The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1907-12-20

are about to snatch them in your arms
they disappear and elude you. Loving
them is like being IT. in game Of
hide and seek all your lifes as for
knowing what they're made Of"
Well" Quoth the widow, warmly,
what DO you want to know what they
are made Of for? The moment you
ind out they'll be as uninteresting as
Chinese puzzle that has been solved
or game that has been finished. It's,
the Elusive, elusive women who make
the game of life fascinating and keep
up your interest"
"Oh, I don't know" The bachelor
stood off to admire the worsted ball.
i've known chaps who were married
to Chinese puzzles for years and they
weren't any happier than If they had
been tied up to sawdust dolls. You
get tired of even working at Chinese
puzzle after you have discovered that
you are never going to solve it, and
then you go off in search of some nice,
easy little thing that is as simple and
comfortable as game of checkers or
sofa pillow. Illusions are all very
delightful at distance, but they are,
like ghosts, uncomfortable to have
around the house. A man likes some.
thing he can understand, and"
Feel superior to-" interjected the
widow.
Something" proceeded the bachel-
or, that doesn't keep him strung up to
the guessing point all the time and
that he can always be sure of finding
in the same place."
Like an old pipe" suggested the
widow.
Eyes, or his razor or his Bible"
| agreed the bachelor. "The best wives
aren't ornaments or mental exercises;
| they're comforts"
That you put on in the evening""
remarked the widow scornfully, like
your smoking jacket or your carpet
slippers, and fling aside after break
fast and forget all about-until you
need them again."
They don't grow at the top of the
tree" proceeded the bachelor, where
you have to strain to reach them, but
right down on the earth beside you,
where you can tuck them under your
arm"
Cor in your buttonhole or on the
kitchen SHELF" added thel widow,
scathingly.
Elusive women" pursued the bach
elor calmly, generally manage to
elude matrimony. They're good to
| dream about"
And to call on once in a WHILE" in
terpolated the widow. when you get
tired of your game of checkers or
your sofa pillow or your old pipe"
YES" cried the bachelor enthusi-
astically, they're like the holidays,
awfully jolly and distracting-once in
a while. l know one of them for in.
| stance
IF you've quite finished admiring
that worsted bal, Mr. Travers," in.
terrupted the widow coldly, 81 wish
you'd come and help me"
She's delightful person." continu-
ed the bachelor dreamily, when you
feel keyed up to the height of her
ideals"
What"
"And equal to the strain of her con.
versation."
BILLY Travers!" The widow was
balancing dangerously with one foot
on the top step of the ladder and one
hand gripping swaying branch.
But as for marrying her"
Crash!
The bachelor sprang forward and
caught widow, ladder and all with one
sweep of his arm.
How dare you," cried the widow,
extricating herself a moment later.
'after saying such horrid things about
| me?"
"About YOU?" The bachelor look.
ed at her in amazement. 81 wasn't
talking about you. II was talking about
Miss Cunning, the plain one with the
high forehead and the high ideals.
There's nothing about you elusive, nor
straining, nor"
"Tiresome?" asked the widow sus.
piciously.
mo, nor uncomfortable, nor un-get-
at-able, nor anything that man
couldn't tuck right under his arm
like this"
"Stop!" cried the widow. "That's
that's ridiculous Illusion"
"But this declared the bachelor.
STOPPING over and touching her lips,
lis perfect reality"