The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1902-08-21
AN IDEAL MATCH
BY HOWARD DEVINE
Copyright, 1902, by Daily Story Pub. Col


1t was an ideal match; everybody
agreed upon that. Both were young,
of the best families, and Of equal So
cial station She was a girl Of rare
personal beauty and self poise and,
moreover, widely read, keenly intelli-
gent and ambitious. He was a hand
some fellow, a bit too impulsive, per-
haps, but none the less charming for
that. His college career had been
more productive of athletic than intel
lectual triumphs, but that was natural
enough in a full-blooded, highspirited
youth. 1t was clear that they had been
designed for one another. Their very
difference in temperament seemed to
fit them more completely for a COM
plete and well-rounded whole.
He certainly adored her and set her
upon a pedestal near the skies. Her
intellectual brilliancy made her the
more attractive to him because it was
a little beyond him. She was very
fond Of him, with his splendid ply
sique and laughing black eyes.
And so they married and settled
down to live happy ever afterward.
Now this ought to be the end of the
story. And it would be if a curious
thing had not happened. For when
people get married it is their duty to
settle down and live happy ever after
wards. There really is nothing else
respectable for them to do. The curl
Gus thing that happened was that that
which everybody said was not true. 1t
proved that this ideal match was not
ideal after all. Maybe Harry was SO
very inferior to her intellectually that
she was compelled to go on and lead
her own life in her own way. Maybe
Helen was too cold and sacrificed love
to ambition or character or something
Of that sort. Maybe there were not in
the family the two bears so essential
to every marital establishment-bea
and forbear. At any rate they had not
been long married before they began
to drift apart.
1t was natural enough for her to be
pushed to the front in the woman's
clubs and the church societies and in
economic organizations. And it was
pity that he did not follow her in all
these things very successfully.
Of course, it was unfortunate that
Harry had not the best and coolest
business head and made mistakes and
all but lost his patrimony and hers,
and it, Of course, was very fortunate
that her head was accurate and cool
and after he had given up and gone
to her in despair crying that they were
ruined she calmly took the reins and
engineered the affair through to sue
cessful issue. But the world was not
sure about that in the light Of subse-
quent events.
Better if he had lost all and gone
to work on salary some said than
to have the property saved at the ex-
pense of domestic happiness"
For it was evident as the years in
creased that they were growing apart
very rapidly. After the business cpl
code she scarcely concealed her lack Of
respect for his judgment This mad
dened him, but not less than her en-
bracing of all the "isms' and "ologies"
and finespun theories of modern ascot
ism. Never demonstrative she came
more and more to be sufficient unto
herself The first year of the marriage
had scarcely passed before she became
annoyed at any demonstration of af-
lection by her husband-later she re-
PEELED them, so they were not offered.
He was naturally of an affectionate
disposition and would have lavished
q wealth of affection on her if she had
permitted it. And into his eyes there
grew a light of sorrow and yearning
When the baby came he frightened up,
believing that might change it all. But
it only made it worse, and not only
did Helen not change, but brought lit
tie Alice up to stife and look down
upon all demonstrations Of affection.
And SO Harry Thornton began to be
seen more and more at the clubs and
the haunts of men and to go on long
fshing and hunting excursions and to