Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-03-13
A Matter t Compatibility
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[Original.l
In magnetism there are attractive
and repellent currents which, though
invisible, are none the less forcible.
Just so there are attractive and re-
pellent forces in people which are not
only invisible, but are only brought out
under certain conditions.
A man stepped into a restaurant in
South Dakota and, looking about for
table, saw another man eating his sup
per whom he approached.
Hello. smith, he said. What are
you doing here?'
Hello Runlet.' said the other. ''Sit
down"
Runlet sat down, and the two com.
pared notes as to what had happened
since they had last met several years
before Then Runlet said:
But you haven't answered my ques-
ton"
'Well, since you are an old chum
and l am pining for Il confidant I'll
tell you. Five years ago | married
girl who promised to make me the
best kind of wife. She had apparently
everything to render her lovable. We
married and on the honeymoon quar-
relied. That wasn't the worst of it.
We kept on quarreling. In my treat
ment OF her there was nothing
| had not used toward other women
without antagonizing them-and | was
obliged to conclude that she had bad
disposition | think she came to the
same conclusion about me, and after
many efforts on the part of both of us
to reform our dispositions we finally
agreed to separate. 1t was arranged
between us that | should come out
here and get divorce"
Runlet listened to this with marked
attention, and 1t appeared to have con-
siderable influence over him.
"They say" he replied after some
thought, that matrimony is something
half the world is trying to get into and
the other half Is trying to get out or.
For year I've been hunting woman
l wish to marry. l met her last sum
UleT OIL II tTulu btlNCth 1hNosV "bN
San Francisco. and we fell in love with
each other on the journey. When adj
mitted my part Of it she turned pale
and told me that those were the only
words of love that must ever be spoken
between us. She wouldn't tell me why
or give me any information concern
ing herself Had l known when we
parted that could get no rest without
her | would never have lost sight of
her"
Il hope" said Smith, that you will
find your love and be happy with her.
For me. am only anxious to be free.
and when free shall remain So
Neither converted the other to his
way of thinking Runlet left the next
day, and Smith week later secured
his divorce. He did not see his wife
again and in year lost track of her
tween them either Il pleasant or un-
pleasant interest They had come to-
gether as two ships passing at sea and
after brief tarry together had passed
on with as little interest in each other
as when they had first met.
Five years after the meeting Of
Smith and Runlet In South Dakota
restaurant they met again. This time
1t was in a corridor of hotel. Runlet
espled his friend and, advancing cheer
lily, put out his hand.
"Did you ever find your lost love"
asked the other after the first greet
ings. *
Indeed l did. or, rather, she found
me. Not long after l parted with you
1 received a message from her. won
dered how she knew my name and I'D
dress and discovered later that she
had seen 1t on my trunk while we were
travelling together / went TO see her.