The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-10-13
A Matrimonial
Shack
By ESTHER vANDEvEER

Jameson proposed 10 MS stenOgra-
pher within sixty days after she en-
tered his service. He had never seen
her before she came to work for him;
consequently he had known her but
two months.
You know little or nothing about
me-" was her reply to his declaration.
Il know you are refined. that you
have character, and l am willing to
risk the rest If you marry me you
will have to take me all on trust
Don't you care to know anything Of
my antecedents?'
mo. 1t would doubtless make me
ashamed of my own antecedents. We
will be marrying each other, not each
others antecedents. Marriage is a
new birth. / expect to be much bet
ter man under your influence"
She fixed her eyes on him curiously,
but asked no further questions. She
understood his peculiar makeup in
stinctively. 1t was fortunate she did
Couples who are incapable of under
standing each other are liable to quar-
rel after wedlOck has taken the edge
off their romance.
Jameson gave his fiancee a vacation
for the rest of her term of service with
him. She was to take a rest. which
she sadly needed. A year before she
came to work for him she had lived in
affluence. ReverseS had deprived her
of the beautiful home in which she had
been born and had always lived. She
and her mother had been turned out of
1t, and half year later the mother had
died. leaving her daughter alone in the
world. While in Jamieson's service she
had been grieving. and she wondered
how he could have come to covet one
so lugubrious. He had never asked for
the cause of her melancholy, and she
had never offered to reveal it.
And now she had suggested that she
tell him something about her past. for
she wished him TO know that she was
born in a station no less exalted than
his own, for he was not only well to do
but educated and refined. Though she
liked his Independent way of looking
on marriage. she was a bit disappointed
that he had not given her an Opportu-
nifty to tell him that she had been
brought up lady and until a year be-
fore had lived in a home that it had
nearly broken her heart to leave. But
she knew that she must take him as
she found him and had confidence that
beneath his somewhat crude philoso-
ply he was not a bad man, and she
was quite sure that despite his matter
of fact way of looking at sentimental
things he was not devoid of sentiment
Jameson insisted on his fiancee going
to the country for the summer months.
81 don't wish my bride to look like a
piece Of marble" he said. Il desire
that you put in the time between now
and our marriage trying to get some
color in your cheeks. l can make all
the necessary preparations for a place
to live and all that. If you did your
share of it you would not be getting
the rest you need. Besides. think how
pleasant it will be not to be bothered
with suggestions"
She admired his frankness, but 1t
seemed to her that he was a trifle self
ish. He was thinking of himself in
wanting his bride to be approved by
his friends instead of desiring her to
regain her health for her own sake.
He was a good man, but was inclined
to selfishness.
Jameson. while she was away in the
country. did not write her long and
loving letters. He claimed that man
Of thirty-eight was too old for that
| sort of thing" as he expressed it. He
said that he would try to make up for
| the deficiency after marriage by giving
her kiss at least once month. She
took these things with a good deal of
salt" but after all how much pleas
~, TO- l. 4
! to a lover-like man!
He wrote that he was looking for a
shack" as he called it. for them to
live In: then one day he wrote her that
he had found one. He didn't suppose
| she would like it, but it was the best
he could do. He managed to say one
| pleasant thing-he believed the house
In which couple lived should stand in
the name of the wife and he had put
| the deed in her name.
| The summer came to an end at last
and the future Mrs. Jameson returned
| to the city. Her lover seemed quite
| pleased with the change in her and
said that he would not be ashamed OF
her appearance. He asked her if she
would like large or a small wedding
and she replied that since it was evi
dent he would wish his own way about
everything else she might as we'll give
in in that as all the rest Then he
showed his obstinacy in refusing to de
eide the matter. and she chose small
wedding. Indeed. she preferred that nc
guest should be present.
They were married at noon. and, since
the groom was unable to leave his bust
ness. instead of taking wedding triI
they went direct to their future home
The bride asked no questions about it
but she was in a culver to see it She
did not believe it was a shack. but she
doubted since Jameson needed his cap
ital in his business that he would buy
pretentious abode
II 1t was dark when they reached theil
new home. but when Mrs. Jameson
alighted and looked at it she drew
back She was before the house from
which she had been turned out a yea
before. Then she looked at her husband
in wondering inquiry. But he hurried
her into it. and when they were inside
be said:
How do you like your shack?''
Then it burst upon her that under al
assumed matter Of fact philosophy b.
had been oYering up the sentiment O.
a lover.
II A woman ees-r see w1ly man Womb