Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1918-04-12

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But in the main she was satisfied, and
so she sealed the envelope.
linen she wrote the other paper. IL
was entitled: "Why l have never
married. and as u subheading for this
main title Theresa typed out the
words: Because no one has ever
proposed to me-" This was to be her
contribution to contest that was just
closing in one of the leading women's
magazines. There was to be prize
OF fifty dollars for the best paper and
smaller rewards for less worthy con-
'rlDutions. Theresa hoped to get one
ol theSe, and she hoped to use 1t to
make her own wee apartment more
homelike by the purchase of hungings.
ana other little home touches. In this
paper she wrote her actual experience.
Velling 1t only enough as to details SO
that her identity might never be
guessed. She told of her solitary life
win her aunt and uncle on the farm,
OF the uncongenial, thdughtless young
men who had always looked upon her
as pris because she possessed a
natural shyness and timiSity. AS she
nnlshed at the stroke of two, she was
too sleepy TO read over the first copy.
She knew if it took one of the prizes
1t would be because it came straight
from her heart. She was glad to have
written 1t anyway, whether she drew
TNt-.n hr.,
was the first opportunity she had ever
mad to pour out the story of her lone
Illness to anyone. She gave her name
and address confident, of course, that
it would go no further than the edi-
torial office to which it was addressed.
Then she posted the two long envel-
opeS iii the mail shoot in the apart
ment house hail. and went to sleep
with the blessed undercurrent of con-
viction that she had done something
worth while.
Theresa was sleepy when she adj
dressed the two envelopes, but it never
dawned upon her that she might have
got the addresses confused and that
the magazine editor the next morning
received the plans and account of a
fiye-thousand dollar cottage and that
Professor Morgan received the inter-
esting revelation of the exact reasons
why she had never married
She did not know, in fact, till she
received check for hundred dollars
from the magazine editor. telling her
that they had sent that check to pay
for the article on the ve-thousand
dollar cottage and the accompanying
plans. They were grateful to her for
having given them first choice on the
story--they assured her as editors do
when they accept rather than reject
and they hoped that she would submit
other manuscripts to them along sim
liar lines.
For the next two classes with Doc
tor Morgan Theresa remained at home.
What else could she do? Then she re-
ceived a long envelope from Doctor
Morgan. She opened it feeling sure
that was her confession returned. She
wondered whether he would send any
word with it. But when she opened
the manuscript she saw it was written
on paper of a different texture than
her own and by typewriter that was
not hers. The heading was the same
"Why l have never married." and
under it the words: Because | have
never had courage to propose" She
read it through with GREATNESS haste,
yet taking in every word. 1t was as
straight from the heart as her own
confession had been, only truly it was
from mans heart that had been
Stifled by hard work and at first by the
necessities of poverty. 1t told of a
desire as keen as was Theresa's for q
home that should be compelling and
shielding and all-satisfying. There
were bits of dry humor in it, too. The
man who wrote it--Professor Morgan
had sometimes come very near the
danger line. He had, to be sure, some
times seen the woman whom he
thought he might be happy with. But
Always Ndo thC ISCllIS ll1ul tu6
girl of today needs an infinite deal Of
counting and coaxing. He had never
learned these arts and so he never
showed his heart.
When Theresa was reading the
paper in Amusement for the second
time, Professor Morgan came to her
apartment. He had never been there
before nor had he known where she
lived till he received her paper.
He was as free from the prelimina-
ries Of the usual sutton as the confess
sion had indicated that he would be.
He told Theresa quite frankly and
bluntly that he wanted to marry her.
He did not even ask for an explanation
as to how he came into possession of
her confession. But, having had a
vision of her own little half-starved
heart, he felt sure that they could
make each other happy. And of
course Theresa accepted.
Theresa was very practical and with
her heart still beating very fast-for
maiden of thirty-flve does not re-
ceive her first proposal without great
nuickeninp of DulSe-She Seized Doc