The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1912-06-21


stern rebuke, ut was not q low,
. match at all?"
We'll. perhaps not exactly what yol
would describe as a love match" h,
conceded; although she pretended t.
be very devoted to me. l may ado
that she had rather remarkable wa,
OF showing her devotion at times"
What sort Of remarkable wayg
inquired Winnie, becoming interested
Did she pet you too much?"
Hardly too much" replied the wild
over Teflectively. "You see, the poor
girl had somewhat fiery temper
She was terribly jealous-entirely OH
quite entirely without cause" he
fastened to add. Nevertheless, she
would not allow me on any considera-
ton to speak to a woman under forty
f1ve."
"That must have been great hard
ship" murmured Winnie.
II could have supported it with
equanimity," he sighed. "But she lat
terly developed various uncomfortable
eccentricities. Among other things
she became a vegetarian, and COM
PEELED me to live on herbs, like her.
self. She embraced the absurd theory
that two meals day were enough for
human beings to subsist upon, and
from that moment never knew what
TWAS not to feel hungry It~was this
practice I believe,that eventuallf car
ried her off,"
"She-she was not very young?"
hazardeds'Winnie.a
Poor girl-no! She--she had
been, I believe. But she outgrew> 1t:
She was in her sixty-fourth year when
she expired"
"Sixty-four!" exclaimed Winnie.
"Sixty-three," he corrected.
"O-oh!" calculated Winnie in a.
long-drawn gasp. "And you-you were
only twenty-five when you married
her!"
when she married me the widow.
er1nterposed mildly. Eyes; I!couldn't
help that, you know. 1t was three
years ago now, so I became consider.
ably older as We went along"
"She was old enough to have been
your grandmother" exclaimed Win
ME Indignantly.
True; but she would never have
consented to act in that relation
towards me-though, Of course, I Il
should have preferred 1t, If it could
have been arranged"
II feel" declared Winnie severely,
that We are treating the subject
much too flippantly"
You've not been married." he
sighed; $50 you don't know"
That's true" conceded Winnie
meditatively. II don't know-at least.
not yet"
There's no reason why you
shouldn't" put in the widower, with
sudden eagerness.
ooh, but 1 am not sure that I want
TO-" she objected.
You would then enjoy the advan.'
tage of being in a position to prove
your assertion" he urged.
"And, supposing I found-when it
was too late-that I was wrong?" she
demurred.
you wouldn't" said the widower,
with emphasis. you would find that
in your case-theory and practice
would entirely coincide. To begin
with, you-are not vegetarian"
But" protested Winnie, my hus-
band might insist upon making me be-
come one"
II can answer for him." said the
decisively. 'tDo you know
Winnie-by the way, you don't mind
ny calling you Winnie do you?"
Winnie has always struck me as
,eing the very prettiest name a girl
could have-Winnie."
IT didn't say you could" she ex-
claimed.
II have wonderful way of taking
hings for granted" explained the wild
'wer airily., "But do you know, it
ustS occurred to- melville you were
alking and while you were showing
ne what beautiful thing marriage
night be with q sweet girl (who
wasn't vegetarian)- just occurred /
o me that I was most frightfully fond
# you"
"Oh," said Winnie, rising. There's
he next dance beginning, and l."
"Sit down." said the widower, plac-
ng OBTAINING hand on her arm.
Never mind the next dance. What
70 you think I came here for tonight?
didn't come to dance. came to see
ou. have been waiting to see you
or-for months; but they told me
on were engaged, and l kept away" |
IL broke it off," she murmured.
ooking down.
"Was--was he a vegetarian" asked
he rWidOWer anxiOusly. l.