The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1912-06-08

be very devoted to me. 1 may add
that she had a rather remarkable way
of showing her devotion at tines
What sort Of a remarkable way?''
inquired Winnie, becoming interested.
Did she pet you too much?'
Hardly too much" replied the wild
over refectiYeIy. You see, the poor
girl had a 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
five"
THAT must have been a great hard
Ship" murmured Winnie.
81 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 a day were enough for
human beings to subsist upon, and
from that moment I never knew what
it was not to feel hungry. 1t was this
practice, believe, that eventually car
ried her Of"
"she-she was not very young?'
hazarded Winnie.
poor gfrl-no! she-she had
been, 1 believe But she outgrew it.
She was in her sixty-fourth year when
she expired"
"Sixty-four!" exclaimed Winnie.
'Stxty-three," he corrected.
"O-oh!" calculated Winnie in a
long drawn gasp. "And you-you were
only twenty-five when you married
heri"
when she married me-" the widow
er interposed mildly. Yes; 1 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
towards me-though, Of course, /
should have preferred it, if it could
have been arranged"
ct feel" declared Winnie severely.
that we are treating the subject
much too f1ippantly."
You've not been married" he
sighed; $50 you don't know"
That's true" conceded Winnie
meditativeIy. Ct don't know-at least,
not yet"
There's no reason why you
shouldn't" put in the widower, with
sudden eagerness.
'Oh, but I am not sure that 1 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
i'm 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"
81 can answer for him." said the
widower decisively. do you know
Winnie-by the way, you don't mind
my calling you Winnie do your"
{" winnie has always struck me as
being the very prettiest name a girl
could have-Winnie."
81 didn't say you couldi" she ex-
claimed.
ST have a wonderful way of taking
things for granted" explained the wild
over airily. But do you know. it
just occurred to melville you were
talking and while you were showing
me what a beautiful thing marriage
might be with a sweet girl (who
wasn't a vegetarian lit just occurred
to me that I was most frightfully fond
of you"
"Oh," said Winnie. rising. There's
the next dance beginning, and II
"Sit down" said the widower. plac-
ing a OBTAINING hand on her arm.
Never mind the next dance. What
do you think I came here for tonight
I didn't come to dance. I came to see
you. have been waiting to see you
for-for months; but they told me
you were engaged, and 1 kept away. :"
II broke it off," she mLrmured,
looking down.
''Was-was he a vegetarian" asked
the widower anxiously.
Winnie raised her eyes to his, and
her cheeks turned suddenly crimson
mo, but I, +"
The widower gave a little trium-
plant laugh
my darling" he whispered in her
ear, I'VE can make 1t up to each other
all the rest of our 1ivesi"
The Hobo's Bearing.
A kind-hearted old lady in a West