The Press., 1915-07-07
4A&NKkNFR4FRN MY UNCLE FORTUNE It Stood Between Me and
 Happiness.
By EILEEN BRENNAN

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 While travelling on the continent
 had met Winthrop Sayles, and we
 had been members of the same party
 travelling together in Italy, with a long stop at Lake Como, in Switzerland, and in France. MT. Sayles singled me out among several other girls of our party, and so marked were his atten- tions that we were soon considered to
 belong to each other.
 The party broke apart in Paris, I go- ing to London. My admirer followed me. He had proposed to me while we
 were in Lucerne and had during our subsequent journeying together impor tuned me to marry him. It was not a case on my part wherein a girl feels that she has met her fate-that is, that the propoSer is absolutely necessary to her happiness. Nevertheless l liked him we'll enough to consider his prop osition, and 1 was sensible of the fact that girls are liable to let desirable parties slip away from them till they nave D6COIl0 Olu Wu0u Lucy are left out in the cold.
 MT. Sayles was so persistent that at last yielded, but so late that we had barely time to be married before we were obliged to endure a separation. I was about to sail for home. while he was obliged to remain temporarily in England. Yielding to his solicitations, I consented to do what 1 afterward considered an unwise thing. I agreed to marry him before going aboard the ship, reserving our honeymoon till his return to America.
 Just before sailing l was handed q letter from an aunt of mine in Amer ica. Her husband was wealthy; they were getting old and had no children. If I would agree to abide with them so long as they lived my uncle would leave me all his property.
 Had I been desperately in love with the man had married 1 doubt if this offer would have had more than a passing effect on me. If my husband had accompanied me to America the inevitable the association of marriage, would have brought the same result. But, receiving this offer immediately after parting with a man l had known but few months, it caused regret
 We see marriage on the surface. There are the happy pair, the wedding gifts, the shower of rice and old shoes. The first month of wedlock is called the honeymoon and savors of sweet ness. What we do not see are the balk- ings that may take place or certain regrets that may thrust themselves in the face of one or both of the happy pair up to the point where the knot is tied. Yet it is possible such may occur in the case of those who are destined to become absolutely necessary to each other.
 confess I should have put the mat ter out of my head. I was married. and that was all there was about it. But fancy, as have already said. that am not the only person who has just been married to wonder whether he or she has taken a wise or foolish step.
 However, by the time I had reached port I had made up my mind to cease to think about the proposition I had received but to write my aunt, telling her why could not accept it. l had promised to write something every day to my husband and mail what l had written on arrival. I wrote him of the offer I had received, and on reading over what had written it occurred to me that possibly what had said might be interpreted to express regret that l had lost the power to decide between him and prospective fortune. would have rewritten this part of my letter, but could not very we'll get it out from the rest. Besides, the letter was all ready to mail, and so dropped it in the post
 As soon as I landed I wrote my aunt, who lived in the west, that had been married abroad and, of course, could not accept her proposition. received loving letters from my husband till about the time he should have receiv- ed my epistle written on the steamer. After that I heard nothing for several days, when I received brief note from him stating that he had been ill., but was now better. He would write again soon. A few days later I receiv ed cablegram from a friend of his that my husband was dead.
 I confess I was much shocked. Be sides, the message brought revela ton to me. I learned that my affec- tfons had been more completely engag oT thon had c11nnoco1 I h1orno6 myself for my regrets. I felt that if I could only have my husband back again I would not exchange prospec- tive fortune for him nor even fortune in hand.
 The cablegram had advised me to remain where ] was and await a letter. When the letter came l was informed that my husband had requested that I should not on any account return to England as a result of his death and that his body De buried abroad He had very little property to leave and had-so was informed-some time be- fore his marriage left what there was to sister. This was entirely satisfac- tory to me.
 My duuI duu uuClO, UoluS IuIOTUl0O that had become a widow, renewed their proposition 10 me, and I went to live with them. They were very kind to me, and entered upon a style above what I had been accustomed to. My uncle made a will in my favor. and had before me the anticipation of en- toying d fortune. Nevertheless my fife was dull. They were old persons and had outlived most of their inti- mate friends. They were certainly not for me.
 As to enjoying the society of per sons of my own age, I had very little opportunity to do so. My aunt soon after l went to live with her became an invalid and required my constant attention. Besides. my aunt had not for many years had anything to do with social affairs, and I was not thrown into the swim" I had step- ped into what from a distance l had