West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1914-01-29
A Case of
Worldly Wisdom
BY EFFlE D. GARDNER

When Miss Mabel Willmarth wrote
her lover. Edward Auchinkloss. that un-
der her parents orders she must break
with him he was very badly cut up.
He did not blame Mabel: she was not
much over seventeen years old-cer-
tainly not an age at which a girl is
warranted in marrying counter to the
express wishes of her parents.
Auchinkloss was permitted TO call
upon Miss willmarth 90 say goodby.
after which he was expected To refrain
from visits or communication. He
found her as much averse to brea king
with him as he was TO breaking with
her. but he also found her >resolute In
her determination To obey her mother.
Father and mother" she said. "have
only me. II l marry you I'm opposition
to their commands barrier will be
raised between them and me that will
never be removed. Besides. mother
has convinced me that couples usually
grow together. Irrespective OF any at-
tacbments for others either husband
or wife may have had before mar
riage. We must make the best OF the
present for the sake OF the future.
You Will marry another girl and I will
be nothing TO you. | suppose shall"--
Forget me7"
81 don't know. IL doesn't seem to
me now that can"
what you have said has. OF course.
come from your mother. Ii Is too wise
a.. -. 49, wt-I % 40.
But confess that it Is wise. or seems
to be. and would not for the world
persuade you TO do an unwise thing.
One thing l wish you 10 tell me: Has
not your mother some one In view for
you who she thinks will be able to
give you more than I?'
''Why do you ask that question:
Because until very recently both
she and your father seemed TO be we'll
satisfied with me for n son-in-law."
Mother especially enjoined me to
say nothing TO you about any future
relations between me and any one else.
She says that. having broken with you.
you are not supposed To take any fur
Their interest In me. Surely you can
not be expected to approve OF any man
that she--I mean Knight marry"
fright again--that is. II your sen
tence had been finished as you began
II. You should have finished that she
might select. Nevertheless IL Is evi-
dent that some one has been selected
for you. and naturally | am especially
anxious to know who the fellow is."
"The fellow"
"Well. the gentleman"
'Your use OF the word shows that
mother is right. You would naturally
be prejudiced against any man might
marry"
He tried for an hour TO induce her to
tell him the name OF her new fance.
but, having promised her mother that
she would answer no questions with
regard to her future. she stood firm.
Finally he asked her IL he should write
a number OF names on n bit OF paper
TO tell him whether the name he wish
ed to know was on the list. Since the
man was newcomer and she did not
believe Aucbinkloss had ever seen or
heard OF him. she consented. He ewrote
twenty names on the paper and hand
ed Il to her. She handed Il back TO
him with n request TO be released from
her agreement. Aucbinkloss released
her and Immediately took his depar-
ture.
Several weeks rolled around. and
Miss wlIlmarth saw nothing OF her
discarded lover. She did not even
prislng. because the town In which
they lived was small More weeks
passed with like result. His place was
not supplied by the new suitor. he
cause Mr.. and Mrs. Willmarth had de-
cided that be might not pay their
daughter any attention whatever till
she had passed her eighteenth birth
day. Then the couple might he en-
gagged. but for year before marriage.
Such an arrangement prevented any
one from linking the two names TO.
gether
Four months passed between the
time Auchinkloss was discarded and
Mabel's eighteenth birthday. The lat
ter had passed and the engagement
had been made. though not announced.
when the new appointee was arrested
one day on n charge Of giving n check
on bank where ne had n account.
Other claims against him followed the
first. and II was not long before pret-
ty black record Ame 20 light. The
engagement between him and Mabel
was broken without any one outside
the family knowing that II had Oc.
CURED.
Then one day Auchinkloss appeared
at the willmarth home and WAS re-
stored 10 favor
You remember" he asked. sour con.
versation when ] was dismissed about
q natural prejudice on my part as TO the
one who would take my place? Wei.
that prejudice served n purpose. II
was ! who uneartbed your new lover"
"You? why, you didn't know his
b0me."
~ did His name was the only name
on the paper handed you that was
not fictitious. had heard Of him sew
eraI years before and had not heard
any good Of him. ! went away and
spent weeks tracing his record. and
finally put those he had swindled on
HIS track"
"You don't mean IT,
"But for me you might have married
swindier."
Al Of which goes TO show that our
rorldIv wisdom dooan't count for