Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-10-05
PER CONTRA
[Original.1 I

dIulllt-Slle WAS StanulnS beside me IN
/ the garden with rose in her hand
| "to test the man | marry. If you
stand the test my answer will be 'Yes;'
if not 1t will be NO.
'ln what respect am l to be tested
! integrity. amiability, bravery or appre-
ciationT'
appreciation of whatT' .'"-
"Your good qualities"
THAT thrust is unkind and uncalled
for"
Don't spoil that rose. You are pull
Ing 1t to pieces as though it had offend
ed. But this test-I suppose l am
not to know anything about 1t before
hand"
"Of course not; forewarned. fore
! armed"
"And 1 must remain In suspense
till
"Oh, shall not keep you waiting
long. Perhaps I'll get an opportu-
nity"-
Don't give it any; shall have to
walt all the longer"
Dinner was announced and We left
the garden. Guests had been invited
for the evening, and by o'clock we
We're in the ballroom.
MAY have this dancer" asked of
Geraldine.
Certainly not. AS hostess it is my
part to look after my guests. l shall
dance with no one tonight"
She hurried away. l was surprised
at her abruptness, but was more sur
prised later TO see her sail by me In a
waltz with the only man l feared as
rival. Had the little mink not looked
up at me, n plain question on her ex-
pressiye face as to how l would bear
her test, / might not have known was
being tested.
So it is forbearance she wishes in
the man she marries. will be umia-
bility Itself.
Seating myself beside an old friend,
l spent most of the evening with her.
Since l could not dance with Geraldine
/ did not care to dance at all, and .uy
companion was an entertaining woman
who did not dance. | saw no reason to
change my seat. Geraldine danced the
cotillon and so plastered my rival with
''favors" that he looked like a Spanish
captain general. l bore her sights
with excellent good nature, congratu"
lating myself that | was winning the
coveted Yes"
AT last the dancing ceased and the
guests departed. l approached Gerald
Inc and begged that she would give
me short walk on the piazza.
"Thank you. no." she said curtly. 81
am going to bed"
Disappointed. 1t thinking this
continuation of the test, | acquiesced
without a murmur
Good night" l said. ~ rest will be
beneficial after the responsibility Of en-
tertaining guests"
"Thcre are more trying things than
entertaining guests"
"Such as?"
being disappointed in tie man
one
what? You have been testing mcf
ana L nave fulleu r.
"Oh, you stood the test well enough;
too we'll People do not really love
who are proof against jealousy"
But that's what l was to do-bear it
with equanimity, wasn't it?'
do you call 1t equanimity TO sit all
the evening with one woman, Il mar
ried woman at thatW
We both stood still, Geraldine with
flushing eye and heaving bosom, an
noyed at the turn the affair had taken.
Come" | said kindly. The lights
are being put out, and we must soon
part. Tell me, sweetheart
at would not be safe to marry man
who fiirts With every married woman
he meets
"You were not testing me for that,
were your"
mo; you showed your natural pro-
clivity without a test. Heaven knows
what you would do with Delilah
flung at you"
Her mother was in the hall waiting
for her to so upstairs. Considering
her dissatisfaction with ME, expected
her to do so. Instead she went to a
sofa and sat down. l took a seat be-
side her
Let us sift this matter" 1 said. "In
order to learn If You may depend upon
my not showing jealousy without cause
you decline to dance with me and dance
several times with another man"
1T didn't seem to trouble you much"
Did you wish me to show jealousy? 2"
81 certainly did not wish you to show
Indifference"
Every well. / think I see what you
mean. Now, per contra, supposing that
In sitting so long beside my old friend
/ had been testing your forbearance.
How would you have stood my testy"
admirably. I'm supremely indiffer-
ent to your old friend l don't care
that for her" And she snapped her
fingers viciously.
ITO sum up, l stood the test as to
equanimity, but failed by showing an
Indifference which was all apparent
1t only remains for Inc to prove that l
am not Indifferent by lifelong devo-
ton"
This defense moved her. She sat
turning the matter over in her mind
and finally came to the conclusion that
the case was not SO desperate after all.
altogether" she said, II think you
have stood my test tolerably well. In
deed If you had tested me in the same
way l don't know that l could have
done much better"
took her hand and begged her TO re-
ward me with the word I so much
wished to hear, and it was not long be-
fore she whispered 1t on my shoulder.
MYRA ETHEL WESTBROOK.