The Press., 1915-02-17
ASingulaT Union It Was For the Pur- pose of Spending
 a Fortune
By SADIE oLcoTT

George Underhll on coming of age had everything to live for. He step- ped into fortune of half a million, or $25,OOO a year; was in excellent health. fayorite with his friends, es- pecially attractive to girls, and the management of his estate was likely to give him enough to do to put an edge OH his leisure moments. This was the outlook before the young man the day he was twenty-one years old. But oH that same day he noticed a swelling i'll his neck about the size of a haZelnut. He had never had an ex- crescence of any kind on his body and could not understand the sudden ap- pearance of this one. He stood before a mirror looking at it wOnderingly. He pinched it, and it hurt little, though not much. He thought he would show it to a doctor and get his opinion upon it, but since he expected to be busy with his guardian and the lawyers nearly all day, passing the papers in receiving his estate, he de- ferred the matter till the morrow.
 
 up with affairs pertaining to his prop erty that he forgot all about the swell ing in his neck till preparing for bed, when he noticed it again. He was bit troubled about it and resolved that the first thing he would do in the morn ing would be to show it to his physi- clan, Dr. Franklin. So as soon as the office hour of the physician came round George was admitted to his con- sulting room.
 George did not leave Dr. Franklin's office for nearly an hour, and when he did he was in very different mental condition from when he entered it.. The lump indicated an incurable dis ease. The doctor tried in every way to avoid telling him this, for the dou- ble reason that his patient would sui fer ill mind as we'll as in body and his knowing that he had not long to live would hasten the end. George. how ever, gathered from him that he had anywhere from d few months to few years on earth. As to how much he would suffer the doctor did not tell him. Possibly he did not know him. self. He convinced his patient that he had better remain ignorant of what the disease was.
 George was philosophic fellow, and when he had recovered, so far as re- covery was possible from the shock, he began to lay plans for spending the brief unexpired term of his life in a way to alleviate the condition to the best advantage. Miss Alice Wood bridge was his favorite among his girl acquaintances, and he thought he would like to have her companionship for the brief season of life left to him. He called upon her, stated the case and asked her to be his wife, agreeing to settle half his fortune upon her, the other half to be spent in such con- forts or pleasures or journeys as would help him to forget his coming demise.
 Miss Woodbridge asked for few days to consider the proposition, but, being girl with an eye to improving her condition, when she gave her an- swer insisted that the whole amount of his estate be settled on her except the income during his life, which she considered ample for his purpose. Whether or no she was right he did not stop to consider, but broke off the negotiations.
 George tried several other girls. One who had no especial affection for him refused him on the ground that she did not care to tie herself up for a money consideration to a man who would be in a dying condition during their married life. Others baked at this or at that till at last George had well nigh gone the rounds of the girls he would care to marry. One he had not tried. She was Lucy Ellis, an amiable, happy -go-lucky girl, from whose shoulders trouble rolled off cas- fly and whose financial necessities were such that she was quite familiar with the pawnshop.
 To Miss Ellis George concluded to make proposal, but, being somewhat discouraged in his quest for a compan- ion in his trouble, offered her much better terms than any he had yet pro- posed. After modestly telling her that he thought his income would suffice as well as larger amount for the pur- pose of making him forget what was coming he promised to settle his whole estate upon her if she would marry him.
 To his surprise, she threw her arms about his neck and said, with tears in her eyes: Well spend it all. And what will lot of money be compared with the remembrance that we shall have at least short time togetherT'
 "But," he protested, "what will you live on when am goneY'
 "Why, I won't be any worse of for money than I am now, will I?'
 She looked up at him from a pair of b,genuous childlike eyes through her f.a.s, and then and there his heart was won.
 "very we'll" he said. "Be it as you say"
 Nevertheless it was not as she said. for George on the day of the wedding, unknown to her, placed $100,OOO in trust for her. He did not give it to her direct, for he had no confidence in her holding on to it. Since she took 10 part whatsoever in the manage nent of his affairs, he was enabled to do this without her discovering that it had been done.
 George found in Lucy Ellis just what he needed. Perhaps she was too sympathetic. but sympathy ill dealing with sufferer is good fault. and George would have rather had her sympathetic than cod. But his swell ing grew larger and pained him, and he needed devotion as an invalid rath CT than q spender of money. For awhile after their marriage they spent money like water. In this George found hrs wife all that was to be Ge- sired But his sufferings gradually in creased, and he was obliged to give up pleasure seeking.
 We can never tell for what persons are fitted until they are tried. Lucy,