EVADING THE BACHELOR TAX

A itew and lucrative field for women's work has been opened -in the Argen • tine Republic, by which the fair daughters" of the favoured land axe enabled to earn good incomes. It is a business rjequiring no capital, and all the work can' b,e -done at home, but ODe which is confinedf, in the nature of things, to widows and maidens. The women who engage in-this^easy; and lucrative, calling are known as " professional lady rejectors," and their busmess'is giving' much, concern, to the Argentine authorities. I« all came about by the passage of the law taxing bachelors in the Argentine. As the law was thought to bear

t too hard upon young men who really tried to get married and could not do iso from the fact that nobody would ! have them, a clause was inserted by which a man was exempt from the tax if he could prove that he had pro posed and been rejected. They are not so slow in the Lafein- American countries as people up north imagine,. The professional lady rejector at oncie made her appearance on the scene, - I The fair daughter of the Routh who. Ujhopks .the., "rejector"' business in preference, to type- writing or becoming a sales lady does not hang out a sign I nor send around cards engraved with : " Carmencita Suarez. Professional Lady- Rejector. Office hours : 2to 10," but she causes it to be known !thafc she is in the business and will consent td> be - wooed . . by an, eligible bachelor, tdxdodger for a reasonable ! length of time. He can take her to the tßeatre, buy her ices, and pay for her and bonbons until the expira:ion of the time limit, when he .asks , hereto be , his, and, according to contract, she promises to be a sister to him. But her work is not: yet over, for whon ; ,ths tax\on* bkchelors is due and jJoSe goesto the, alcade to swear off his taxes, Carmencita has to go with hinuakd raske oath that; he has, s proposedHo<her and been rejected, i #k [ This seems an 'easy, and pleasant way of making one's living ; but the girls engaged in "the business say that it really is one requiring the greatest self-control, and frequently causes the greatest agony of spirit to the . practitioner, especially if she has a large and ! wealthy clientele. For a spinster j who've chances bf matrimony are on the wane, or a buxom widow who ! longs to be. consoled, to resist the temp-tations-to violate her contract and say ** Yes" when some nice young man with a nice -fortune proposes, requires phenomenal business integrity and a I severe wrench to, the feelings. I It really will be seen that not every woman can succeed in the calling 'of lady rejector. She must have the i faculty of convincing men that a rejection is certain, or 'they will .not trust ncr and she "cannot get business. The young girl jusfc entering the pro- { fession has a hard time of it ; it is 1 only the pld reliable lady rejectors who are able to accumulate fortunes. — New York Press.