The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1895-03-02

Oh sach an expensive n filthy habit
But hope yet to some day coax him t.
stop it." And. full of her generous
purpose, Doris tripped upstairs to be
gin her loving work.
Soon afterward Mrs. Turner wen
into the kitchen to see about dinner
utterly unconscious that her guest
Howard Halliday, was lying upon the
couch in the parlor. where he had gone
an hour before with a severe headache
tie certainly had not intended listen.
ing, but it had happened so quickly h
had Nc had time to make his presence
known. He was not very penitent. He
felt there could be no harm in reading
another page in a sweet. unselfsh life.
He had begun his acquaintance with
Doris by being amazed at her quaint,
o~ld-fashioned sincerity, and he had not
been in the house six hours as Jacks
guest before the young lady gave him
q surprise that made him very nearly
angry.
1t was just after tea, and they had
adjourned to the broad porch to enjoy
the lovely sunset. He had pulled out
ihn NASdl case anu III al dI VI easy
assurance turned to Doris.
You have nc objection to my smok-
ing?"
Indeed l have. Ihate tobacco smoke.
and even if / did not, l should object
on principle"
For once in his life Towards grace
of manner forsook him, and he thrust
his cigar back into its case as awkward
~ as a schoolboy. his face crimson.
Doris sat demurely swaying back
and forth in her light rocker. one pref
ty, rounded arm appraised, toying with
a spray of honeysuckle. Apparently
unconscious hat she had said or done
anything out of the ordinary, she
smiled in a friendly N into the
g~entleman's clouded face.
You are the first young lady 1 ever
met who objected to the odor of a fine
cigar" he said, half rebukingly.
Il am the only one who has been
courageous enough to tell you so; or,
perhaps it would please you better to
say | am the only one selfish enough to
deprive yOu of such a pleasure. But
I'll warrant many a lady has been
forced to tell a polite lie, rather than
make herself disagreeabIe by telling
the truth" she said. good naturally.
) you do not tell untruths for the
sake of being pleasant, it seems" Mr..
Halliday said. interrogatively, a tinge
of sarcasm in his voice.
Not when a principle is involved. l
claim that the use of tobacco in any
form is unwhOlcsome, unclean, selfish
and eXtravaGant, S o of course cannot
sanction smoking, even though the
cigars may be of the finest"
oh. ! see You are one of the adj
vanced thinkers, or reform women,
who are slashing right and left at the
small vices of the sterner sex. You
wish men to be little less than angels.
lacking physical force and manly indie
p~endence,' he retorted. holly.
Il belong to the class who believe
men should be as free from vices as
women: good, pure, and true: of the
finest physical development, md brave
enough to resist temptation, no matter
in what guise it may come" she said,
quietly.
4 rather heated argument followed.
in which Mr.. Halliday felt himself de-
cidedly worsted. To cover his defeat
he gladly accepted Jacks invitation to
call on his best girl"
That tilt of words was by no means
the last. nor was it the last in which
Mr.. Halliday left the battlefield in
gloriously. 1t must be confessed, his
self-approbation was often hurt, and
that in thinking over their discussions
afterward Howard frequently assured
himself he barely escaped disliking his
friends sister. That women should
hold opinions at all seemed I'M
womanly to him; and to be defeated by
one was almost objectionable.
Yet, aside from this unpleasant fea-
ture, little Doris seemed one of the
most unselfish and lovable girls he had
ever met. He felt sure his stately
mother would approve of her. and the
thought sent a queer little spasm of
pleasure through his hitherto invul-
nerable heart. 1t was just like her to
sacrifice her best dress to give Jack an
outing. He hadn't much faith in the
result, though, and he laughed to him
self as he thought of stylish Jack in a
badly fitting, badly made coat. His
first impulse was to tell Jack in time
to prevent the worse than useless sac
%rifice. but that would be betraying a
secret not intended for his ears. so he
could only be silent and await develop
ments.
For the next three or four days Doris
was scarcely visible, excepting at meal
time. Jack stormed because she did
give time to their guest. 1t
was Just like a girls vanity" he said,
Ito care more for stitching away on
an old machine, making finery, than to
care for the comfort and happiness of
two fOrlorn men," And Howard, !
watching the sensitive face flushing
under unjust accusations, thought her
the sweetest and loveliest of women.
At last, one afternoon as Jack and
Howard were lounging or the porch,
Doris came tripping demurely up the
carrying a neat package. Her
eyes shone with a light that fairly
dazzled Mr.. Halliday, and in a moment
he comprehended her plan. He arose
as she came up and offered her a chair.
but she shook her head playfully and
passed on into the sitting-room. Pres
emily she called Jack.
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