him say that
he work was crucifying to the In.
uncts Of a gentleman. She replied
hat she understood how a man might
ppear to the world and even himself
0 be spoiled by this struggle with
hose who were endeavoring to beat
i'm. but that Mr.. Paddock had shown