Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-04-09
Bankruptcy In
the Court of
Love
A Story For New Years Day.
By WILLARD MALTBIE

Bella" said Mr.. Dudley to his
daughter on the 31st of December,
handing her birthday present and
giving her a kiss, don't you think that
a girl of nineteen is old enough to set
tie down and take some thought for
the futureT
II certainly do, papa"
To-day you begin new year In
your life, and tomorrow you begin a
new year of the calendar. Suppose
you do some thinking as to your ac-
tons during the past few years, make
up your mind as to what Is necessary
in your case and form such resolutions
as may seem essential to your future
happiness"
"Tell me what you think necessary"
'gTbe main thing have in mind Is
this: The most important event In a
woman's life-so consider it's her
marriage-that is, II she is to be a
wife. have noticed in you an I'M
fortunate propensity to regard those
things which are preliminaries-in this
country, where people usually marry
for love-to the union of man and
woman, with the consequent rearing Of
q family, very much as you would con-
slider a game of tennis.
This, my daughter, is all wrong.
Love is nearer akin to divinity than
any other part of our nature. 1t is
serious-very serious. |, your mother,
your brothers and sisters, we who
form group so closely cemented, are
held together by this one element in
the composition Of life-love"
"Oh, papa, how beautifully you talkT'
A shadow passed over the fathers
face, realizing from this remark that
he had not produced the impression
he desired. He was turning away dis
appointed when his daughter caught
his hand.
"Really, papa, explain what you
mean, and will do what you wish me
to do"
"Well, then, to come down to plain
language, stop flirting"
"Oh, that's what you are driving att"
"Yes. Tomorrow morning when you
wake up refreshed after good sleep
think over your treatment Of worthy
and worthless young men, which Is
based merely on your fancy, and make
a resolution that If you have any en-
couragement to bestow upon any one
Of them II will be given to some one
who should you marry him-and you
are now at manageable age-will
make you a worthy husband, one you
can be proud of before the world"
Bella sat musing.
"A penny for your thoughts" said
her father.
II was thinking that tomorrow morn.
Ing will be better time to make such
resolutions than now"
"why SOP
well, tonight l 60 to the eeymourr
to see the old year out and the new
year in"
"what has that to do with resolu.
tionsT
"Why. Jimmy Halliday will be there
and yesterday, just because accepted
rose from Tom Erskine, he passed
me on the street, pretending he didn't
see me-"
''Weli?"
why, papa, you don't think I'm 60
ing to stand that, do your
''Do you care especially for HALL
dayT
"Care for himi OF course not"
"Then why should you trouble your
self about him7"
"oh, papa, how stupid you arel Yor
don't understand such things at all.
viii give Jimmy tonight as good as
he has given me. Tomorrow morning
will make your resolutions
"My resolutionsI
81 mean that l viii reform as you
desire"
Her father, who adored her, gave her
another kiss and left her, feeling that
his words had been without effect
Not so Bella. She had really been i'm.
pressed, but not for such general rea.
sons as had been mentioned by hel
father.
Far down in the bottom of heI
heart was soft spot into which q
certain quiet, reserved young man
Edward Corwin by name. had settled
himself without asking her permission
She had treated him in accordance with
her usual methods, with the result
that he had locked himself up-tc
speak f1guratively-anda all her efforts
to get at him had signally failed.
Miss Dudley passed the evening Of
the 31st Of December at seymours'
danced the cotillion with Tom Erskine
failed to favor Jimmy Halliday, smiled
on Elliott Tracks and sat out figure
with Fred Swords, when she made
up a spat with him. throwing him into
ecstasies. Then, when all were assem-
bled about a round table feasting the
new year in. she exchanged bonbons
with Bob Sparkles, reviving a hope
that had nearly died out. As for ed.
ward Corwin. he was not present.
On New Years morning Bella awoke
and, looking at tiny clock on brack-
ct, saw that II was IL O'Clock. Then
she remembered her New Years reso
buttons, and troubled expression
passed over her young face. New
Years morning was not so good a time
for reform as she had supposed. A
flower lay on a table that she had ac-
cepted graciously from Erskine, and
she had agreed to go out with him for