The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-01-03
FOLDING DOORS.

room is decorated in merry pink. When
her guests are too serious or too frivolous,
she changes their mood by passing them
through the folding doors. Upon the aft
ernoon in question she received me in the
music room; so my usual gayety deserted
me and conversation seemed to flag.
81 have often wondered" she said sud-
denly after had sighed three times, "why
you quarreled with Thea Lester. Forgive
me for alluding to painful subject -
"The fact is, my dear Mrs. Haviland, 1
didn't quarrel with her, My hostess
shook her pretty head.
"You don't mean to tell me that it was
Thea's fault? 1 simply can't imagine her
quarreling with anybody
'Of course she wouldn't"
"Then, if you didn't quarrel with her,
and she didn't quarrel with you, however
did you quarrel with one another?' 1
shook my head and looked into the con-
servatory.
''We didn't exactly quarrel" I said
''We thought it better to part-at least,
that is what we said"
Mrs. Haviland is an excellent little wo-
man, whose only weakness is mania for
| marrying off her friends.
SIT was in this house," she exclaimed,
IL L
am not mistaken, that you and Thea
Eyes; it was" She left us alone for
| two whole hours, the good little soul!
''You both gave me your confidence
| thenp' She is one of those nice little wo-
men whom everybody confides in, you
| know.
''Believe me, should confide in you
now, if there were anything to confide,
| but there isn't" 1 didn't want to talk
| to any one about it either.
She shook her head slowly. "When you
| talk about-it-as if it were a mere moth
ing, l know that you are not in earnest,
Mr.. Richmond" she said reproachfully.
1 twirled my mustache uneasily. She
was evidently determined to know all
about it, and somehow she always gets
her own way.
| "The simple TRUTH" said, "my dear
Mrs. Haviland, is that Thea and I found
out that we were absolutely different in
tastes and opinions"
| " OF course; that is the proper thing"
"She is as serious as-this music room
of yours -
"Most people consider it a charming
room.''
Certainly. Thea is the most charming
Of women-with one rival" She smiled
and held up her hands deprecatingly.
"My respect and admiration have not less
ened in the slightest.
81 am glad of thatl" she cried, clasping
her hands. "But 1t makes me regret all
the more that you-oh, why should you?''
Because lion the other hand, am as
light as your pretty pink room.'
"As attractive in another way" she OBJ
served, with a complimentary smile.
SWELL, the long and short of it is that
Thea was always green, and was always
pink, and neither could change the other. u
'Why need you try?" laughed little.
"Thea is quite missionary, you know.
OF course she was bent on reforming me. u
"An impossible taskl But you might
have persuaded her that no structural al
teration was necessary"
"She intimated her disapproval of smok-
ing and billiards the day after our engage
ment.'
'sSurely she didn't insist ON her objec
tion. That would be unreasonable.
"Well, no. She conceded smoking an6
little billiards, but she wanted me to gt
to church about three times week, tt
give up betting-it's only trifle now ant
then, just for fun, 1 assure you"
''She wished me to avoid music halls
to forswear whisky and to take her to {
lecture on the primitive something Or 9th
ers once week.
"Why not?" My hostess shrugged he,
shoulders and held out her hands expan
sively. shrugged my shoulders with les
elegance, but equal emphasis.
because I'm-pink, said. She stud
led the bows on her slippers for few mo
ments
"You were very fond of her?' she ask
ed suddenly. I dropped my gloves an
} picked them up again before answering.
EYES," 1 said stubbornly, ''I was."
"And you are9"
eyes," said, 81 am"
} "You wish sometimes that you hadn'
} parteda" tapped the floor impatiently.
"Yes, I do. But as we could nc
agree
, ''Ohi'' she cried reproachfully. "Yo
might have tried a little harder. 1t wa
only matter of really understanding eac
other; only a case of a few concessions O.
each side All people have to make them
even Fred and T." They certainly seen
to get on very we'll.
: "I'm certain Thea wouldn't,'' sal
doggedly.
Don't you think she was very, yer
fond of you?''
, "That's just what I wasn't sure. If
had been"-
? ST venture to say that I am sure"
thought heard movement in the ne1
] room. You can hear through the foldin
DOORS
"There isn't any one in there, SUI
r poser" 1 asked. "It sounded just like
4 1.-The wind rattling the window" st
t said laughing. II haven't fastened
: Don't you think Thea very pretty an
q sweet and good?"
"Most certainly do. I-well, sha