The Redwood gazette., 1901-11-20
A HA RM ON Y DISC ORD.
BY LOUISE a. M,GAFFEY.

western college, tail, thin and solemn; she,
medlum-slzed, plump and merry, with a set
tied conviction that silent and moody peo-
pie were public nuisances, whose elimina-
ton from society not only would be good
thing, but positive necessity if other folks
were to have any comfort in living
You're an out and out barbarian, Miss
Waring, he protested. Don't you know
that it takes all sorts of people to make
world The very essence OF pleasure lies
in contrast, and wouldn'tit be a dreary thing
b if every person you met should be on the
broad grin y
That is just what I would like, Z replied
+ Miss Waring, with a merry laugh.
But that is absurd, and you know it, I"
persisted the professor, a little testify.
Il do not know any such thing" retorted
the young lady I'D much rather see ev-
erybody on the broad grin, as you put it,
than to meet nothing but faces full Of woe,
or, if not that, with look in them as il
their owners were carrying he weight OF the
world upon their shoulders Z
B. Like mine, for instance, " suggested the
professor, glumly.
es, like yours, since you have said SO, 8
rejoined Miss W airing. mischievously. But,
professor" she went on, little sobered,
why should we waste this delicious even
ing in discussing things that neither OF us.
understand II mean that / do not, under
stand" She blushed as she hastily correct
ed herself Give me the sunlit foam on the
top wave of things, and anybody who likes
may have what lies beneath
But, my dear young lady the foam is the
scum
We'll, foam or scum, or whatever you
like to call it, / am content with It, and
will there abide"
Miss Waring was too kind hearted to
want to give pain, SO she hastened torsay:
s.You have made the voyage very pleasant
for me, Prof. Farnsworth. As soon as saw
you were an American | received your kind
attentions as matter OF course, but you
and could never be congenial friends for
long"
4 should like to know why?" he asked,
stif1y.
"Oh, the difference in our theories Of life
would always be a barrier, she answered.
There's your theory OF contrasts, tor IN
stance; how would you reconcile two such
opposite natures as ours z,
by observing the agreements and let
ting the disagreements alone, he replied.
'sAnd if ever marry" he remarked, after
pause, my wife shall be an exact opposite
of myself The play Of continued contrast
is what suits me.
There you are again, professor, with your
theory Of contrasts!" exclaimed Miss War
ing, with mock disdain. just cast your
eyes outward, professor-that is, il you can
get away from yourself a moment-and tell
me what lesson that scene yonder teaches!
There is the ocean, smooth as a ballroom
floor; away up above are the peaceful stars
shining with all their might. Nothing but
balmy airs blow around this ship; every
thud Of the engine is one step nearer home.
And about this time tomorrow evening we
shall drop anchor in New York harbor, and
I shall see again that dear old Dick from
whom / have been parted a sol1d year. l
wonder" she went on, musingly, 1t the
dear fellow got my cablegram from Berlin!
/ should Just hate awfully not to find him
when / land. !"
s.If you love him so, don't see how you
could leave him so long, remarked the pro-
fessor, gloomily.
.Oh, Dick has great opinion OF my abil-
tiles, and insisted that should take turn
at art and music and a few other trlf1es
over there in Berlin, and was nothing 10th
to go, assure you. Dick has been making
barrels of money out IN the mines, SO 1
knew / was not putting him to any incon-
yenience in the way Of expense, and dearly
love to travel, and the excitement OF new
scenes and faces Now after this frank con-
fession | know what my standing is with
you. 1t is just nil ard nothing else.
1T is nothing of the kind, as you ought
to know, and now ! also have confession
to make From the way in which you speak
of this Dick L take it that you are engaged
to him, and you would have done me favor
if YOU had mentioned him at first, together
with your prospective relationship to him.
I should then have saved myself from fall
ing in love with you, and from making an
idiot of myself, as / am this minute, when
/ tell you you are the only woman | ever
met whom | wanted to marry. There, I've
said it, and you can settle with Dick about
it Just as you please.
Miss Waring fell into such fit of laugh
ter that it was fully minute before she
could reply; then she said, between gusts
of more hilarity: Prof 4Farnsworth, you
are the most unconventional person 1 ever
saw. Don't you know thai ism t the way to
make love? But it is one OF your contrasts,
suppose.
~ es, that is one Of my contrasts. / have
been watching it ever since we came on
deck, and now it has begun to rise rapidly.
Ii / am not mistaken, we shall have storm
tonight that will turn this lovely scene
into wild uproar and give this good ship
such shaking up as it hasn't known be.
fore. !"
ct has been written" said the professor,
solemnly, ..from the beginning that there
should be contrasts in everything in this
life. Sunshine and shade, storm and calm.
peace and war, plenty and poverty; there
is no escaping these conditions. And out OF
them comes all the beauty Of virtue, all the
glory of great deeds, all the harmony OF
music. You ought to understand these
things, Miss Waring, if not for your OWL
sake, for that of your future husband
On the second evening after this a some.
what battered ocean steamer crept into her
slip on the North river, andSa bedraggled
crowd poured out upon the landing stage.
The storm had blown itself out, but while
1T lasted it had been severe enough to sat
isfy the most exacting theory Of contrasts.