Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1903-10-02
A New Petruchian
Method

WuO Will NC as uulluuic anu uS iONuUis
as yours"
"Hm," said Barnard, you dom
give me any credit in the matter"
You? Credit for your wife's dispo
sition? Why should you deserve credit
for that?"
"An answer to your question III
wolves the story of our courtship and
early married life, story have never
given even to my own brother, but
well, If you like I'll give 1t to you.
"When met my wife she was Agnes
Bugbee, as pretty as striped wasp
and with as malignant sting have
the disposition of sportsman and
like to hunt fierce game. 1t seemed
to me there would be an exhilaratine
zest in winning her from the very fact
that it would be difficult.
ut was when automobiles first came
In vogue, and owned very nice one
at least nice for that time-which
used to make an occasional call on
Miss Bugbec. She said she detested
to see gentlemen make engineers of
themselves and vowed she would never
ride In one. l told her mine wasn't
safe for women and on no account
would permit woman to ride with
me. had no sooner spoken than she
excused herself for few minutes.
went upstairs, came down dressed to
go out and informed me that she had
concluded to ride with me. declined
to take her, whereupOn she declared
that could either do so or not trouble
myself to call again. Then, of course,
I consented to take her for a spin.
"This Is a sample of the ways and
means l adopted to circumvent her
that is, always opposed what want
ed. was constantly looking for the
soft spot in her heart, but did not dis
cover it. A year passed, and l was as
far from bringing down the game as
ever. But there was one result had
not counted on. The effort to win
her, her refusing to be won, began to
work on my own heart, and finally
discovered that unless l succeeded |
would be miserable for life.
"Well, at last made up my mind
that If was going to win Agnes Bug
bee must do so in the way had ac-
complished all the results had gain
ed-that is, by feigning opposition.
wrote her a note stating that GER
tain young woman, whom | knew she
hated, was doing her great injury,
connecting her name very disagreeably
with mine, and I saw no way to pro-
tect her except to discontinue my WIS.,
its. l received reply by my messen-
ger demanding to know just what had
been reported, whcreupOn I wrote that
the slanderer had declared that she
Miss Bugbee) had been trying for q
year to marry me and failed and
as modest language as I could COM
mand that the tattler intended to mar
ry me herself. A reply came inviting
me to call that evening.
"Icalled and found Miss Bugbee array
ed in her most becoming costume. She
received me with more graciOusness
than usual making an excuse for me to
sit beside her on a sofa and moving so
near to me that sheet Of tissue paper
couldn't find room between US. Then
she bent forward, placing her waist
where I could not very well help en-
circling 1t, and--well, made a pro
posal and was accepted.
1--WE been told that most men who
have been trying their best to get a
woman experience a singular reaction
soon after they have succeeded. 1t
came to me- l looked with horror at
spending my life with a woman whom
I could never master except by feign-
ing to oppose what l desired. This
probably saved me from life Of mis-
cry, fer 1 resolved that I would tear
my heart out rather than incur the GER
tainty Of living henpecked life. Aft
er the reaction passed off l again real
lied that my betrOthed was necessary
to me. Then thought out a plan-a
plan that could only be put into ex-
ecutiOn after marriage and by the ex-
ercise of great self control.
Gas soon as the ceremony had been
performed l confessed to my wife that
I had grsdge against the woman
who had spread malicious reports
about us and had only married to spite
this person; that If my wife chose to
live with me, knowing this fact, 1
would be willing, though If found
married life irksome would move
into bachelor quarters.
"This was a trifle more than Mrs.
Barnard had bargained for. 1t made
her furious at first, but when she saw
me packing my traps to take my de-
parture her disposition, l suppose, to
have her own way prevailed, and she
unbent. She then and there resolved
to win my heart. Whether desire to
spite the other woman had anything
to do with it don't know. For a
long while assumed absolute indiffer-
ence. One thing would not dol de-
clined to quarrel. The moment my
wife became vixenish put on my hat
and coat, kissed my hand to her po-
litely and started to leave. She never
let me get off the stoop. 1t took some
time to convince her that was mas
ter of the situation and not till she had
tried every subterfuge that could be
invented by willy woman. At last
II nvI 70 l.nu