Evening journal., 1907-09-04
A Matter Of Disposition.
toriginall


cate whist, which is intended to elm
mate chance in the game Of whist and
give comparison Of pure skill. This
story eliminates the physical person
atty in the game Of love and leaves all
70 disposition.
When the engagement OF Harriet
Hartwell and Sam Thatcher was an
nounced everybody said that It was a
good match. Harriet was a high prin-
cipled girl steady. dlgniled, fol Of
noble aspirations, which she made
good show In carrying out. She was
wealthy. and her surplus Income went
where II would do the most good.
Thatcher was also a steady going fell
low, with no evil OF weak traits about
him, his life purpose being TO achieve
success and do his duty by his fellows
Notwithstanding the opinion OF the
world the engaged couple failed to
grow together. Harriet studied when
with her fance to be interested In what
he was interested in, to accord with
him In his vlews-in short, TO make her
self a part Of him.
There came period when Thatcher
noticed that his fiancee wns different at
different times. At one evening when
he called she would manifest her usual
interest in what interested him or what
he was supposed to prefer to talk
about and the next she would chatter
lightly, principally about what she was
herself interested IN. Thatcher was
rested by this semifrivolity and per-
mitted her TO chatter TO her hearts
content Then, too, she manifested a
disposition to have her own way about
little things and occasionally would fly
into a sudden burst Of passion, so Inn
potent, so unreasonable, that he was
quite amused Instead OF faring up
himself he would sit and laugh at her
Then when he had had enough OF this
summer tempest on millpond he
would take her to his arms and cover
her face with kisses.
The next time he called he would
probably find her former self-ready
with her sympathy and practical ad-
vice as to bis affairs, her expression OF
those strong womanly principles for
which she was so valued by the world
at large 80 indeed, all that she had
thrown OF. nothing that she had as
sumed, during their last meeting.
One evening when he called--he had
witnessed the evening before one Of
her April storms, with bit Of thunder
and lightning thrown inland found her
her own steady self he deliberately set
about to make her angry. She looked
at him with a dlgnihed astonishment.
He kept on with his prodding till fnal
ly she arose and with a panied sur
prise. mingled with contempt, walked
out Of the room. He sent a maid for
her, but she declined to return, and he
went away without seeing her.
He did not sleep that night, for he
was much troubled. Her treatment OF
him had repelled him. If she was to
be always this serious self he was
quite willing to release her from her
engagement. But he could not give up
that lighter Harriet who rested him,
amused him and OF whom all he asked
was to be loved. However, the matter
was settled the next evening when he
called by a greeting far more demon
strative than she had ever shown him
before. Indeed. it seemed that the bond
between the two which even when she
was her lighter self had been fimsy
had suddenly become unbreakable;
that they were now the fetters Of a
real mutual ecstatic love.
i"Sweetheart," he said. "what has
Brought about this changer
I'm pledged not to tell"
He could get nothing from her, but
she showed no disposition to relapse
From that time till shortly before the
wedding he saw no more Of her other
serious self. She was the same light.
whimsical, irrational. emotional, Iowa
bic creature. When the lover, tired OF
his daily labors, left them at his Office
he could be sure that during his even
ing call upon his fiancee he could laugh
and chat without being reminded Of
them. Occasionally If he felt like
throwing the burden upon her It would
be received not with advice and
dissertation on the better part for a
man 10 cuooeSt uul Win "A KISS Oue
thing above all pleased him-she had
a sympathetic heart for every one.
Though impulsive, her impulses were
good. And Notwithstanding occasional
April storms she was IN the main a
model Of amiability. When Thatcher
would speak TO her about her former
self and his delight that it seemed TO
have faded away from her she would
hide her face on his breast and say
nothing.
At last the marriage was set for
month IN advance. The next time
Thatcher called on his fiancee he was
astonished that as she had been for
time a double disposition. so she was
now double in the flesh. One OF the
two advanced to meet him.
'I am Harriet Hartwell." she said,
"and this is Florence Kirk. We met
accidentally dnd were astonished at our
similarity. Suspecting that my dis
position was not suited to your require
ments, 1 persuaded her to personate me
alternately with myself. she wearing
my costumes while doing so. She has
proved conclusively that she is capa-
bic Of making you happy. 1 am not.