Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-06-21
Her Aged Lover
A Correspondence That Brought
About a Change Of Heart.
By GWENDOLN TURNLER

Peckham. attorney at law, to Miss Lou
Ise Lamond. supposed heiress. whose
estate he was managing, 81 see but
one way out of the tangle. Unless
you are prepared to do as suggest
fear your property will pass into the
hunds Of John Paddock"
Your plan isl
Marry him."
oh. heavensw
The girl sat thinking with a dis
tressed look on her face. Finally she
asked. why are you so sure that he
will accept this-that unhallowed plan
of settling the suit2''
Because he proposed It to me at our
last meeting"
why. he has never seen me-"
True, bat he has learned from me
that y9p are very clever, very
conely Snd 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 week
~ think the matter over. If at the
end of that time she decided to look
favorubly on his suggestion she would
notify him and Mr.. Paddock could
then open the grewsome negotiations
She spent the seven days In an agony
OF Vacilliation, then took 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-
tractive elderly man thrown In. The
coin turned up for the marriage! Miss
Lamond at once informed Mr.. Peck.
ham of her decision. 4.
Within few days cameya formal
letter from Mr. Paddock stating that
he 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 It would be Just
to those who would come after him to
surrender any part Of property that
the law would give him. If Miss La
mond could bring herself to unite tho
two estates by marrying man 80
much older than herself and with no
pretentions TO personal attractiveness
his suit against her estate would be
withdrawn and he would do his best
TO make her an afrectionate husband.
Women do not always shrink from
marrying men older than themselves
simply because of the difference In
age. A hope came to Miss Lamond
that there might be 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 man
who would be repulsive TO her. She
wns ignorant of both his appearance
and character She proposed the mat
ter be handled with deliberation IN or.
der that they might gradually draw
out knowledge of each other; then, II
they were mutually pleased. or at least
not mutually displensed. they could
carry out the matrimonial plan OF stop
ping litigation. Both the matter OF
her letter and the delicncy with which
II was expressed were calculated to
win the respprt and admiration OF any
good nun
The reply TO this letter. which sug
gested only general method and
gave no especial plan Of procedure.
caused Miss Lamond great satisfac-
tlOn II was full of sympathy. re-
GREETED again the necessity for her
making a marriage OF convenience,
and the writer offered to do anything
IN his power to make It as little dis
tasteful TO her as possible lie sug-
gested that the rOurtship be begun by
correspondence Possibly by this
means he might show Miss Lamond
what manner of man he was, and II
his thoughts. his impulses. his inner
nature were not disagreeable to her,
on seeing him she might be favorably
predlsposed to him In the flesh. There
was not word as TO any doubts on
his part that she would be agreeable
to him
From the beginning of the CORE
spondence Miss Lamopd began TO
throw of the repulsion sho had con-
ceived for such marriage. She won
dered how man of John Paddock's
age. especially one whom she had been
disposed to consider a slfinfint, could,
away down In his nature, have such
admirable emotions. when | think
OF my imperfections," be wrote, II
despair Of ever winning the heart Of
so estimable young lady. and can
not be content with a mere union of
interests Possibly the world and
may have exaggerated my Disagree
able traits. or may not better nature
IN me have been warped by that bat
tie with the world which every man
who succeeds especially IN building
up a fortune fightT
This excuse that the man made for
himself appealed strongly TO Miss La.
mond Her father had made fortune,
and she had often heard him say that
The work was crucifying to tho In.
stincts Of gentleman. She replied
that she understood how man might
appear TO the world and even himself
10 IA spoiled by this struggle with
hose who were endeavoring to beat
him. but that Mr.. Paddock had shown
plainly that his true character had
tome through the contest unscnthed.
Miss Lamond was beginning even 10