The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-03-23
AStorygW oman's Enmity
.lOriginal. |.

lOliS Gu
What a delightful period that when
boys and girls are coming of age! But
Of course to enjoy youth we should
have the facilities for doing so. l was
at that age a member of a large fam
lily, and my fathers home was in the
country. In summe and during the
winter holidays we children, growing up
into manhood and %womanhood, always
had a house full of u young friends.
When | came home from college in
my senior year for the winter holidays
my sister told me that she had invited
her especial friend, Mary Lockwood,
for my particular benefit. Sisters at
that age wish to be, but are not,
matchmakers. Nothing could be de-
vised so we'll calculated to drive two
young people of opposite sex apart as
to tell them that they are intended for
each other. Mary Lockwood and l
quarreled from the first. She oon be-
gan to say sharp things to me, and
retorted by indifferently drawing out
compliments that were palpably iron
| ical. In our games | would choose her
on my side, then sheer at her play.
She was very bright and poured out q
number Of witty sayings that tended
to make me a laughingstock. But the
! most vengefu thing she did during her
stay was to step deliberately under the
mistletoe when | was nearest to her,
thus daring me to kiss her. Egged Oh
by the others, who were all we'll aware
Of our feud. l stepped up to her, took
her In my arms, and i'll the scuttie that
ensued she bit my cheek.
l got my revenge in this wise: When
the furniture was cleared for a dance
/ stepped up to her and asked her to
dance with me. l believed she would
refuse, and she did, before the assem-
bled company. Here was something
that could notice. From that time
forward l paid no attention to her
whatever. This cast a damper on u
festivities, and my sister begged me
to apologize to Mary, but when asked
for what l should ask pardon she had
no reply. Matters went on from bad to
worse till we dispersed. When Mary
Lockwood departed she left me a note
apologizing for having refused to dance
with me in my own home. If she had
given me this before she went we
might have parted friends.
After graduation I studied my pro-
observation-disclosures the city in the
n%eighborhood of which we lived and
from which our friends had come to
visit us. A very select set of young
people got together for semiweekly
dances. and Mary Lockwood was
among them. ] was delighted when a
friend of mine asked me to join the
Rug Beaters," as they called them
selves, and consented. l heard nothing
more of the matter till spring, then
learned that Mary Lockwood had
"blackballed' me.
began to feel what it is to have the
enmity of a m Till l learned OF
this serious overt act l did not con-
slider our quarrel Of any Importance,
but now l did not dare to make any
move where she could stab me. My
most intimate friends We're members
of the rug Beaters," and l would not
Join any other club, 90 my winters
amusement was spoiled.
One day while l was listening to a
lecture at the medical school on nerve
structures the professor said: women
are especially subject to nerve tension.
Men fight each other for many differ
ent causes; ONE quarrel from nerv-
GUS strain and are more apt to have
paroxysms Of anger with those they
like than those to whom they are In
different" | was surprised that a
physician should not know what !
knew by actual experience.
One evening at a ball l saw my
enemy among the throng. l had never
seen her before in a ball dress and
was surprised at her queenly appear
ance. l noticed, however, that there
was a sad look in her eyes. 1t quite dis
armed my Just indignation at her hav.
ing injured me. / could not conceive
~~