nelope. "But it was very fortunate that you did it for once, sister
mine. And no more poverty puckers," she concluded.

The Girl and The Wild Race

"If Judith would only get married," Mrs. Theodora Whitney was wont to
sigh dolorously.

Now, there was no valid reason why Judith ought to get married unless
she wanted to. But Judith was twenty-seven and Mrs. Theodora thought
it was a terrible disgrace to be an old maid.

"There has never been an old maid in our family so far back as we know
of," she lamented. "And to think that there should be one now! It just
drags us down to the level of the McGregors. They have always been
noted for their old maids."

Judith took all her aunt's lamentations good-naturedly. Sometimes she
argued the subject placidly.

"Why are you in such a hurry to be rid of me, Aunt Theo? I'm sure
we're very comfortable here together and you know you would miss me
terribly if I went away."

"If you took the right one you wouldn't go so very far," said Mrs.
Theodora, darkly significant. "And, anyhow, I'd put up with any amount
of lonesomeness rather than have an old maid in the family. It's all
very fine now, when you're still young enough and good looking, with
lots of beaus at your beck and call. But that won't last much longer
and if you go on with your dilly-dallying you'll wake up some fine day
to find that your time for choosing has gone by. Your mother used to
be dreadful proud of your good looks when you was a baby. I told her
she needn't be. Nine times out of ten a beauty don't marry as well as
an ordinary girl."

"I'm not much set on marrying at all," declared Judith sharply. Any
reference to the "right one" always disturbed her placidity. The real
root of the trouble was that Mrs. Theodora's "right one" and Judith's
"right one" were two different people.

The Ramble Valley young men were very fond of dancing attendance on
Judith, even if she were verging on old maidenhood. Her prettiness was
undeniable; the Stewarts came to maturity late and at twenty-seven
Judith's dower of milky-white flesh, dimpled red lips and shining
bronze hair was at its fullest splendor. Besides, she was "jolly," and
jollity went a long way in Ramble Valley popularity.

Of all Judith's admirers Eben King alone found favor in Mrs.
Theodora's eyes. He owned the adjoining farm, was well off and
homely--so homely that Judith declared it made her eyes ache to look
at him.

Bruce Marshall, Judith's "ri