Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1917-03-27

tnat fortune, OUT bno BdlQ QOtuuS 6DOul
It to me.
My affair drifted on till was Of q
proper age to be married and ALICE
was grown woman. Since had de
termined to put my head In the lion
ess' jaw was In a desperate hurry
to do 30. But Alice was In no hurry
at all She kept putting me OF till al
last told her that I believed she wal
fooling me and would not marry me
at all. i gave as q reason that she
wanted my uncle's fortune as well Al
myself and she would not take me
without 1t.
can never forget that beautiful, Ne
proachful look she gave me. It seemed
that I had touched a sensitive plant
and had blighted it I caught her II
my arms and implored her forgiveness
She forgave me.
But our wedding was not whit
nearer than before.
It was about this time that I began
to notice q change in my uncle. Hi
Trades against women were less ire
quent He surprised me one day by
saying that II man could capture one
Of these creatures young and train hel
to sense Of honor such as Is inherent
In man she might be changed, as 9
wild cub Is changed, to domestic uses.
"How young, Uncle Ted" asked
do you think 1t necessary to begin
with a girl?"
THAT don't know. Perhaps eight
cen would not be too Late" was bis 10
ply.
It seemed to me as If my uncle had
been tanned at the age of forty-six, fol
every day noted some new evidence
that he was becoming domesticated
animal Then there came a period
when he seemed very Ill at ease with
me. Up to this time he had been very
chummy with me. Now he would sit
at table reading his newspaper, and IN
the evening when we had smoked al
home or gone out to play together he
would either 60 to his room to read OF
would go out alone. One morning
saw him going into a flower shop,
What business he had there I did not
know, and I was not Of sufficiently
small caliber to try to find out Nc
flowers came to the house. No woman
hater could be sending them except to
q funeral, and I was not aware that
any Of my uncle's relatives or friends
had died.
One morning after breakfast my un.
Gle took me into his study and said
that he had a very important commu.
nication to make. After great hem.
ming and having and getting very red
In the face he began:
II have adopted you and led you to
expect that on certain conditions you
will inherit my fortune. Circumstances
have somewhat changed this intention.
You win remember that I have said
to you that If woman could be caught
young she might be tanned and turned
from devil to something that could
be lived with. I have decided to try
this plan. l am about to marry q
young woman, q woman twenty-five
years younger than myself. But I will
not disappoint you. i will on the day
Of my wedding settle on you third
Of my estate without conditions. II !
have no children you will eventually
get the whole" o.t .-
I was relieved and delighted. A
third of an estate was far better than
none. and If my uncle had adhered to
bis original intention I would get moth.
ing unless I resigned Alice con.
graduated my uncle, and from that
moment we were again In perfect rap
port. / asked him when I should be
introduced to his fancee. and he told
me that she would dine with Us the
next evening.
At 6 o'clock on the appointed even
ing my uncle and I were In the draw:
ing room waiting. A carriage stopped
at the door, the maid answered the
summons and lady stood before us.
She was Alice! , .,.,
While my uncle and I were much EN-.
barrassed, especially so. she was as
cool as II she had not been confronted
by two men to both of whom she was
betrothed. Ignoring, me; she took her
older lover by the hand, led him to "a
sofa and between layers Of soft candor
convinced him that he had been max
ing a guy Of himself. She was long
while at the Job. but when she got
through with him she had gained bis
consent for q marriage with me. and
without conditions. he was to live.
with US as our mutual papa 80 long as
be wished or did not marry. ,a f,
He never made second attempt ct
matrimony. Alice now possesses bis
fortune-that is, I possess It and she
spends the income. . :;