The Washington herald., 1907-06-09


lantly. disposing her ruffled skirts to the
best advantage above her red kid ties.
And yet" l sighed, settling myself
comfortably on the turf at her feet you
are looking right at-me,"
Kitty smiled and shrugged her should
ers.
Luck in love, Mr. Curtis" she declar-
ed. sweetly, consists in getting some
body you want"
Not at all I>objeeted. serenely light
ing my pipe It's just the other way"
What
Getting somebody who wants you"
explained briefly.
"But'-Kitty sat up and gazed az me
in astonishment-"a anybody can do that"
she exclaimed, scornfully.
Anybody can become President" 1 re-
torted laconically, but most of them
don't Luck in love. as in anything else,
IS merely the result Of using common
sense in-in the choice Of your opportuni-
ties"
kitty shifted cynically, and leaned back
in the hammock again.
But suppose. she objected. looking al
me impertnen,ly through lowered lashes
there isn't any choice in-those."
There always IS the choice. I re
turned, pulling gently on my pipe, be
tween marrying some nice, commonplace
person who adorcs you. and chasing an
ideal. which, even if you attain it, usual
IS turns out 70 have feet of clay. and
generally ends by keeping you under
those feet. Love is a onc-sidei game, and
the winner is the one who is loved, not
the one who merely Is allowed to do the
loving. The trouble with most women
IS that they spend their youth waiting
until all the nice men have passed by
I looked at Kitty accusingly-'in the
hope that some impossible Prince Charm
ing will come along and crown them
queen Of his heart But the sad part Of
it is that the Prince Charmings want all
the crowns and halos for themselves. and.
when they marry, they are not looking
for a queen, but for somebody 10 sit at
the foot Of the throne and sing paens Of
praise and serve up the royal dishes and
lace the royal shoes. Many woman has
merried her ideal only 10 discover that
she had tied herself 10 an egotist. with
the theories Of q Turk. instead of taking
a comfortable everyday man"
Who ate with his knife, broke in Kit
ty, scathingly.
And would wait on her like a slave
! protested.
And didn't know Van Dyke from a
chrome"
And would pay for her tailored frocks
with glee"
And used two negatives and q tooth
pick"
And would walk the baby at nights
and get up on winter mornings 20 turn
on the steam heat. and"
"Oh. well, Interrupted Kitty. defiantlv.
'men are just as reasonable. The
average man always imagines he wants
some woman who doesn't want him lie
viii pass by all the nice, coy. suitable
little girls who would give their eyes for
the privilege Of adoring him and doing his
errands. and mending his socks and max
Ing life a dOwny couch for him. and VIII
spend years in pursuing some elusive
creature, whose very distance and indif-
ference constitute her enchantment and
VINO. even If he succeeds in winning her
merely takes him as a last resort or
convenience, and keeps him busy working
for her, and waiting on her and feeling
ike an object Of charity for the rest Of
his life. But" she added hastily. I
don't blame them. l can't think Of any
tEins worse than being married TO some
body whom YOU don't love"
Try being married 20 somebody who
doesn't love you, / suggested. lacCnic3l-
r., K may be hard 70 have 70 sit op-
posite man with no ideals and a pug
nose three times n day at meals but it's
not half so hard as sitting there alone !
while vour Prince Charming is of anus
ing himself with somebody else. II may
seem appalling to spend all your evenings
il ~ company Of somebody who doesn't { /
particularly interest you and whose most /
brilliant remark is that the weather is /
fine and that stocks arc going up, but it's T.
better than spending your night listen I
iCg for The key in the lock and an un- I
certain step on the stair. II may seem /
shocking to sacrifice your girlho0d dreams |
in order TO attain peace and comfort and /
house md G carriage and q family but /
It's not half so shocking as sacrificing /
yourself. body and soul. to a man who /
pulls those dreams down about your cars
md accepts your devotion as Indifferent
ly as he would his morning coffee or a
package from lis tailor"
Kitty put out one red kid toe and push
ed the hammock, vigorously.
1oI talk. she exclaimed indignantly.
just as If love couldn't be mutual"
Love I returned gravely. blowing a
wreath Of smoke in the air. is a per
.octly balanced scale. When one side
goes down the other tips up in proportion.
be more weight there is on one side tho
lighter The weight seems on the other
and in all history the scales were never
known TO balance equally. You've mere
-y got 10 choose which side you'll weigh
n on, when it comes 10 matrimony-
whether you prefer giving or taking"
And giving. cried Kitty. triumphant
". is the greatest JOY Of love"
Yes, I agreed shortly, "in poetry and
during the honeymoon. But when it
comes down to deciding who Is going 10
set up and make the fire and take the
milk of the dumb waiter on cold morn
ngs, and whether the family savings are
going to be spent for a spring bonnet or
3 patent fishing rod. and whether you
'--fliA ltifAN a Il ~ ~ EsAAb bIt, ct DQN 4 new
billiard table, and who shall have the
morning paper first, and get the most
comfortable chair and the tenderest por-
ton Of steak and the top off the cream
and the place nearest the radiator. It's
is quite different Self-sacrifce is per
'ectly beautiful in novels and the alb
'tract but as an everyday diet its rather
you see"
n I |
Why can't two people who
marry for love divide the sacrifices and
he money and the pleasure equally?"
Because we aren't built that way. I
suppose, ] returned sadly. "Matrimony
a bargain, and somebody has got TO
get the bargain. The other must take
he leavings and be satisfied"
And, after all sighed Kitty. thought
ully, it IS an equal division II one gets
lis Ideals and the other gets all the com
ort and satisfaction out Of the affair"