River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1913-09-11
If not Alfred. what then2

decide If not Alfred. what then?
First. no husband. That's out of the
question:! I'm not strong minded
enough to crank my own motorcar and
study woman suffrage. | prefer to
suffer at the hands of some cruel man
and trust to beguiling him into doing
just as | say. | like men. can't help
it. and want one for my own. don't
count poor Mr.. Carter.
Second, if not Alfred. who? Judge
Wade is so delightful that | tiutter at
the thought, but his mother is Aunt
Adeline's own best friend and they
have ideas in common She is so re-
ligious that living with her would be
like having the sacrament for daily
bread Still. living with him might
have adventures. | never saw such
eyes! The girl he wanted to marry
died of tuberculosis, and he wears
locket with her in 1T yet. I'd like to
reward him for such faithfulness with
a nice husky wife 10 wear instead of
the. locket. But thea Alfreds been
faithful too. look at Ruth Chester
and realize how faithful, and my heart
melts to him in my breast. My hips
have almost all melted away. too, so
had better keep the heart cold enough
to handle If | want anything left at all
for him to come home to.
In some ways Tom Pollard is the
most congenial man | ever knew. You
have to say don't" to him all the
time. but what woman doesn't like a
little impertinence once in awhile?
flavor all Toms daredevil kisses with
kinship when | feed them to my con-
science. and truly try to make him be
serious about the important things il
life. like going to church with his
mother and working all day even if he
is rich. | wish he wasn't so near kin
to me! Now, there, 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
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.
suppose l really would be doing a
righteous thing to marry Mr.. Graves.
and would adore all those children
to start with. but l know Billy would
not get on with them at all | can't
even consider it on his account, but I'll
let the nice old chap come on for
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 Mr..
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. couldn't have
Billy corrupted.
And so. as there is nobody else ex-
actly suitable in town, it all SINNERS
down to one or the other of these or
Alfred. In my heart | knew that
couldn't hesitate minute, and in the
fash of a second | decided. OF course
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-
erything up to him If | have to diet
to keep thin for him the rest of my
life. / likely will have chat very thing
to do, and get weak at the idea. Be
fore burn this book I'll have to copy