The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-06-27
If1E MELTING OF MOLLY
By MARIA THOMPSON
 DAVTESS
Copyright, 1912. by the BobAs-Merr9lI
 Company

age and walked away through the gar den home without looking in his direc ton at all never seem to be able to- look at him as I do at other people We hadn't spoken two words since we had left the little house in the woods with that happy faced girl in it. He has more sense than just a man.
 It was almost dusk, and stopped in the garden a minute to pun the dirt closer around some of the bachelors buttons that had "popped' the ground some weeks ago. Thinking about them made me regain my spirits, and went on in the house to be scolded for what ever Aunt Adeline had thought up while was gone to do it to me about. Judy told me. with her broadest grin that she had gone down to her sister 1n-law's for supper, and I sat down on the steps with sigh of relief.
 Some days are like tin cocoanut grat CTS that everybody uses to grate you against, and this was one for me For an hour sat and grated my ownself against Alfred's letter that had come in the EaNrning. I realized that would just have to come to some sort of de- cision about what I was going to do. for he wrote that he was to sail in Q day or two, and ships do travel so fast these days.
 love him and always have, of that am sure. He offers me the most won derfuI life in the world, and no woman could help being proud to accept it. I am lonely, more lonely than was even willing to confess to Dr. John. can't go on living this way any longer. Ruth Chester has made me see that if want Alfred it will be now or never and quick. now know that she loves him, and she ought to have her show if I don't want him. The way she idolizes and fdealizes him is 6 marvel of woun- anly stupidity.
 Some women like to collect mems hearts and hide them away from other women on cold storage, and the help less things can't help themselves.
 have contempt for that sort of butcher, and love RuthI
 It's my duty to look the matter in the face before look in AIfred's-and decide. If not Alfred, what then2 l First, no husband. That's out of the question! Pm not strong minded enough to crank my own motorcar and study woman suffrage. I prefer to suffer at the hands of some cruel man and trust to beguiling him into doing l just as I say. I like men, can't help it, and want one for my own don't i count poor MT. Carter.
 Second, if not Alfred, who? Judge 1 Wade is so delightful that hutter at 1 the thought, but his mother is Aunt 1 ,Adeltne's own best friend, and they l have ideas in common. She is so re- 1 hgious that living with her would be 1 like having the sacrament for daily bread. Still, living with him might i afsa od r r5Qxx cTH0fR l eyes! The girl he wanted to marry l died of tuberculosis, and he wears a I Iocket with her in it yet. I'd like to 1 reward him for such faithfuIness with 8 nice husky wife to wear instead of the lockets But, then, Alfred's been i faithful too! I look at Ruth Chester l and realize how faithful, and my heart I melts to him in my breast. My hips l have almost all melted away, too, so had better keep the heart cold. enough | to handle if want anything left at all 1 for him to come home to.
 l In some ways Tom Pollard Is the most congenial man ever knew. You have to say "dop't' to him all the time, but what woman doesn't like a l little impertinence once in awhile? flavor all Toms daredevil kisses with kinshtp when I feed them to my con- science, and truly try to make him be serious about the important things in life, like going to church with his mother and working all day even if he is rich. I wish he wasn't so near kin to me! Now, there, I feel in Ruth | Chester's way again! One of the things | that keeps the devil so busy is taking helpless widows to the heights of knowledge and showing them king doms of men that girls never dream even exist. If all women could have been born with widow eyes things 1 would run much more smoothly along the marriage and giving in marriage line. And the poor men are, most of them, as ignorant as girls about what to do.
 I suppose really would be doing a righteous thing to marry MT. Graves, and I would adore all those children to start with, but know Billy would not get on with them at all I can't even consider it on his account, but I'll let the nice old chap come on for a few times more to see me, for he really is interesting and we have suffered things in common. Mrs. Graves lacked the kind of temperament poor MT. Carter did. I'd like to make it all up to him, but if Billy wouldn't be happy that settles it, and don't know how good his boys are. I couldn't have Billy corrupted.
 And so, as there is nobody else ex- achy suitable in town, it all sinners down to one or the other of these or Alfred. In my heart I knew that I couldn't hesitate a minute, and in the flash of a second decided Of course I love Alfred and I'll take him gladly and be the wife he has waited for all these six lonely years. I'll make ev- erythfng up to him if I have to diet to keep thin for him the rest of my life I likely will have that very thing to do, and get weak at the idea. Be fore burn this book I'll have to copy it all out and be chained to it for life. At the thought my heart dropped Iike