The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-01-16
THE PONsONBYs'
DISENCHANTMENT
BY Kate Jordan.



M ISIS TERRY winked n~ervous1y
lM through her eyeglasses.
rs this the result of a mood,
Hope? Is it a very young woman's
hyperbole? Or, is it true? Think
before you answer"
Hopes eyes dropped in a weary
way.
"You have been like a mother to
me, Dora. You, more than all the
world, have known just how happy
we were at first. Is it likely I
should say this to you if it were not
so? I no longer love Max. But /
can't tell him. In spite of our diff
ferences, he still loves me. The
truth would kill him. Oh, tell me
what to do, Dora, and I'll obey you!"
Miss Terry looked around her
studio as if her maul-stick or pa
lette or the Maltese cat before the
fire of asbestos logs could give her
inspiration, and then announced:
Things are getting green now.
Go up to the Manor and stay with
your Aunt Mary until l pay you a
visit. Plead i~ndisposition, mask
your feelings to MaA-but go to-
day"
Three days later, at five o'clock,
Miss Terry was arranging her tea
things attractively. Just as the
clock struck the hour she heard a
footstep.
ut does one good to shake hands
with YOU" said Max, entering.
"1ou grasp ones paw as a man
would. You're a brick, Dora"
"Other people would see here iust
a plump, motherly old maid, who,
having no affairs Of her own to in
terest her, is always poking her nose
into other peoples. How are you
getting on without Hope??" and Miss
Terry, while appearing to cut cur
rant bread very thin, gave him an
x-ray glance.
Its astonishing" said Max, lean
ing back among the pillows and stir
ring his tea. chow easily the bachelor
habit returns" He looked provok-
ingly handsome and contented. sIt,s
like skating or shorthand or the BIZ
cycle, for they say that once these
are mastered you can't forget them.
Now, l think that the bachelor habit
is not %outgrown nor frogotten. Mar
rage simply keeps it in allegiance.
Between you and me-" he continued,
after a short, reflective laugh, our
place has been no end jolly since
well, really, since Hope bolted SO i'm
pulsively. I've had Bobby Gunne
and Crab Dodge staying with me
we call him Crab because of his
funny walk, you know. We just lie
Q all over the place, smoke
everywhere, and had a ripping good
game of poker last night. Crab
burned a hole in the card table. and
you know how tenderly Hope treats
all that COMPOUNDED mahogany; /
suppose she'll be furious when she
sees it,"
Maybe cooed Miss Terry, think
ing many things.
Women do fuss-don't they?.
asked Max, with a touch of sunerior
impotence. $50 little puts them
out. They get moods and nerves.
Oh, if ome could be born without
nerves. how pleasant life might be!n
Which means-what?"
"Oh, nothing. I'm rather pessimis-
tic about some things to-day, that's
ALL"
But it means something more
Max. Does it mean that Hope
fuses, has moods and nerves? Does
II mean, my dear boy, that her abb
n is a relief to your" and Miss
.Ierry's hand on his was sympathet-
ic, her glance heart-searching.
What's the use of talking aho,t
these things?" asked Max. .Yon
quite misunderstood me-" he ra;d !.
little coldly.
No, / don't. You have the look
OF a man who says within himself.
What's done can't be undone., But
that's a mistake. Most thinps c,n
be undone in these days. Even )
crooked nose is not irremediah,a
1t can be made pure Grecian now
for Q consideration"
But hearts" yentured Max; .can5
they be mended??r
Bless you, they're being mended
every day, all abont u.s."
sAnd mistakes??D
Can be rectified. Come, out with
tim like mothers-vhat,s
troubling you?"