Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-03-12
ROCKVILLE. MARYLAND. FRIDAY MORNING, M
.
MY UNCLES.
FORTUNE
Il Stood Between Me and
Happiness.
By EILEEN BRENNAN

Ou sthG
had met Winthrop Sayles, and we
had been members Of the same party
travelling together in Italy, with
long stop at Lake Como, In Switzerland,
and In France. Mr.. Sayles singled me
ont among several other girls of our
party, and so marked were his atten-
tons that we were soon considered to
belong to each other.
The party broke apart In Paris, 60
Ing to London. My admirer followed
me. He had proposed to me while we
We're In Lucene and had during our
subsequent journeying together impor-
tuned me to marry him. 1t was not
case ON my part wherein q girl feels
that she has met her fate-that is, that
the proposer Is absolutely necessary to
her happiness. Nevertheless l liked
him well enough to consider his prop
oSltiOn. and | was sensible of the fact
that girls ARE liable to let desirable
parties slip away from them till they
have become old maids, when they are
left out In the cold.
Mr. Sayles was so persistent that |
mt last yirld 4, but SO late that we had
barely time to be married before we
were Obliged TO endure separation.
| was about to sail for home, while he
was obliged to remain temporarily in
England. Yielding to his solicitations,
| consented to do what l afterward
considered an unwise thing. l agreed
to marry him before going aboard the
ship, reserving our honeymoon til his
return to America.
Just before sailing was handed a
letter from an aunt Of mine in Amer
lea. Her husband was wealthy; they
were getting old and had no children
If | would agree to abide with them
so long as they lived my uncle would
leave me all his property.
Had | been desperately in love with
the man ! had married / doubt IL this
offer would have had more than
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 n man 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 il 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 | 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 wise
or foolish step.
However. by the time | had reached
port | had made up my mind to cease
to think about the proposition | had
received. but to write my aunt, telling
her why | could not accept 1t. l had
promised to write something every day
to my husband and mail what | had
written on arrival. wrote him of the
offer ! had received, and on reading
over what | had written 1t occurred to
me that possibly what I had said might
be interpreted to express regret that |
had lost the power to decide between
him and prospective fortune. would
have rewritten this part Of my letter.
but could not very well get it out from
the rest Besides, the letter was all
ready to mail, and so dropped 1t in
the post.
As soon as landed l 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 | heard nothing for several
days. when received a brief note
from him stating that he had been III,
but was now better He would write
again soon. A few days later receiv-
ed a cablegram from a friend Of his
that my husband was dead.
confess | was much shocked. Be
sides. the message brought n revela-
ton to me. learned that my affec-
tions had been more completely engag-
ed than had supposed. blamed
myself for my regrets. felt that If
| could only have my husband back
again | would not exchange a prospec-
tive fortune for him nor even n fortune
In hand.
The cablegram had advised me TO
remain where was and await a letter
When the letter came | WINS Informed
fhat my husband had requested that
should not on any account return TO
England as result Of his death and
that his body be buried abroad. lie
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 aunt and uncle, being informed
that had become widow, renewed
their proposition to me, and went TO
live with them They were very kind