How an Insurance Agent took a Life.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 920, 23 February 1881, Page 5

How an Insurance Agent took a Life.

He met her at Professor Haselmayer’s entertainment, at McFarlane’s Hall. She was laughing vigorously, and looking hearty and healthy. The insurance agent was sitting next to her and in most gentlemanly tones addressed her. With some diffidence she replied. One word brought on another, and by the end of the performance a friendly feeling had been established. She, being single and unprotected, the gallant agent proffered to escort her to her home, which offer was accepted. Soft nothings of course {>assed, and she saw visions of cloudess happiness floating in the distance. He was tender in his demeanour, and domestic bliss seemed (oh ! ye gods) to be within grasping reach. Again they met, and yet again. One evening, when the glorious orb of night was lighting up each rock and cliff of onr beauteous bay, in whispered accents he murmured, “Is your life insured?” “No, sweety, it is not; but why do you ask ?” “ Because my own, 1 never could marry any one who had not taken that precaution.” She asked, “ Could I insure, love ?” and he replied “ Most certainly.” The next day he was promptly in attendance, and “ took her life.” Subsequently she discovered that he couldn’t marry if he would, being already a benedict. The moral of this narration is that when young ladies indulge in piscatorial pursuits, in order to gain a husband, they should take care to bait their hooks so that they may secure a genuine prize, and not a fish that has once before been caught, and, therefore, “ twice shy.”