J.
:-i,
os 1
3 ijl 1444rH
lit
It I " )JU, ' J
out In front of Prizor's store until Pert onnio bark frim
calling on Prudence, ami thin hold a lit t ! talk with H.rt
Kept the Rivals Away.
"You might as well Btuy away from tin re. Itrrt." he
sugg. stcd.
" I don't pit what ynu'vi' not to Jo with It," said licit
hotly.
"Keep your shirt on." said Hum. coolly. "She's laine.
She Iwn my girl for tin- l ist seven years."
" O," saiil Bert, bitterly. " I didn't know you wi re i n
tinged.
!! turned away In-fore Hum could say a word, and that
rdght hi' wrote a bitter lit t U- note of farewell to Prudence and
Ii ft Westvllle. Prudence cried a little over the not.', and
then rejoiced, for she thought that surely after that Hum
tempted the same little Kaon- that he had tried on young
Cowman, lint this tim. it .1 i.l ti I w.uk Newell told him
lil.ilnly II, at he ;n goiuu to urn Prudence If he could and
that h.' would brook no interference.
1!. lore breakfast the next morning Newell drove n In
flout of Prudence's homo und wmt In Prudence had fimr
out to irotie all morning on an errand of men y, but Newell
asked lor mother plainly If Kuuiruery had sny claim or
whi ther any cue ig. m. iit i xislcd She told him she thought
not. but he wint away only h-ilf satisfied ami more than half
" nuf. partly I" rsua.l.d that the Kil l had lm n trifling with
his aff ctions
Why She Brought the Suit.
When I'rudi nee ii turned home tnat niwin her mother told
Then all the fighting qualities of the
IH3 mriiKNTE MALLORY. or. rather, she
n 1 who was Miss I'rudeiice Mallory. of Westville,
wf I Vt., won n husband by securing a court In
IV A I Junc tion restraining him from culling on her,
and two days after the Injunction wan secured
she b.eame Mri. Putnam Hummery.
Miss Mallory. It In declared. Is the fust
womun in th" world who ever brought a dila
tory wooer to his senses through such a court action, and
through all that district of northern Vermont, the young
wnin n are praising her for her courage and determination.
Mummery. It Is alleged, "kept company" with Miss Mal
lory for over eleven years steadily, calling on her at least
two evenings In the week and walking home with her from
prayer meeting every Wednesday night, yet failed to propose,
other young men, attracted by the grace and beauty of Miss
Mallory. came to call, only to be driven uway either by the air
of proprietorship assumed by Hunimery or by the remarks
of others "that It wasn't nny use she's Hum's girl." until
at the age of Ml years, seeing her chances of matrimony be
ing destroyed, she appealed to the courts to keep flummery
from calling on her and driving uway other marriageuble
men.
Proposed to Escape Contempt of Court.
And Hummery. his eyes opened ut last, toed the scratch
like a man. wrote u note of proposal, fearing to be sent to
Jail for contempt of court If he called, and the next day
the engagement was announced and the injunction dissolved.
" Hum "as all his friends call him chose Prudence Mal
' lory as his sweetheart over eleven years ago w hen they w ere
both In school, and after the custom of small towns the
oilier young men and young women recognized the rights of
each to the other and did not trespass. Kcry time there was
a picnic over on the side of Knox mountain or a day's outing
up on (iroton pond It was " Rum " w ho carried Prudence's
big lunch basket and sat next to her in the big wagon. It
was " Hum " who helped her gather pond lilies, and it was
lie who sat next to her In the deep hay during the winter
sleigh rides, and who poured the thick molasses Into her
pan of snow when there was a "boiling down" of sap in
a sugar camp.
So they grew up together, and everybody. Including them
selves, looked upon Prudence Mallory as the future Mrs.
Hummery, and thought that It was good.
Hum went into business, and prospered fairly well, lie
traded in land a bit, and made some more money, and he
swapped horses as skillfully as the next man, so by the time
he was '-'4 years of age and Prudence was LHJ everybody, pos
sibly Including prudence, thought they surely would be
married the next spring.
Called Regularly Twice a Week.
Rum was as steady as clockwork. He called on I'rudeiice
at her mother's home every Sunday and Thursday evenings
of the year, and he walked home with her from prayer
meeting every Wednesday evening of the year, never missing
a call or walk except In the second week In May, when he
usually went to Boston to buy his summer goods.
The other girls and boys got married, a few each year,
and Rum and Prudence dropped back Into the " younger
crowd." and then Into the still " younger set."
" For heaven's sake, Prude, why don't you marry him?"
I'emanded her married friends as she helped them with their
bubles.
r
i t'TV . Iv." .17 J. i
1 lfffiffwllf
A
" He hasn t proposed to me." replied Prudence to eai h In
quiry. 80. year after year. Rum kept calling and Prudence kept
waiting for him to ask her to marry him. She knew he would
some day. but he kept putting It off month after month In his
easy going, indolent manner. He wasn't a bit bashful. He
simply did not realize that the years were flying, and that
he and Prudence were beginning to " get along In years."
mid Prudence, Islng a woman, did realize it. Perhaps the
courting arrangement was sweeter to him than the prospect
of the unknown after marriage, and that bis joys of anticipa
tion sufficed. At any rate he let the years slip dizzily by and
never asked her.
Tempted to Propose to him.
Several times Prudence was on the point of asking him
herself. Sin; believed yes, knew that he loved her, and she
knew In her heart that there was lio other man In the world
for her. That was the trouble. If it had been possible for
her to care enough for any one else she might have thrown
Hum over and " served him right," but she didn't. Several
times when one or another of the young men of the village
or surrounding villages called she was half tempted to en
courage him to continue his attentions, but her strict New
Hiiglund conscience would not permit her.
In IINKI when Prudence was HI) years old and still unmar
ried there came into Westvllle a young man, llert Cowman,
from up Harre direction. He was a handsome, winning fellow,
with a bright, cheery manner, and half the girls in Westvllle
Were "Just daffy about lilni." as one of them confessed. The
first time llert saw Prudence he was smitten. He asked for
and received an Introduction, and the way he started to
" rush " Prudence was a grand object lesson in courtship to
Hum. He called afternoons and evenings, he took Prudence
buggy riding, be gathered flowers for her and sent her
candy, he called when he knew Rum was at the house, and
staid just as long as Rum did. Prudence conscientiously
tried to give him a hint, but he refused to take It. and in her
heart she fwas glad because she believed that the activity
of his avowed rival would make Rum jealous and produce
the proposal. Hut Hum was not constructed that way. He
met llert one evening. In fact, he sat on the dry goods box
mBmmmm
lll l ''; . , WAV-.-.. 1 :V.V:
plrl s New I'ligland ancestors cropped out. She determined to
ford' Itummery to let In r i hoof her own husband and to
Inalte him cc 1 se .hiving away suitors.
She hurried down Into the village and held a consultation
win Lawyer Slo.-ine. who. after some hesitancy, declared thut
the most salutary action ami the one uuickest and most ef
fe. live was to appeal to the court to enjoin Hummery from
1I1 i lug away h.r other suitors
The prayer that a writ of Injun, lion might issue was duly
(I raw-11 up i.n.l the facts of the ease recited
llriefly the bill s. t forth that Prudence Millory. spinster,
aijc.l .11 years, was threatened with serious and material
damage to her prospects In life through the acts and Inter
f. renee of one. I'uMiam Hunimery. It d.i lare.l that for more
than el. veil years Hunimery b id monopolized the lime of
Miss Mallory, f. Isjlitcnlng nivnv other prospective suitors,
and that be nelth. r would propose marriage nor allow any
other pi rson to propose if he could prevent It
The ti inporarv mjuuiti.ui was ordered to issue, and
Hummery found himself s rved with a notice.
Then for the llrst time In oyer eleven years he saw his
actions in the right light, lie wanted to go straight up to
Prod, nee s home, beg her forgiveness, nnd ask her to marry
him. but by the terms of the Injunction he yvas restrained
from going uixm her properly. II. sat on the dry goods box
nil evening, hoping tli.it she would be (ailed Into the village
on some errand, but lie saw nothing of her.
Asked Forgiveness and Proposed.
Lute thai night he lock. , I Vitus, if into the otuVo of his
store and wrote a letter of tw. uty four pages, begging Pru
dence to forgive and marry him at once. He begged of her
If she would accept him - to walk down towards the post
office early In the morning prepared to go with him up to
St. Johnsbiiry and get married.
At ! o'clock Hum. dressid In his best. yas sitiuig .m
the postoMlce slops. He wis st'll there at lo gazing anx
iously up tin- street. At lo::io he arose, brushed off his trou
sers, and started sadly down the sir. et iu the direction of
tin store.
Just at that minute he caught the flutter of a skirt up the
street, stopped, gaze. I in that .Miction a moment, and then
t-tnrtod hurrying in that direction. ,
They nut directly in front of Mrs. Tatum's hous... and Unit
good woman, standing broom in hand on the front steps,
saw Hum talking lariiesily. ple-iditiglv, for a minute, then
she saw Prudence's head bow ("own. caught the glint of
tears, and saw Hum take her hand and press it passionately.
And as Pruihnce and Hunimery walked away towards the
waiting buggy Mrs. Tatimi batted the dust out of the broom
0:1 the side of th. porch steps and called lo some one inside
the bouse.
" Lou. I'rudi and Hum are agoiu' to get married."
" Pari! m ar time," came u voice from inside Hie house.
would propose. But he didn't. llaving escaped a serious
rival he felt more secure than ever. He really Intended to
propose, he says, but ev. ry thing was so pleasant that he
kept postponing it.
About Christmas time prudence got exasperated.' II-r
sister, five years younger than she. cuiue back to spend the
holidays, bringing her baby girl, and Prud. nee cried and
cried over It and had the blues.
" If I were you. Prude. I d marry some other fellow. I
don't think he's got any get up anyhow." suggest, d Sue.
And that night Prudence determined to giv. up Hum and
marry some one else - the first one that came along.
Rum Sulks at Rival's Advances.
Whether by accident or by Prudence's design, or mere
coincidence, Jerome Newell, a handsome, middle aged wid
ower, quite wealthy, from over near Passunisic, began to
come down to Westvllle to call on Prudence. He came once
a Week. and. having been married once, he was not be bluffed
away by uny stories of Rum's proprietorship in the girl.
Several warned him that " she was Hum's girl." so he
usked Prudence casually If she was engaged to Hum. and
she admitted that she was not, her heart leaping with ex
pectation and fear.
Early in June Hum n wakened to the realization that he
was In danger of losing Prudence. The shock of the dis
covery affected him curiously. Instead of hurrying to her
and proposing he grew angry at the thought that she would
look at any other man, and fell hurt.
He did the worst thing in the world for hjs own chances.
Ho sulked. He remained away from Prudence's home for a
whole week, and when he look, d for her at prayer meeting
the next Wednesday evening he saw her walk out with Mr.
Newell, and he raged Inwardly. Also ne forced a grin when
the fellows taunted hlm.
That night be sat late on the dry goods box In front of
Prlxer's, and when Newell came down the street h at-
ill
. ,.t . . .. v,;i:;,
i
Mm r
'th
0
The Kind of a Man a Girl Wants to Marry. y
kHERE Is a prtat deal o( argument and curiosity
9 I to know what kind ut a man a woman is likely
II to regard with favor us promising to make a
I good husband.
There ure people who declare that a young
woman never dreams of matrimony till some
one startles her by making a proposal, and that
she really ought not to do so. I cannot see any
good In encouraging a delusion that represents girls as being
more foolish than they ire. Marriage is a si rlous thing for
the wife as well as tor tfie hutibuiid, and why a girl sliould be
supposed to be hurled Into it as uuiclleciingly as a mall tum
bles out of a boat Into the water I cannot conceive. Of course
she never docs anything of th kind
"How Is It." a man ssked Thackeray, "that ninety-nine
girls out of a hundred accept the first man that proposes tn
them?"
' ltocause," answered the novelist. " ninety -nine girls oul
of u hundred are ton sensible lu let any man but the one the)
have chosen proisise'tu them at all."
No Need for Women to Propose.
There is a considerable amount of use In that statement.
Now and again a short discussion appears on the question,
"Sliould Women Proposer" If women proposed, we sliould
have vastly fewer marriages, for eligible young men W(iulJ
not dure to frequent female society us they do at present.
Hut women have a great denl more choice in selecting their
partners already than most people suppose. One of the most
beautiful and sensible young women I know-for beautiful
girls are as sensible as pl iln ones, after all took some months
to decide which she would have of eight young men, all pas
sionately In love with her. In the end. uf course, she " took
the first that asked her," at three of the Inconsolable and dis
gusted seven complained to me. asked each of them why he
had iHt been the first, and each explained (hat it was because
he had never a chance." No, uf course nut I have said tU.it
that young woman was sensible.
Women do not need to propose If they did they Would be
rejected.
Looks Play Important Part.
There are ninny things which in the tirst place eiita a
young woman's Interest In a man. Knteiiug a room full of
young women, to whom he was equally a stranger, I have not
the slightest doubt that a mail would, if be Were free to se
lect, choose what he considered tin prettiest of I hem to talk
to. A girl entering u room full of "ien would cluiose the man
who appeared nicest and most distinguished looking ls.ks
stimulate or destroy Interest.
The head of an eminent publishing firm some time sime
begged me to use my intluence with an author whose books
are in considerable demand with women, not to pwtke bis like
ness public. The author is a most rdi,iary looking cnulure,
and afflicted with no inconsiderable amount of personal van
ity. When he got two or three letters from women suggesting
that his portrait would oe acceptable as a frontispiece to his
next novel, he was delighted, und gave orders a.iordiuglv.
The publisher f.uesaw dinger in throwing that ordinary 1". k-
(lng countenance at readers who h.ui each imagined the writer
beautiful with the beauty that was her special choice. The
author has never been able to und rstand he insisted on hav
ing his way why that book, which was at least us choice as
any lie had written, seemed to meet with considerable dis
favor. An extremely plain man is ut a disadvantage in attracting
Interest and sympathy. A man should look his best. People
have a right to demand it of him. He will suffer If be does
.kill
Pndy and Sloven Both Fail In Love
not act lightly by them. No man has a right to be uglier
than l.e in , d b in Ids appiarance.
Majority Qblcd to Handsome Men.
Yet the great majority of girls do nut favor the nuist hand
some men. It Is to some an odd fact that the plain or even
ugly man triumphs over much better looking rivals in gaining
their hearts. The reason simply Is that girls have more
sense than they are usually credited with. No man is half so
keen as they are to detect a man's vanity in good looks, mis
directed efforts to exaggerate tlu ni, or to make Impressions
by means of them. No man resents such conduct so bitterly.
One of the richest and best looking bachelors in the world
was converted into a woman hater by the cutting things be
heard spoken respec ting him by women before whom he spe
cially tried to cut a fine figure. A rich fib ml of bis, whom
lie had probably selected as bis chief companion because bis
miserable appearance acted as a species of foil to throw his
own striking ersiiiiality off to Its best advantage, used, per
haps in revenge, to keep hjs handsome friend most accurately
informed us to the leinaiks lie overheard respecting hlm.
They incensed hlm so bitterly that lie resolved to have nothing
to do with a seg that criticised hlm so keenly. He never mar
ried. The women meanwhile have all chosen husUands, not
worthy, most (if them, to " hold a candle" to hlm on the scure
of physical attractiveness.
Thu man who thinks lie is good looking, or w ho Is unite cer
tain of it, had better forget nil about it as boon us he enters
a woman's; society, for she will quickly discover the fact, and
will not readily forgive him for It. That Is no reason, however,
why a mun should no pay reasonable attention to ivt spoiling
any attractiveness be possesses by utter neglect of his hair,
face, and hands, for instance, or by neglecting lo dress to the
best advantage. - ,
Sloven and Dude Equally Ignored.
The two faults In a niiiH's dress that a woman does not
readily forgive are dandy ism and slovenliness. While a w man
Is apt und reasonably to Uilnk a good deal of lor own dress,
she Is not favorably impressed by the man who shows ail un
due interest In bis. I have known u too frequent change of
ties noted to a man's disparagement.
And yet nun who are apt to be dandies are freiiuenlly by
no means fools. IMsiaell. w hen be was a young man. was one
of the greatest fops. When lie was at (iihraltar he ijlscaiifcd
one cane for another at the sound of the nil. May gun. j A
friend of Nelson noted that It was painful to see bow over
dressed he was on various occasions. He rejoiced in finery
The duke of Wellington was nli kuamed iinong his Intimate
companions. "The Heau." It Is not safe, by any means, to
conclude that a man Is a fool for overdressing
The fact that luvn hae atrociously bad taste in such
things, and as soon as many begin to think alsnit ill. sa at all,
they begin to make things worse than they were befoie by
indulging in gross exagg -rat ions of shapes itu.l colors
Slovenliness is, of course, often associated wilii gi nlus
Home people -..ake the mistake of supslng that the two
things are lyeparable. It may be o a cert air. extent Halter
ing to a wr'nun that a man who is so absorbed in work that
he forget to change his collar as often as he sliould. should
yet fini time to think of her. Hut she is shy of hlm. ...i.l r
sonajr'y so.
Admirt Pleasant, Agreeable Men.
Hut whatever u satlsractoi j appearance may do in the
shape uf mi lutiuduv thai. I lose ale only the pi i -liiuiuai -ie.
have known people ekccedingly sorry afniw.ii. Is for lutio
(tui tions fur Willi Ii llley most eagerly sought. 1 introduced
a man lo a woman some time since, iu coiiseijui-ii. e of his
earliest iinportunliy, and lie has reproached me i ver since
yvlth being responsible for hi r having made him ludicrous from
that time forth. I had anticipated it, know inc. that the woman
had a remarkable facility for arriving at a pi rsoti's just value.
Without agri i ahletiess. some ability, nnd the ...inlltles
gills admire, u presumably attractive man Is liable to be an
7 )
tr ' r nil. iiLi ill y r X
hoof stumped them out ft lever, he resolved to rely for su
premacy upon something else, and set to work to cultivate
H charming manner. He is one of the most considerate, amus
ing, and graceful men in society today. I would wager tli.it
he could marry a .kizen girls who would have rejected hint
before that disaster which his good sense bus transferred
into a fortunate chance.
Take A or Any Kind of Man.
(litis marry all kinds of men. The bigger the fool, the
more some girls appear to appreciate him The brute may
find his admirer, as we can see for ourselves any day In the
newspapers w lien we read their resulis.
"Women fall in love and marry mop for many reasons.
You might not think It, but tiny always have a reason of
sonic kind, though," said Max Aileler. "lino of the queerest
reasons 1 ever heard of as that of Mis. Ilohollto, the wife gf
the distinguished pel former In the lions' b n of a traveling
menagerie. Ilohollto was always anxious to know when first
the lovely and accomplished maiden who agreed to accept his
name. fame, and fortune became Inspired with that regard
for bint willed induced tier to reply Yes' to a passionate ap
peal made rather vague oy the signer's emotion and Ignorance
of five languages that got mixed up In the fervor of the occa
sion. "'1 first thought I might be induced to listen to a pro
posal.' confessed ilie slgnorina. 'nli.ii I saw you In the lions'
den. and I reflected that you might be eate i up any day!'
"The sigiior was not half pleased with that reply. Hid It
mean that she was In.lu -e.l to marry hlm because he was a
hero, or because she reflected that there wa re so many chances
that she should be an eailv wl.'ow?"
Weds the One Who Loves Her Best.
The man the girl marries, though, is. in the vast majority
of eases, just Ilie man who she thinks loyes her best, and
whom she would love host to make happy from among all
the men in the world She does not re. mire him to be par
ticularly brilliant, heroic, or saintlike, and It Is a good thing.
She demands si use, honor, and " eril " She admires manli
ness not tie ui nliness that Is identified with and can be
acquit . .1 by dumbbell exerclsis and things of that kind for
half an hour . i.-rv neonlng, hut the manlim ss of a m .1, sane,
courageous facing of life's .llllicul ties and problems,.
Nine-lent lis of women would sooner marry a niari w ho Is
bravely struggling succeed flian have a ready made suc
cessful man.
"I guess." ixphilned the young Atwilrun girl, when ex
, stul.it-if with on her choosing a strigelinir suitor, "that
marry ing a man who has got everything already Is something
like buying a r.ady made dress. I in. loses all the fun of the
making "
Loved Him Because Lions Might Eat Him.
Reject
4
'Smart;
Shallow Man.
unenviable ci i a i at -. TI at Is w la
and even ugly loan so often s.
realize that he il. pi Il ls for
than l.ls looks, he xert- I n
me of my fi i. u, Is ow. s
to an .o i I'l. nt w hi. Ii p.-i ma i
l'p to that linn- be had pi o
undue rilian.e on Ihetn. Fi.
iv the plain, old. Hal) looking,
ores. If he has the sense to
ipprovul upon something more
s. 1'' and w ins.
.i- .inutcns. siii i cr.s in I. ly
lull;, .lest I oy. .1 I. IS good looks.
.1 Wtl.lt appeared to Ilie lather
a the moment when his horse's
I In atly to her credit, the average girl despises and rei.-cts
the young fellow who is " tisi smart for anything." She has
n wonderful quickness in recognizing the shallow Impudence
that sii ks to bide the failure due to l.lleiu ss and want of
pi lm iplt- under a professed contempt for ordinary honest
v. oik Tin iiunk.st way to win a gill is to re.ognlxe that
sii. g.-n. i.ilty shows a ituiarkuhle amount of good sense ill
i l.oosing the man she marries, and to resolve lo Lo worthy
of it. J
1
J i
M t