Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1908-07-22
A MANS ESTIMATE
 OF WOMAN.

mona, tn3t NeI HarSfa yes has be- some engag ged while have been away
 "Yes," said one of the ladies, "and he's throwing himself away"
 ''In the opinion of the men or the women?'
 sI never speak in praise or condem- nation of another" replied the lady, "except for myself alone"
 "And, without referring to you at all, | must say that l never take wo- mans opinion of another woman" t'Why SOP" asked several ladies at once.
 IA woman is influenced by her likes and disIikes. She has no sense of real justice"
 "And would you rely on mans opinion of a woman"
 "A man of mature age"
 "Yourself, for instance?"
 "T am forty; too old to be caught by sentiment, too young to be fooled as an old man."
 This bit of conversation took place when the ladies at dinners Were accus- toned to leave the men 10 smoke with their coffee and the hostess led them to the drawing room, where they spent an hour eonversing on the topic of the :, relative value of a mans and Wo- ' mans opinion of women.
 It was about q week later that Aus tin Hammond received an invitation from one of the party informally for 8 game ef whist He met there widow. Mrs Chpevcr somewhere between twenty-tW0 and twenty-five years old. She was modest and shy almost tp timidty Nevertheless there was some thing about her that grew upon Ham mond. Ii was not her conversation for she was not s talker. It might have been her eyes, sct ill a small oval shaped head. At any rate, there was something away down in those eyes to excite q mans fancy and sct him wondering About what? Ham mond at least didn't know, but he won dered all the same.
 Hammond q asked permission to call and became a frequent visitor at her home a suit of apart ments i9 which she lived with a servant He took her out oc- casionalIy either to drive or to places of amusement and ii Nas not long be fore his frieHds began to speculate upon a probable engagement One morning he was surprised to receive note from the lady W 10 introduced him to Mrs Checyer in which she said sub stantialiy that. havin" heard of his at tentionS, sle wished to diSclain any intention to recommend the lady she had introduced as :: suitable person for him to marry. II he made match with Mrs. Checver he must do so on his own responsibility. Hammond was surprised
 Later on he received second note from another of the ladies he had met at the dinner p;rty. This note was q positive warning against Mrs. Chcc yer Hammond kept the note q secret for two days. then showed 1t to the woman it condemned. She looked troubled but told very straight story which agreed especially with Ham monds opinions in matters between women. She said that she had robbed the writer of a lover.
 Hammond at last found the young widow so necessary to him that he asked her to be his wife She declined at first giving as q reason that she would bring him nothing; indeed. could Rot make even q respectable show at tue wedding Hammond told her that ne could support her comfortably and gave her q check for $1 GOO to spend on rousseau. This. after many prot estatlons. she finally consented to ac eept and the matter was settled. The Ahal closing up of the arrangements occurred at II o'clock one night, and Hammond left his tiancee a happy man.
 he next evening at s he went to the "luoW s apartments to consult with her "s to her preference in the matter of an engagement ring There was no reply to Ills ring at the door, Convinced that 'heFe was no ono within, he applied for i3iorinallon 1t the office of the jauitor
 Inc lady moved out this morning sir"
 Hammond caught at q banister for support
 Dld she leave any message for-for mel"
 sue Ieft no message for any one SIT While her things was going into tue van she went round to the bank, came back and paid three months rent ana went away
 mat was the last of Mrs. Chceyer for Hammond.
 ., ne did not inquire at his bank if his f.'oVo e check had been presented. but he aouno It charged against him when his s.oont was balanced He kept away as .on' ms friends as much as possible auu %% when rallied with queries as to "ueh ne was going to be married turn u away with a sickly expression, re- ps.ns m that he might possibly marry a ..' oie statue or wooden Indian h auaw With bundle of cigars in her
 pue never a woman.
 OQe m