The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-01-09
A Double Test.

Lnah any man l ever knew. He had a
theory for everything and proved or
disproved his theories by experiments.
When Huston became engaged he
determined TO test the good nature Of
the girl no was to marry. He would
do things to ruiie her temper. II she
showed self control he would complete
The contract; II she gave way before
his proddlng II would indicate that she
had not the equanimity necessary TO
bear the greater irritating trials OF
married life, and he would break the
engagement.
Now, am BIT Of an experjmenter
myself--that is, when can experiment
On others. The failures of my acquaint-
ances do not distress me nearly so
mr-h as my own. Ben and were
bosom friends. Lucy Benedict, his
hancee. was my own cousin. Ben con-
fided to me That he was about to APP
ply his test to Lucy. It occurred to
me that here was fine chance for an
exhibition of two people applying the
same test to each other. / went to
Lucy and told her that the only fear
had for her happiness with Ben was
bis temper and advised her before
marrying him to make sure was mis-
taken. She said she would.
In nine cases out OF ten this story
would be description of thunder
storm. II would have been so in this
case had not Lucy been girl Of re-
markable self control. IL was natural
for her to bend gracefully before the
squalls Of life, and she had the forti-
tude to stand up under the cyclone.
The first test Ben applied was this:
He invited her to drive with him at 8
In the afternoon and came az Q, giving
no excuse for keeping her waiting.
Lucy made no comment on his rude
ness. She prattied about the exquisite
afternoon, the beauty Of his horses,
getting in some very nice things for
himself Ben was much pleased with
the way she bore his first test but
said to himself that one swallow
doesn't make summer. He would
try her another day.
The next evening when he called
Lucy told him that she had some let
tiers to write, aud he must excuse her
from spending the evening with him.
Ben was disappointed. He thought the
letter writing might be put or. But
Lucy did not offer to dc so. Indeed,
she made things worse. She told him
that her bosom friend, girl Of her
own age, was to arrive at 500 the next
morning and would be mind meeting
her at the station2 What could he do?
Just engaged and all his proffers Of
lifelong devotion still warm, he con.
sented The hour was not a conven-
lent one either to get sleep before or
d r the duty TO be performed. He
sat up tai 3--Alone after 11--escorted
the visitor two miles across the city.
and when he got home It was too late
to go to bed.
He was prevented from making up
his sleep the next night by sum-
mons from his faneee. Her mother
was LII. Lucy must devote herself to
her, and there Was no one to entertain
her friend. The girl was very reii-
gious and wished to go to prayer
meeting Would "the dear, good boy"
take her and on returning entertain
her till after midnight? Lucy's father
was out Of town and would not return
till 2 a. m. She did not dare be left
with her mother without man in the
house. Ben submitted ungracefuIly,
took the friend to the prayer meeting
and was fnsufferably bored with her |
till II o'clock, when she went to bed.
He remained alone in the drawing
room TIL 2:45 in the morning, when
the father arrived, his train having
beer: late. Lucy came down to kiss
Ben good night. He managed to get
out of the house without burst OF
temper, but on the street barely es-
capped being taken in by a policeman
for talking to himself incoherently, his
words interpreted with explosives.
! never knew whether Lucy asked |
her friend to visit her especially to
use her In her tests or not, but she
found her friend indeed. For week
the mother remained ill--so Lucy said |
land Ben was made to wait on a wo- |
man who bored him, escorting her to
places he detested and at hours most |
announcement for him. Then she took
midnight train, and he saw her to /
the station. He had promised Lucy
that he would be In line at the box Of
fee Of theater to get tickets for an I
immensely popular play at an early
hour In the morning, and between the
two duties he got but four hours
sleep.
The next evening Ben, his injuries
ranking, in his bosom, called on his
flancee. threw the tickets on table
and--well, 1t was a mufEied explosion,
something like firecrackers shut up in
n barrel. Lucy locked at him, sur
prised; then remarked that IL he
couldn't stand few little things like
that how would he bear the more i'm
portant Jars Of life. She then and
there broke the engagement.
Ben came to me and told me what
an escape he had made. | didn't say
anything just then, but In a few days,
when found he was about ready to
commit suicide, confessed that ! had
suggested to Lucy that she had better
test him and advised him to ask her
to give him another trial.
get out Of the room in time to es-
rape stone beer mug he threw at me.
! thought I'd better take vacation
for awhile and go south. When
came back Ben had fixed It up with