El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-01-11
The Diary Of A Bachelor
He Meets the Widowed Mother OF
1Ianette's Playmate and Fears
Marriage Net.
Max

~ &c. 81 had hoped to escape
making an acquaintance at this
- hotel, but find that Manette is
making that impossible. She and little
Alice Martin have become such fast
friends it was only a matter of time
till would be compelled to make the
acquaintance of Alice's mother.
That good fortune Cor will 1t prove
to be bad2) befell me this morning
Manette and / were walking IN the
park when suddenly she dropped my
nand and ran to greet a little girl VINO
woman of about so. She pulled the
little girl back to where L waited for
her and the mother followed This,
said Manette, trying in her baby fash
ion to- remember the instructions Miss
Hill had given her, is -Alice.s mamma
she hasn't any papa: he's IN heaven
And this, grasping my hand, is my
most beIOVedest uncle Max All the
rest of us are in heaven, too"
With all the rest of US in HEAVIER"
furnls ming credentials which should be
good for any occasion Mrs. Martin and
l bowed, and an acquaintance began
which has so far been very agreeable,
NO Matrimonial Designs.
I enjoy talking with women have
/ often descended into the kitchen at
home and talked with the cook while
she rolled out her pies and cakes. or,
not so sure about that, but I do know
/ that her views of life and its problems
have furnished me with much pleasant
and profitable reflection.
Every evening when I have accom-
panied Manette to the realm of the
sand Man, and beguiled her with fairy
tales while he sprlnTk5led sand On her
eyelIds, I talk with Richards, her
! nurse, while waiting for the child to
rail- sound asleep. Talking with a
cook and a nurse may be frOWned upon
| by the m1lllOnaires, of whose class
am most unhappy member, but at
least they have no matrimonial de-
signs upon me.
If L speak pleasantly to any other
woman she takes 1T as encouragement
and straightWay begins to lay mine
to catch my needless feet.
Dec 1O-The time is passing both
profitably and pleasantly. Manette is
growing round and rosy once more,
I Snnd IS losing her fear Of every one.
morning till night
A Suspicious Sigh.
-She needed a child to make her for
get, l remarked to Mrs Martin one
| day when we were watching the chill
I dren playing in the sand.
she needs the cOmpaniOnship of a
child all through the days Of her child
hood" replied Mrs. Martin. Then. with
a sigh, she added: "Manette and Alice
are like two sisters. They are so con-
genialr'
I don't like that sigh. believe I
had better send for Mrs. Jack Spencer.
She can read women: I can't Mrs.
Martin is very handsome. very agree
able, and very clever. Moreover. her
late husband is in heaven He is not
divorced from her. and to live with a
man these days till ne gets to heaven
IS a most creditable and unusual thing
to do.
But occasionally catch look from
her that is undeniably tender. There
was a day when such a look would
have sent the warm blood racing
through my veins. Now it sends cold
chills up my spine
Dec. 12-DO you know, Diary. that
/ Gnnnd a ha
I do not think of the letter of that
poor, tired-Out woman who proposed
to me because she wanted a little
harbOr of her own" have figured in
my many lonely moments that it is
costing me more here for Manette.
Richards, TOmpkins and myself in one
day than she could earn in three
months
I spoke Of her to Mrs. Martin this
evening, but she didn't seem at all in
terested.