Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1915-11-11
A Matrimonial
League
By SARAH BAXTER

NuO NGlS oAtSi'tNNa. 49,
her, "that If something is not done,
and that, TOO, pretty soon, were oil
booked for old maids. No young men
come to this town, and those who are
here are leaving. There are still left
enough Of them to provide us with
husbands, but they have grown NJ he
side us, with nothing occurring to
make them matrimonia!iy III ''I""i /.
ward us. Those men win 4ai' i'2i
ried have chosen wives C!s,W!!.rr
provokes me To see SOIir IL. 81"
neither brains nor Ecluty l.'n"'.:.; e.:
here by one of our fellow: ,"..:.i} "
cause she was new to h..n.
mo such thing. Clara" !It !. a.
garet Stark. Tic reason WaF 81.
from other places are ge.t.;.:s :..G g.
lows away from us Is that thry - E..
them, while We sit here idly 81 'iil.:
our thumbs. But you are ri%ht WHEN
you say something must be don" or We
shall all be old maids
"I've heard Of custom somewhere,
said Dora Elkins, that gives the adj
vantage to the girl. If woman wants
q man she paints red heart OH one
Of her visiting cards and pins 1t OH TO
the coat or the hat or something OF the
man she wants Now, how would II
do for us to form a league Of heart
pinners, each girl member pledged To
1 min n heart TO some man"
"Horrible." exclaimed Lucy Jones,
throwing her eyes and her hands up
at the ceiling.
Better than everlasting spinster-
hood" said Evelyn Treborne.
The upshot Of the dialogue was the
formation of the league proposed, each
girl making the pledge, though it was
decided to leave out the card or the
one pinning on the heart. Modcsty
would not stand this. Besides, an anon
ymous heart would excite curiosity.
But the intent of the token was per-
mitted to reach the young men who
were to be the victims. Miss Mans
field had q brother who was wanted
by one Of the young laGies-which one
she was not told-and she volunteered
to give him the notice.
One night the league was discussed
at the club by the young men. Every
man claimed that the idea was pre-
posterous and that if he received
heart he would pay no attention to II.
But there was hot Il man jack OF thcm
but feared lie would not receive one.
The next evening when the men stray
ed In at the club Jim Mansfield con
fessed that he had found heart pm
ned to his hat when he took it up to
go out in the morning. He said that
the lady could send him dozen hearts
If she liked; she would get no reply
from him. At the same time he was
racking his brain for plan to find out
which girl had sent him the heart.
The next day Stcvcnson's attention
was called to a red heart pinned TO-
his cOattail. How it got there he did
not know, but supposed it had been
placed there by small boy hired TO
do the job. The same evening there
was small social gathering ut the
house of one of the league, and two
other men on GCing TO the coat room
found hearts pinned To their Overcoats.
One Of these men when about TO put
on his hat found another heart in the
lining.
Alas, this was the cankcrworm that
was destined to spoil IN excellent plan.
Ned SomcrS. who was blcSScd-or
cursed-with two hearts ut his disposal,
instead OF keeping the fact TO himself
boaStcd Of it to his companions. This
excited the spleen Of Arthur BEEN.
who received no heart at all
AS for the girls. the apple of dlscord
was also thrown among them. The
two girls who had set their hearts OH
the same man each began 4 secret in
quiry as to who her rival was. Neither
was long in gaining the required i'll
formation, and soon after the diSCoy-
cry they were not on speaking terms.
Evelyn TrebOrnc had sent heart IN
Andy Skinner, which he SurmiSCd came
from Jenny Brown. He accused Miss
Brown, who Indignantly denied the
charge. She spoke diSparagin~ly of
Skinner to Margaret Stark. WHO had
sent him the heart. ana this made
break between the two girls. Within
q week after the establishment Of the
league there were half dozen quar-
rels between the different person. send.
ing and receiving hearts. including
some of the men who had not been
honOred 10y Icing wanted.
Then came rrimmiu"harI. Strau-
ger, to the place, and, hearing Of the
league and having secured the names
Of the members, lie wrote each one
note stating that he had received
red heart; that She was the only girl
In the world he wanted, and if the
hcart came from her he had one 10
give In exchange.
For q few DAYS after Ills every mem
Der of the league WAS in Il iiurtcr Five
notes Went out To TriiuIuiH@ham from
five different girls. pa"h aclmowlcdg
ing that Sh" had sent Lin heart
Then two Iris compared notes, and
there We're two expressions.
"Wcll. | declare"