Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-07-01
The Daily Story
She Escaped Being Old Maid-By Barbara Phipps.

My brother John came to me one day
and said to me: sally, you're a wom-
an. Tell me how to win a woman"
"AU the ways of doing it,"
"No; a good way
IF Were to tell you all of them I
would never get through. Generally
women are won by trif1es-that is,
they are considered trif1es, but in the
feminine mind, or, rather, heart, they
stand for a good deal Incorrigibls
cases sometimes need to be won by
getting the rebellious object of mans
affections so tied that she can't get out
of it. Then she accepts the situa ton,
and time, intimate. association and
marriage do the rest"
Il wonder if l couldn't do that with
Edna?'
John had been counting Edna for a
long while without seeming to have
made the slightest impression. He had
proposed seven times and been refused
every time.
"What does she say when she re-
fuses you?" 1 asked
1.-THE last time | asked her she said
that she could never choose a man she
knew because she would be sure to
see in him a multitude of faults"
complimentary TO you, wasn't It?
Why don't you persuade her to marry
a man as she would buy a lottery tick
ct, then contrive 10 be that man."
Il don't understand you"
perhaps I can arrange it for you
A few months later / said to John,
Eve got it all fixed"
"How?"
81 didn't dare to act directly in the
matter, knowing well that /. being
your sister, Edna would infer that l
was acting in your interest. so I sent a
third party to her, Martha Jenkins.
Martha had a talk about matrimony
with her and saw plainly that Edna
would like to be married. She said
facetiously that the only way she could
tie herself up with a man would be
to marry some one in the dark. Mar
tina advised her to do that very thing.
Then my emissary began to hold up
a picture Of the old maid living alone
through life and an old age, contrasting
it with a view OF n -sife and mother
surrounded by beings whom she had
brought into the world. She has kept
this up ever since. declaring that
chance is as good as love toy base
marriage on. and the advice OF a dis
interested party rs better than either
To this Edna lau,hingly asked Martha
TO choose husband for her. Martha
refused unless Edna would consent TO
marry him in the dark. Edna was n
long time agreeiig TO this, but was
finally won over. because she dreaded
to be an old maid and couldn't make
the matrimonial runge with her eyes
open"
And Martha Is to nominate me?"
cried John.
"Of course-that is. IL ask her"
"Ask her at once"
II would require large volume TO
lay down the backslidings OF Edna
Marsh in her efforts TO marry a man
she had never seen and who she
knew would not be recommended un.
less he were worhy of her She broke |
seven appointments for the wedding,
not knowing that she was breaking
one for every refusal she had given /
the man she had agreed 10 marry, On |
making the eighth Martha told her
that If she brote It she might look |
elsewhere for ali to escape spinster- |
hood But by this time Edna was des. |
perate and came TO the scratch like a |
lamb TO the slaughter.
While Martha had Edna In training /
had John. III. feared that Edna |
would consider herself TO have been /
tricked and would turn against han.
Well. the wedding day came rihnd. |
The nuptias wee 70 occur at MAJ has
home. ri ere W pP provision iads