The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1906-10-19

pose Of studying my fellow-creatures.
l don't find a face that puzzles me
once in blue moon. And really. It's
one of the most diverting things in
life. The foolish, the bovine, and all
the varieties Of each-the cruel foolish
and the kindly foolish, the angry bo-
vine and the placid bovine; the alert
person whom you'd have neither for q
friend nor an enemy II you could help
It; the kindly chap who Is a. certain
to go to ruin as he is to 60, sooner or
later. to his grave; the other sort OF
kindly chap who means well to him.
self and to everybody else. Women
whose faces are an index Of meanness,
weakness, vanity, spite; women
whose faces tell you at glance that
they have spent their lives in the love
OF home and children. There's no
studio like the omnibus"
But you wouldn't pass real judg.
ment In that random way, said Trus-
cott, rather seriously. 1T might be q
dangerous thing to live by first I'M
pressions."
Dangerous or not" Alexis answer
ed, I'VE all do it. And none Of us can
help 1t. You may check yourself il
you like, and argue that it's unfair to
be prejudiced by look or a manner,
but the prejudice Is there, for good or
evil. And the striking thing about it
is that in nine cases out of ten the
natural instructive judgment is justi-
fed by more familiar knowledge"
Il like to hold my Judgment in re-
serve" said Truscott. "One has to re-
member that one is oneself bundle of
preconceptions. Why on earth it
should be so l can't even guess. but 1
have natural antipathy to red-haired
people. Now to give that antipathy
loose rein would be manifestly unjust
and ridiculous, and, as matter OF
fact, some one or two very fine fellows
Of my acquaintance are as ruddy as
fox"
well, you see," Alexis answered,
complexion has lot to do with tenn
permanent, but temperament has very
little to do with character. But to go
back to what I was saying, that in
stinctive knowledge of character
which the first careful gaze at new
face conveys to you is mutual. You
not only know the man you will like
and trust, but you know the man who
will like and trust YOU"
Are you sure Of that?" asked Trus-
colt.
GAS sure as 1 am of anything in the
world" said Alexis.
1t was very unlike TruscOtt to do so,
but he spoke on impulse.
Take a case as test What about
myself and you. Do you read trust and
liking into my mental attitude toward
yourself or mistrust and misliking?"
Alexis accepted the inquiry without
embarrassment.
"Oh," he answered, that's clear
enough. Your natural impulse is to
like me. But it isn't your natural i'm
pulse to trust me. You see," he went
on, with laugh, II do some credit to
your discernment. I'm a likable sort
of fellow, but I'm weathercock.
don't know that it's in me to hold long
to a purpose or an attachment. In the
bottom Of your mind, now, don't you
feel that I'm rather an agreeable sort
Of fellow as an acquaintance, but not
quite the kind OF man to go out with
to shoot tigers? The tigers are meta
phorical / shouldn't leave a pal to
face a tiger by himself, but I should
drop him like hot potato IL l ceased
to want him. Come! Be candid.
Wasn't that your judgment? You can't
offend me-"
well, you see," said Truscott,
guardedly, II don't share your opinion
as to the solidity Of these impress
siOns.