The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1905-08-23
A Mood
By KEITH GORDON
Copyright. 1905. by t. G. Mcclure

"And no man can foretell what the
future has in store for him."
Nature herself, to judge from appear
ances, had the. dumps. A despairing
sky looked gloomily down on a de-
spondent earth through an atmosphere
as damp and chilling as a wet blanket
with little shiyer Of discomfort at the
aspect of things, Katherine laid the
book face downward on her lap in the
way that one should not and, picking \
up the poker, gave the fire a. thrust or
so as q rider spurs his horse to greater
effort.
ugh! What a dayV her thoughts
ran lone would think Joy were dead.
Fire won't burn, sun won't shine, even
the sparrows huddle together lumpish-
ly without energy enough to scrap"
She picked up the book again and re-
read the last sentence, "And no man
can foretelI what the future has in
store for him." This time she closed
the book and placed it on the table be-
side her. Decidedly she was in no
mood for reading, and with hands
clasped idly in her lap she sat staring
into the fire. But that last sentence
dogged her thoughts. The past, with its
smiles and tears, was left behind. The
present seemed momentarily thing to
be endured as one might. But the fu-
ture!
At this point her eyes turned from
the crate and fixed themselves upon
the ring that she wore upon the third
finger Of her left hand. 1t was beau
tiful ring-a pink pearl that reminded
one of tender dawns flanked by two
diamonds-her engagement ring. Ordl-
narily she could not look at it without
a kindling of the heart, thrill OF
warmth and happiness. Today she eyed
1t with languid, restless interest.
That, then, represented her future.
1t was as fixed and irrevocable as the
past itself. How well she knew what
it would be like. Had she not seen
dozens of her friends marry, bubble
blissfully for brief year or SO and
then subside into the stale beer Of do
nestle existence? If she had ever
thought that with Jack and her it
would be different the illusion had van
ished In the bleak light of this all re-
vealing day, which brought out every
sordid detail Of existence with bitter
emphasis.
Different OF couHse they would not
be different. There would be the brief.
dazzling happiness Of the honeymoon.
the glamour Of new possessions, and
then some day they would both sud-
denly tire of the play and see each 9TH
er for the first time plainly. Jack
would ~squint his eyes critically and
discover that she was not the most
beautiful woman In the world after all
though, Of course, he would be too
well bred to say anything. He would
simply be a trifie bored at the let-down
and plunge into business to forget, kiss
ing her absently in the morning and
evening as a mere form-a matter Of
habit.
And she? Well, she would rub her
eyes about the same time and see to
her amazement that he was just
plain, ordinary, average man, without
a single godlike attribute and with
painful and unmistakable tendency to
grow bald and stout. But she, tao,
would be politely reticent and hold up
her face for that perfunctory kiss and
try to forget it all In a feverish en-
thusiasm over house and gowns. And
they would grow more and more 81
lent toward each other, conversing
mostly in monosyllables. Never would
they quarrel-her lips closed a trife
more firmly at the mere thought-but
each would withdraw farther and far
Their into his own little world, and they
would communicate with each other
through small wickets, as the ticket
sellersaat the theaters do with the pub
lie.
The details Of this gloomy picture
were as clearly visible to her mind as
though she saw them with her eyes,
and she laughed ruefully. Was this
sort Of thing necessary? How did she
know that Jack was the man? Might
not the real person still be imbedded
In the future, like fly in amber?
At the thought she caught her breath
and. leaning forward, dropped her face
upon her hands and gazed into the fire
with a new intensity. 1t was tre-
mendous thought, but what guarantee
had she that he was her ideal? He
seemed so, perhaps, merely because he
approached 1t more nearly than any
man she had yet met, but no one could
tell what the future had in store for
him. There was the rub.
She proceeded to develop the thought
with applications Enthusiastically femi-
nine. Like an index finger her mind
pointed back ward to the day when big
II
ingly becoming things woman could
wear. Then inexorably it pointed again,
this time to the sleeves she was then
wearing, tight above the elbow, but
with great pouches sagging below. And
these. were now chic, and the others
impossible. The poor old fashions Of
yesteryear-how ugly and deformmg
they appeared! Could 1t be that by any
possibility the likingS, the loves Of to-
day would
With rush It came over her that
ones loves did change. There was
Prissy Clemens, whom she had wOr-
SHIPPED when she wore her hair In pig
tails and now could not endure. There
was Aunt Grace, whom as child she
had considered cold and severe, and
Aunt Ruth whom she had loved. Now
their places In her esteem were exactly
reversed. Aunt Ruth was kind, but un-
interesting, while Aunt Grace was in
spring.
cit is possible" she murmured tense
~ to the fire. Somewhere In the fu.
ture there may be man who is all
that Jack is and more. And what IL I
should meet him?'
Her lips parted. Half unconsciously
she drew off the ring. Its pressure had
suddenly become unbearable. How
could she wear 1t without Knowing
without feeling sure in her own heart
that 1t meant finality in the matter OF
choice. meant that with all the world
to choose from she would have him and
no other?