The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-02-22
How / Got Mixed gs'
In d Love Affair. !
tOriginal.1

troduced him to my cousin. Myra
Ducher. I have regretted having done
so. Len is an excellent fellow. rather
inclined TO look upon every incident or
episode seriously and In matter Of
fact light. would as soon think OF
cracking joke to an OWL Myra Is a
good girl, but nature did not endow
her with average beauty. Indeed, she
is homely.
lost my parents early and was
brought up by my aunt. Eliza Ducher.
being bcholden to her and her family
for everything had till came Of age.
Therefore when ! brought Richmond
home and saw what were at least to
me unmistakable signs that Myra had
fallen in love with him and that he
was not likely to return her devotion
felt as IL had committed n crime.
True, there was nothing against her
but her LONELINESS. for she was a fine
character and had a winning way with
her Len, too. was not handsome. He
was n lean. red beaded. freckled chap.
with q long neck and sloping shoulders.
But nobody looks for beauty In man.
lie was conscientious rs mule. One
day he came to me with long face
and said he wished to consult me about
very important matter. We were sit
ting on the porch. the doors and win
dows all open. and he spoke in low
tone. He told me that he had reason
to suspect what I considered a fore
gone conclusion. that he had uninten-
tionally won Myra's heart and that he
could not possibly return that love for
the sole reason of her LONELINESS.
What was to do? The only course
for me was to convince him that his
reason was no reason at all. Then II
his inclination moved him toward the
girl all would come out right
"Len," said. II have heard that the
best marriages follow from diversities
between the man and the woman. A
quick tempered woman should have
long suffering husband. an impulsive
man q woman of self control. a home
ly wife, paused. Dare ! utter the
thought had in mind? Then blurt-
ed. "a good looking husband"
Len said nothing for several minutes.
Nor did I. was waiting to see II he
would swallow the dose.
"You mean." he said modestly. 'that
should not marry a beautiful wo-
man."
"That's exactly what I mean."
Then he cut me to the quick. II have
| always felt perfect confidence" he
said that anything coming from you
| is absolute truth. No other being could
make me believe that I am anything
more as to looks than an average man..
WINGED, but the happiness of two
| people was at stake. tas
"Average" l said. Average by no
means expresses It." I took conscious
comfort in the fact that his appearance
| was far below the average. IT
Len intmated to me that my cousins
LONELINESS should not stand in his way
| If he felt inclined to make her his
wife. He did not speak to her, how
ever, at the time. and fancied he was
waiting for the spirit to move him. He
came down again in month and made
| his proposal. He came to me immedi-
| ately after having done so and sur
| prised me by telling me that he had
| been refused.
"And what do you suppose" he add
| ed. sis her reason?" E
81 can't conceive" replied.
"She says that have every require.
ment to please her fancy save one. I
begged her to tell me what that one
| deficiency Is. and she Mt last said that
she had always fancied homeiy men. I
! wouldn't do"
"You don't mean 1T" I exclaimed.
| aghast.
"Yes, and she added: Now. there's
my cousin. For looks he'd suit me ex-
| actly.'"
The hot blood rushed into my cheeks,
then suddenly rushed out again. Then
| wanted to laugh. 1t didn't take me-
| long to discover a reason for this sin
| gular apparent coincidence While Len
and l had been talking on the porch
the mink had been listening at an up
per window.
| Richmond stood looking at me rue.
fully. giving no evidence whatever that
! he had even the faintest glimpse Of the
| truth.
! 'Len," said, "if were you I'd go
| home and think no more about II. Aft
| er all, 1t would be rather hard for you
| to pass your life with homely WON.
an. Besides, everybody nowadays says
that marriage is n failure. 1t doubles
our sorrows and halves our joys"
! didn't succeed In getting any com
| fort into him, but he went home all
the same, and turned my attention to
Myra. &sp
am one of the fellows who marched
up San Juan hill in Cuba, but 1t was
nothing to going to my cousin to try to
undo what ! had done. For every word
l spoke she sent back an answer lilSs
a Mauser bullet. At last. losing my
temper said: ~
"You'd better take me. You say I'm
homely enough to suit YOU" ~
What did she do but turn her head
away from me and stare ut the floor. q
Great heavens! Had been bark,
ing up the wrong tree? Had she beer,
| using Richmond for foil? Anyway,
here was beautiful broad road out Of
| th. a \