The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-01-30
THE GIRL WHO WON
A MATRIMONIAL PRIZE

thing, she was prettier than that Miss
McElroy you were all raving about
last night so madly."
"Impossible!" said the chorus.
There couldn't be any one prettier
than Kate McElroy! Why, she's a
perfect, natural blonde!"
We'll Rosina was ten times more
natural" declared the old lady firm
ly. She was the kind that looks as
though she had been made out Of
roses and cream and peaches. And
she had heaps Of hair that was so ca
nary yellow that all her life her lit
tie brother had to lick all the boys in
town who said that their sisters said
she touched it up and blondined 1t.
1t really was unfortunate hair, be-
cause 1t looked so gloriously impos-
sible. She had the figure of an adj
vertisement lady and cheerful dispo,
short, Rosina was calculated to drive
every other woman to hopeless, voice
less rage because 1t Just wasn't pos
sibLa to equal her at all.
1T seemed that she had every
thing-every advantage as to material
things as well as to looks. No other
girl had bit of chance when Rosina
MUIR was around-but as she was a
generous, good-natured girl, she work,
ed hard trying to distribute her ador-
ers among the wall-f1owers. The cat
ty ones said that she did It only
because she didn't want them herself.
but l think Rosina ought to have the
credit for going to all the trouble, any
how. There wasn't a man in town
she couldn't have married, if she had
wanted to, SO naturally she stayed sim
gle
Nearly all the other girls of her
age got married eventually to the
man who tired OF waiting for Rosina
to change her mind. She outgrew the
fluffy stage, where all a girl demands
of a man is that he be good looking
and happen along at the time. She
was witty, too and 1t took a smart
man to keep up with her. We decided
1t would not be any ordinary man
that Rosina MUIR would make up her
mind to marry.
THE summer that Judge Wagners
brother came to recover from typhoid
we thought she had met her fate. ME
Wagner was tall and distinguished
looking and a lawyer and had travelled
abroad and Just to look at him you
knew he would be perfectly at hons
II the POSTMASTER called on him I'M
expectedly for speech.
Judge Wagners brother took TO
Rosina Immediately and seemed to
think that she was the right medicine
for a typhoid patient. Anyway, you
rarely saw her when he wasn't along.
And she seemed to enjoy it, too.
never saw her look pretter or laugh
more or put herself out more to be
charming than she did when with
him
we had the wedding all planned
and the girls who knew they'd surely
be asked to act as bridesmaids had
decided on the color of their gowns
and then Mr.. Wagner went away
rather abruptly and Rosina smiled on.
One of the girls asked her If she
didn't like him and Rosina said he
was perfectly fine and she had so en-.
joyed her summer She didn't seem
TO realize how mad and disappointed
we all were with her
1T was just the same when James
Miller came to visit his sister for q
week and stayed a month He was
something in stocks in Chicago and
one of those dark, clever men who
scare you but he didn't scare Rosina
She sparkled at him and he became
instantly a groveling worm. He was
her slave and not only did he not care
who knew it, but he wanted to shake
in the public's face the chains that
bound him.
He had heaps of money and we
thought how fine it would be for Ro-
sina TO be able to go in the best city
society and have limousine. She al
ways did have beautiful clothes, but
now no doubt she'd have whole err
mine wraps and never wear the same
dress twice But Mr.. Miller also de-
parted abruptly-and Rosina smiled
on.
People scolded awfully about it.
She was getting older each year and
even her beauty would not last for.
overland what on earth did the girl
want? She had had chances that
most girls never come within reaching
! distance of and each one she tossed
! overheard. We said she would end
by picking out some one who was no
account and that 1t would serve her
right There's the old proverb about
going through the woods and picking
up q crooked stick at last, and we
harped on it strong. No doubt she
would end her days over the washtub
| supporting worthless husband and
regretting that she hadn't acted sen
sibly when she had the chance. IL
always turns out that way"
We'll what did she do flnal6?"
asked ons OF the girls. Marry the
town drunkard or elope with carpet
| beaten agent who deserted her at the
next town."
The old lady smiled. No." she
said "Whsn she was 20 Bosnia went
away on a visit and met the man she
married the next summer. He was
Just as good looking in his way as she
| WAS in hers had a fortune Of several