Roanoke Rapids herald., 1923-10-19
head at last, / reckon"

head at last, / reckon"
Poor woman, she sure has learned
something"
y should ssy 80. She was Q fool
h think he wasn't after her monsy.
4 man half her age. too"
"Wen. We live and learn. shes
quite perky about 1t all"
'Oh. quitel"
The conversation bad reference to
Adeline Graham, spinster. aged forty
six, with a fortune In her own right
She had married q foreigner. aged
twenty-seven, after brief and ardent
wooing. They had gone to his an
cestral home In Europe, which, Of
course, turned out to be a sham, and
Adelaide had paid him half her for
tune to keep away from her for ever.
In her own home Adeline sat mus
Ing. She was muslng over the events
Of those three hectic months. And
she was not nearly 50 disillusioned as
people supposed.
Why does, how can any woman OF
forty-eight suppose that . man Of
about half her age has fallen desper-
ately In love with heri BIAS 1t ever
occurred to the innocent bystander
thar the woman, unless she Is q fool,
is not nearly 90 disillusioned as is
generally thought2 Let u listen to
these conversations. First, Adeline to
her chum, Amy Sturt:
my dear, know you think I'm
fool to marry him. But he says he
loves me. and the others who have
paid me that compliment have all
been just O. desperate after my
money. Why shouldn't give 1t q
trialr'
you're 10 happy now. Adeline, and
he'll make you miserable. A foreigner.
too."
Il don't see why you should grudgs
me little happiness"
"Oh. well. II you put It that way.
Adeline-"
Second: Adelihe and her suitor:
"Ever since the moment when set
eyes on you first you have been the
star in my heart. the light Of my ways.
1 adore you, Adeline. II you won't
marry me shall blow my brains out"
"Do you really care rs much az
thatY
II can't live without you"
"Then / WILL" Adeline was really
moved. But underneath something
was watching in an amused sort Of
way. 1t knew all right
Third conversation, two months
later:
$50 this cottage Is the ancestral
castle?"
swell. what about itf"
"You seem 10 have exaggerated
things a good deal, that's ALL" They
had come to address each other sar
castically by now.
"You got your bargain-a husband"
"And you got yours-money."
He glared at her. IF you're tired
of 1t I'm quite willing to make AZ
rangements."
"What do you ,waan By thatf'
"Give me enough 10 live on and !
won't trouble yaR any more. I did
care for YOU In . way. but you can't
expect a man b loya an old woman
Of fifty forever. Besides, you'll be
sixty soon"
Adeline laughsAfa bitter little laugh.
'sThat's the best sads Of your nature
that I've seen ssyyet," she said.
"How's thatr
"Why, like ~, better when you're
frank than a. Q creeping hypocrite
But I don't Ike you anyway-much
Suppose I give you half my capital
will you agree to q permanent sepa.
rationr'
He was frightepsd. he was so eager.
He was little touched, too. It'll
agree to that, Of course. but"
"Oh, It's worth 1t. got my bar
gain
Two months letsr Adeline was back
In America with her maiden name
and her diminished fortune. And her
chum, Amy Sturt, was sitting with
her N her house. Amy didn't say "
told you So" She was q real chum.
my dear"
"Oh don't pity ne, Amy. I'm very
glad I went through with 1t ALL"
"That awful manr'
~ don't know about that, Amy. HI
wanted my money. but so did th'
others. And I saw through him al
the time, and I knAw how 1t woult
end. But, you see. was forty-six
and wanted the experience Of lif'
before I got to be an old woman. Eacl
Of us got what he bafsained for, an
thank heaven, could afford to pa,