The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1913-05-02
A LEAP IN
THE DARK
O. ESTHER vANpENEER

D ESTHER vANpEvEER
-Miss nldrIdgs.v said Mr.. Tourtslotts.
II have called on aemattsr, Of grsatsim-
p~oFtahcs 10 No; Hhsthsfs st - q any
importance Whatever to you remains
70 be;sssn. You remember We INST but
. month ago on Q yachting party: that
I chattod with you casually on that
occasion; that you gractously permitted
to call upon you; that / have seen
you since that 1rst meeting perhaps q
dozen dimes. During these meetngs Il
has been but natural. that I should take
pains to conceal my faults; that I
should wish to appear to you in a.
favorable a light az possible. You can
have gained only q superficial knowl-
edge Of my character. I may be strong
or weak. generous or mean. well poised
Of passionate. but you do not know
which Of these traits I posses
Nevertheless I have come to ask you
to be my wife. Why I.have done 20.
premising my invitation by calling your
attention to your meager knowledge Of
me. I viii explain in a few words. I
do not believe that. however long q
man ID acquainted with a woman or
vice versa, the one can learn the others
goodsor bad qualities. To discover this
they must have been married ZONE
time.
Furthermore. / have observed that
hiendship rarely brings love. The sex.
e. mats through amysferdous drawing
together under the influence Of what
We cal love, andSaH The world knows
that love is blind I.4hsrefore ask you
to taks the leap with me In the dark"
AAllr this AntseDslv 0ssa ,poissd1
proposition Mt. Tourtelotts took out
bis: handkerchief, drew It across his
mouth-with no purpose that was ap-
parent-put It again in his pocket and
awaited Miss Eldridge's reply with his
eyes fixed on the ceiling. Miss Eldr1dge
preferred looking on the door; from
which some women scorning men
would infer that the male aspires while
the female grovels.
II assure you, MI. To%urtelotte," re-
piled the lady, that I appreciate-am
deeply touched-by the compliment you
pay me. am not surprised that one
Of courage should look upon marriage
as q leap in the dark. ] have always
myself considered It 90. and perhaps
that 81 the eason why l am approach.
ing middle age without having married
Like you. ! am somewhat analytical.
While ] see in man a great deal that
u noble, I also perceive a great deal
that azwoman cannot admire. Till the
twentieth century It has been his
province to be q master to his wife.
Il u only recently that brides are re-
fusing to nee the word obey In the
marriage service. Then. too. a oman
has 10 assurance when she marriss
that she,wlls b. gently treated. Our
foEefathsfs who lived In Tho middle
ages considered women % their In
fssion. IN some barbarous lands to-
day girl children IN made away With.
Among the Turks IL % stdll q disputed
paint among the men whether We have
souls
Pardon me-. MI. TourteIotte Inter.
rupted. the lady becoming 0 ana
more wrousnt up With these srowtng
an1ustlcee. "Our men N mes!c are
20 descended nom eemlclvMs1ed
races: We are wen more OF
onr women than our Caucassian oretn.
rem N EUROPE. Neither tne Germans
nos tns EneiAsn ave the repaeauon TOT
consideration Of women that We nave
Y America
FRAY excuse me. tne wrong our
ssx nave sunereo for centuries leo me
tuiIner TON Ha!ter
mat peftalns g you ana me asons .nan
! nad intended. ! VIII retnrn % Il !
propose uiaI ensagetnent TOT six
montn ! van ssrse % snoW myseI1
y you Just q lam az ome you 70
pseoee yoorsesf 70 90 tne same N your
~
Do ! ~ tnat We can never
ny 10Y eecn otner wi.1oos nav'ns
nvoa oo9stns e. man ana W'le.
In tnas case.@ sasd Alss nlor.dse
DA0 NO q MARRIAGE