Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1907-07-24
Ho &c, The
Shared Him.
[Original.]

[Original.]
We were sitting in the arbor under
the grapes, which were quite ripe. We
plucked and ate a number of huge
punches; then she asked what we
should do next. ooh, know" and she
ran into the house and brought out a
book. On the left page were number
of printed questions; on the right,
blank spaces in which/to write the an
swers. 1t was impossible to determine
which were the more stupid, the ques-
lions or the answers that had been
written in it. The book was about
half filed, the writer's having been
both masculine and feminine
I ran my eye down the column of
questions, such as "What is your ia
vorite color? Your favorite proverb?
Your age?" When l came to the last
l paused and asked if the women an
swered that question. She said only
one had, but she didn't count; she was
practical creature and earned her
own living. l went on down the list
rs life worth living?' Think of that
to be answered by people from sixteen
to twenty-six, as most of those who
had filled in the answers We're. "What
is your present thoughty 1 paused
again and began to write, "That the
man who"- She stopped me.
Don't write anything disagreeable.
I won't have my book spoiled"
l had intended to write, '"The man
who got up this book did so for idiots
and to fill his pocket at their expense"
Instead l wrote, 1.-THE man who is
asked to write in this book should feel
highly complimented."
"Thats very nice," she said. II
know how cynical you are, and 1
feared you were going to put in some
thing horrid."
My second thought was that I had
narrowly escaped making an ass of
myself.
I went on down the list and paused
at "What is your ambition?" These
questions were goading me to ruin,
and again l came near making slip.
I started in to write ITO drink all the
champagne there is in the world" but
caught myself when I had written
ITO drink" and finished "dew from
your sweet lips" 1 had no sooner
written this, which had considered
a high flown compliment, when I real
lied that it was tantamount to decla-
ration. She was looking over my
shoulder, and to get a glimpse of her
face I turned my head. My beard
came In contact with the almost invisi-
BILE down on her cheek.
"Oh!" she exclaimed.
Excuse me-" I said.
The glimpse I got satisfied me that
l had stepped off the river bottom and
must swim. was startled at the dis
covery, had never been before beyond
my depth and an Indifferent swimmer
at that. Still confess 1 had been pad
ding around the girl who was about to
well, to drown me. She says I'm
cynical, and I suppose 1 am, though
am somewhat excusable in this in
stance, for the word drown" carries
out my simile. struck out wildly.
'"That won't do,' said, ''in a book to
be seen by any and every body. They
might think-I meanwhile it's true
it's-shall scratch it out?"
"Oh!"
This was no reply to my question,
but it expressed lot. Others may not
understand what it meant, but l did.
I was ratified. I made a dash for the
next question and read aloud, "Do you
consider marriage failure?"
I wanted to write as felt. 81 wish
l knew which it will be for me if I
settle this matter now," but of course
couldn't write that, so temporized.
and man who <temporizes with the
girl he courts is lost-that is, if mar
riage Is failure. wrote, 1T depends
upon whether one gets good wife,
It's a wonder she didn't laugh when
she saw what I had written, but she
didn't. This was a serious business.
Don't you think that a one sided
view to take Of it?'' she said In a soft
voice. '@."N
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