Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-02-27
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Sufficient Test.
TOriginal.l

marry a man she loved rather than
leave her brother to keep house alone.
Enoch did not take the love fever till
he was nearly forty. Then Miss Ma
tilda Fairfield. ten years his Junior. was
the person with whom he was inOcu-
lated.
Deborah concealed her disappoint-
ment when her brother told her of his
engagement She had no acquaintance
with the Fairfields. but it was TO be
expected that she would call on Ma
tilda, and she did That young lady
returned the call just as soon as it
would not appear that she was making
anseemiy haste. EnOch was at home
and came down with his sister to vel
come her Miss Fairfield did not hear
them coming. and when they entered
she was making an eye measurement
Of the parlor with view TO an entire
~ different arrangement of the furni-
ture when she should come into pos
session. Deborah had some such feel
ing as she would have experienced had
she been supposed to be dead and an
undertaken was measuring her for her
coffin However. she welcomed her
expectant sister-in-law and after
awhile excused herself on the plea of
some special work that wouldn't wait
and left the lovers together.
"Enoch.'' said Miss Fairfield, ~thlS
parlor is all wrong. l shall have the
piano moved to the other corner and
the bookcase put over there. That
fireplace is as black as your hat with
smoke / shall shut it up and put in Il
gas log"
The fireplace was Enoch's delight.
He loved One winter evenings to warm
his shins before it and especially de-
tested the modern sham substitutes.
An alarm struck within him.
Deborah and l have long loved that
fireplace" he said. Il don't know
what we shall do without it,
I've? 1t surely will not concern
your sister
why not:"
You don't expect her to live with
MS. do your
This is pretty big house even for
three"
Miss Fairfeld's foot began to pat the
carpet. Evidently there had been
misunderstanding.
If you think any. house is big
you're mistaken"
ANY one could get on with Deb
Orah.'
do you suppose it would be prac-
ticable for me to come in here and
manage It with the woman who has
always been its manager to criticise
everything l do:"
Enoeh sat bordering awhile. then
said he hadn't thought of that.
you Will think of it if I'm to be
your wife, and provide for it. Either
I'm to he untrammeled mistress of my
own house or l don't want the house
at ALL
Enoch Had been proceeding on the
principle that she would marry him
under the most adverse circumstances
He began to waken from his dream.
Il see.'' he said ''I'll-I'il think 1t
over"
Think it over? Think what over?"
"Why, about turning Deborah out"
''It isn't turning her out; it's the
natural course of things"
Il haven't any doubt you're right,
now come TO think of it. You see,
never intended to take n wife till 1
saw you and loved you for your anna
bility, your unselfishness and your
good sense This part of it is all new
TO me-
She went and sat down by him, tax
ing his hand. lie was Il good fellow,
and she was growing very fond of
him. She had supposed that he knew
sisters-in-law could not live together.
and this Sudden coming against the
him. but somehow there was no
warmth in his returns. Finally she
rose to leave. Enoch called his sister.
and there was an adieu which. though
on the surface did not appear to be
constrained, was really without cor
diality.
A week passed, and Deborah saw
nothing of the woman who was to
take her place. Enoch spent his even
ings mt home His sister began to
grow curious.
You're not treating your ladylove
just right. Enoch, fear
I've broken it Off"
Broken it OFF,"
Yes
How could your
Il have no desire to marry any wo-
man who does not love me well enough
TO sacrifice for me. Indeed, she must
love me better than all the world"
"WelI:'
81 made a test with Matilda. in
tended to make several tests. but she
iidn't stand the first. The day she re-
turned your call she told me that when
we were married sle would shut up
the fireplace in our sitting room and
put in a gas log. When | went to see
her the next day told her that the
fireplace must remain as it is. She
fiared MP and told me that no man
should dictate to her how the house
should he run I had intended il she
stood that test 10 tell her that you
should remain mistress. If she loved