Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1899-12-16
FOLDING DOORS.

The color tone Of Mrs. Haviland's music
room is somber green, while the drawing
room is decorated in merry pink. When
her guo'ts 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 rom; SO my usual gayety deserted
me and conversation seemed to flag.
~ have often wondered, she said sud.
denly after I had sighed three times, "why
you quarreled with Thea Lester. Forgive
me for alluding to painful subject"
"Tho fact is, my dear Mrs. Hnviland,
didn't quarrel with her." My hostess
shook her pretty head.
"You don't mean to tell mo that 1t was
Thea's faultp 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?"
shook my head and looked into tho con-
servatory.
"we didn't exactly quarrel" ] said.
eve thought 1t 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.
ut was in this house," she exclaimed,
almost tearfully, sin this very room, If
am not mistaken, that you and Thea"-
"Yes; 1t was" Sho left us alone for
two whole hours, the good little soul
"You both gave me your confidence
then" She is one of those nice little wo.
men whom everybody confidos in, you
know.
'BeIieve me, should conflde In you
now, IL there wero anything to confide,
but there isn't" l didn't want to talk
to any one about it either.
She shook her head slowly. "When you
talk about-it-ns II It were mere moth
ing, know that you arc not in earnest,
Mr.. Richmond" she said reproachfully.
twirled my mustache uneasily. She
was evidently determined to know all
about it, and somehow she always gets
her own way.
"Tbe simple TRUTH" said, "my dear
Mrs Haviland, is that Thea and 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 1t charming
xoom.'
'Cortainly Thou Ia the most charming
Of women--with one rival" She smiled
and hold up her hands deprecatingly
my respect and admiration have not less
ened in tho slightest"
II am glad of thatl" she cried, clasping
her hands. "But it makes me regret all
the more that you-oh, why should you9"
"Because /, on the other hand, am as
light as your pretty pink ROOM"
''As attractive in another way" she OBJ
served, with complimentary smile
"Well, the long and short of it is that
Thea was always green, and was always
pink, and neither could change tho other. I"
why need you tryS" laughed little.
"Thea Is quito missionary, you know.
OF course she was bent on reforming mo. +"
San impossible task! But you might
have persuaded her that no structural al
teration WINS necessary"
''She intimated her disapproval Of smok-
ing and billiards the day after our engage
ment."
''Surely she didn't insist on her jec.
tion. That would be unreasonable. +"
"Well, no. She conceded smoking and
a little billiards, but she wanted mo to go
to church about throo times week, to
give up betting-it's only trile now and
thon, just for fun, assure YOU"
II know. Like Fred" She nodded
Mrs. Haviland bets q pair of gloves ooca-
sionally herself and pays when she loses.
"She wished mo to avoid music halls,
to forswear whisky and to take her to a
lecture on the primitive something or 9TH
ers once week"
"why notp" My hostess shrugged her
shoulders and held out her hands oxpan-
sive]y. shrugged my shoulders with less
elegance, but equal emphasis.
"Becauso I'm-pink, (" 1 said She stud
led tho bows on her slippers for few mo-
ments.
"You were very fond of hcrf" she ask
cd suddenly. dropped my gloves and
picked them up again before answering.
"Yes," said stubbornly, IL was"
"And you are9''
Eyes" / said, ~ am."
"You wish sometimes that you hadn't
partedS" tapped tho floor impationtly.
"Yes, do. But as we could not
agree"--
"Ohl' she cried reproachfully "You
might have tried little harder. 1t was
only matter of really understanding each
other; only case of q few concessions on
ehCn blue. All pcOpio nuNe 10 ilnke UneIn, b,
even Fred and l." Thoy certainly seem
to get on very we'll.
"I'm certain Thea wouldn't" said
doggedly.
Don't you think she was very, very
fond of your"
'That's just what wasn't sure. If I
had BEEN
~ venture to say that I am sure." I
thought heard movement in tho next
room. You can hear through the folding
doors
'There isn't any one in there, sup.
pose?" asked. "It sounded just like
1.-The wind rattling the window" she
said laughing. II haven't fastened 1t.
Don't you think Thea very pretty and
sweet and good?''
"Most certainly do, I-wcll, shall
never think any one like her," ! never
shall.
"Then why don't you put the matter
frankly to her. II you appeal to hsr love
for you. I know she will meet you huff
way. And, my dear Mr.. Richmond
she put her hand on my sleeve in her