The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1913-05-29
A
.MatrinonialAd.
By ESTHER VANDEVEER

Anna TrowDridge was apparently
destined 10 a life of toll. Her father
had never got on in the world, and II
was evident as she grew to woman
hood that she would have to work for
her living. When she was seventeen
low who was still in college and with
three or four more years Of study be-
fore attaining his profession. Both
were too young for serious affair, and
the young man never spoke TO his par
ents of the girl he fancied.
Anna studied stenography and type
writing and at twenty went to work.
But that kind Of work did not please
her. She pinned for a home and all that
a home brings. She was attractive and
doubtless might have married, but ev-
cry year she grew more particular as to
the man she should choose.
There are persons who believe in go
ing forward. even if one goes wrong in
stead of right. while their opposites
are always fearful of striking into new
class. The firm for which she worked
was large advertiser, and she had
ample opportunity TO observe the re-
markable results that accrue from ad
vertising. One day the subject of mat
rimonal advertisements occurred to
her. She was aware thet the results
Of such were not in keeping with those
pertaining to business. Why should
they not be available? She had read
that in certain cities abroad marriage
brokers are in constant requisition and
the marriages they effect are as liable
to turn out well as those made in other
ways.
Some months after this idea occurred
to her she came home one evening
tired and sick at heart In fit Of des
peration she took an advertisement she
had written long before from a writ
ing desk, read 1t over, affixed in lieu
Of signature the three letters T. o. T..
put it in an envelope addressed to
newspaper and, taking it to letter box
at the corner, dropped 1t in.
There" she said on returning to her
room, Its done, and l can't undo It,"
She fortunately escaped answers
from persons who look upon such ad
vertisements as inserted from improper
motives, but this was doubtless from
the wording Of her message to bach
elors. She received q number of re-
plies from men who took her ad. in the
spirit in which it was meant, but Anna
could easily tell from their tone that
they were written by men she would
be willing to marry.
There was one that was very far
above the rest. The writer was evil
IDENTIFY a gentleman and educated. 1t
seemed to Anna that he had read her
heart. He said that he pitied her for
being obliged to resort to a means evil
IDENTIFY repulsive to her to obtain what
was every woman's natural right, mar
rage, motherhood. home. He regretted
the drift Of the times which tended to
separate the sexes and obliterate the
home He proposed correspondence
as a first step toward an acquaintance
| to be followed by whatever fate might
have in store for them. The letter was
full of feeling. of sympathy. Indeed, 1t
seemed to Anna that II had been writ
ten by a lover instead Of a stranger.
Anna was delighted. She wrote
reply which she kept for few days,
then read it again and. finding that she
had written too much from the heart,
wrote another better adapted to the
occasion. This ELECTED a note that,
while it was perfectly deferential, the
writer seeming to try to write with the
consciousness Of addressing a stranger,
evidently could not repress something
akin to love- Anna interpreted this to
mean that he was. as she expressed II,
heart hungry.
In the correspondence that ensued
Anna discovered in the writer's letters
all that could be expressed in them.
But she had not seen him. Her heart
sank wi her at remembering that
he might write lovely letters and still
be unattractive in appearance and he
might be the latter and villain. She
proposed an exchange of photographs.
Her correspondent wrote that such
llkenesses often gave a very different
impression from the real being and he
would prefer to see and be seen In the
flesh.
Up to this point Anna had proceeded
| without any qualms or regrets, but a
number Of emotions now came to her.
She had never had but one love, and
that had ended long ago. She had
not heard Of the young student for
five or six years. Nevertheless she
could not but contrast a love like that
with an affair like the present She
shrank from the ordeal of meeting q
man she had found by a matrimonial
advertisement. Several times she de-
termined to give the matter up. But
one day she decided to receive a call
from her correspondent and posted her
letter as she had done in the first place
that she might not have an opportunity
to change her mind.
Not being willing to bring her CORE.
spondent to her boarding place, she ap-
pointed a meeting in a park at q GER
tain place at seven and q half O'Clock
on a June evening. She went there q
few minutes before the appointed time
and sat on a bench.
A pair of arms was thrown around
her neck from behind. She was at