Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1903-08-07

III Is nardly your laull, she IT,
turned gently. ut is the fault of our
natures; that is all. They clash"
"Sit here" he begged. pushing for
ward a chair. land let us talk about
IT,"
She sat down and idly took up the
caricature. He. opposite. watched her
face as she studied 1t.
"And this is how you see me-" she
unused. There is something abnormal
about It, The artist nature Is perforce
peculiar, else II would not be artist. II
is almost impossible. The nature of
the caricaturist Is impossible. To see
people and things so distorted suggests
distortion in the one who sees. Ii Is
as If your mind were n twisted Y ray
which Enthusiastically reveals the skele-
ton"
Leaning back in the armchair he had
taken, he regarded her out of amused
eyes.
"Go on" he insisted. Don't spare
my feelings"
He said il laughingly. but there was
a cynical look about his mouth that
she had got to know.
THE picture isras | shall look ten
years hence" she went on IF you are
always TO see me ten years older than
l am. all the saints and angels protect
me- Such foresight is rife for The
breeding of unhappiness."
"You cross bridges before you get to
them. Neisha. You borrow trouble"
Sometimes 1t is just as well. Err
nest"
Yes"
"We shall never be happy together"
'Tf il was the drawing OF the picture.
Neisha. that was little thing. Let me
tear It up and let 1t be as II 1t had
never been drawn. Will you?"
Life is made up of little things.
They are the straws that show the way
the wind is blowing. No; don't tear
II up. l want II for future reference,
as | said want to be reminded by II
that II should be married to you not
only my face, but my every action,
would be distorted thus"
"No, no.
Eyes. And that Is not all. We are
too alike FOR happiness-both sensitive
as flowers, both jealous. We quarrel
now; we would quarrel then. After
marriage the making up is not so sweet
as before. 1t grows monotonous, and
then come the sleepless nights and the
tears-the tears. Already with me they
have commenced. The night you kissed
Mabel | walked at o'clock and never
closed my eyes again. i lay still, half
beartbroken, watching the pattern of
the paper on the wall grow out of dim
ness and take to itself its old fantastic
shape in the light Of the dawn"
mabel is hardly seventeen. She is
only a child"
children grow TO be women, and
soon. Suppose we were married and
two years from now she came to our
house and you kissed her again"
She tapped trembling fingers on the
arm of her chair.
al should die OF it," she faltered
He drew up his chair nearer, and,
taking the trembling fingers in his own,
he caressed them.
Somewhere or other in Grimm's
fairy tales" he said. there is just this
sort Of story. Isn't there a girl who
goes down in the cellar and sits there
weeping because some day she might
marry and the storks might bring her
a littleschild and the little child might
fall down the steps TO that cellar way
and break its legY
1T is only when you love man."
she continued to muse, following up
her own train OF thought, that you
lose the blessed sleep that knits up the
raveled sleeve OF care"
Didn't l come TO you early the next
morning and comfort you, NeishaT
Her kiss was on your lips" she an
swered.
With a shrug of his shoulders he
laughed.
you are ridiculous" he affirmed.
"Once you were mine." she resumed.
as If he had not spoken, II should
want you to be all mine. So far as
have been able TO judge, no man ever
belonged solely TO one woman. There
fore, since the thing is impossible, It is
best to tear ourselves apart before II is
too late"
He dropped her fingers.
"You speak very coldly OF tearing
ourselves apart Neisha." he COM
planned.
81 am not cold, but l scent unhap-
piness. Living alone is a negative I'M
happiness. Living together would be
positive"
After time
Resides, am a rover" she sighed.
ALREADY l have stayed I'm this one
place too long. l begin 20 grow rest
less again"
IF you put your head on nv shout
der little while wouldn't that take
away your restlessnessT
For a little while, perhaps; but II
would return, and then l should have
TO go back again TO my Mother Nature
for comfort. She comforts with flow
f&