The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1904-12-23
Sympathy Versus Talent
tOriginal.

marked personal manly beauty. Per-
haps he would have been unconscious
of it had not the girls of his acquaint-
ance constantly reminded him of it,
Arvine instead of being fattered was
disguised. Beauty in his eyes was Of
little value. What he priced especially
was talent. He was not inclined to
marry, fearing that his wife would
have been won by his good looks
whereas he wished to be loved for his
brain and ability.
Arvine lived in bachelor quarters
looking into a court. One morning on
the opposite side of the court he saw
a young girl sitting at window.
There was a tinge of melancholy about
her face that at once won the young
mans sympathy. He watched her for
long while-indeed, till she went away
from the window-and after that
thought about her for the rest of the
day When he went to bed her face
was before him, and when he awoke
he wondered if she would be at the
window during the day.
That afternoon the girl appeared, this
time standing with her face to the
window, but apparently Oblivious to
what was to be seen without. re ex-
that she would give him the admiring
glance he was accustomed to receive
from women, but no change in her ex-
preston was apparent, and soon after
she turned away from the window.
Here was a girl who from all APP
looks Arvine was impclled to try to
win her by his talents. He wrote her
a manly note stating how he had seen
her and asking her consent to CORE
spondence to be followed by call. He
sent the missive by the janitor, who
saw that it was delivered. Arvine
waited with futtering heart for a
reply.
In time he received a note signed
"Sylvia Beers Miss Beers did not
commit herself, but she did not forbid
him to write again, which he took for
an assent to his proposition. One
thing he noticed she made no refer
and the omission pleased him very
much. If she had seen him, which,
after all. was not likely, since he had
been in shadow at the time, she had
not been Influenced by his beauty. II
she had not seen him he hoped to win
her before his good looks could come
into play.
Arvne wrote excellent verses. His
illusions were approved by critics and
accepted by the high grade periodicals.
Some Of his letters to Sylvia Beers
were written in verse When he wish
ed to make love to her he did it in
verse not lackadaisital, but impressive
and extremely delicate in touch. Miss
Beers wrote that there was something
hanging o, her, the nature of which
she did not , plain, an ordeal that was
to be endured in the near future.
Meanwhile the man who was putting
all his feeling into his verse and was I'M
willing that his personnel should inter-
fere with its sole effect upon Miss
Beers kept away from his window.
Then one day she wrote that the time
for her ordeal had arrived and she was
going away for a time, but that his
letters would be forwarded to her.
Arvine was greatly touched at her mis-
fortune He was too delicate to ask
it's nature, but he wrote her one very
brief note, in which he conveyed gen
uine sympathy 1t was followed, how
ever by an effusion in verse which he
called Bearing the Cross and another
called "a Rift In the Clouds
Miss Beers was away from home six
weeks. at the end Of which time. she
wrote that she would return in a few
days. She appointed certain hour Of
a certain day for him to be at his win
dow. She did not say whether she had
seen him there or not, and he wrote
her point blank question asking her
if she had She evaded his question by
saying that she had an explanation to
make and would make it at his first
call. Arvine made up his mind that
she had seen him, but that his good
looks had made no impression upon
her. One more letter he resolved to
write before her return, and in that he
told her he had been loved for what he
did not prize and hoped he had won
her for what he did prize. The reply to
this was noncommittal.
At the hour appointed for the two to
appear at their respective windows
Arvine was at his window first AS
soon as Miss Beers appeared and saw
him she threw up her hands in par
oxysm of delight and admiration
Arvine was perplexed. Had he been
certain of anything he would have
dropped the matter. AS it was he call
ed that evening. and it was plain to
him that his proposition was to be ac
cepted But how had he won-by his
talent or his beauty?
Miss Beers told him that she had an
explanation and a confession to make.