The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1909-01-04
A Double Test.

ciation.l
Ben Huston could dive deeper into
questions and draw out more meat
than 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 he was to marry. He would
do things to ruflle her temper. If she
showed self control he would complete
the contract; If she gave way before
his prodding IL would indicate that she
had not the equanimity necessary TO
bear the greater Irritating trials of
married life, and he would break the
engagements
Now, am bit of an experlmenter
myself--that is, when / can experiment
on others. The failures of my acquaint-
ances do not distress me nearly so
much as my own. Ben and / were
bosom friends. Lucy Benedict, his
fiancee, was my own cousin. Ben con-
fided to me that he wns about to ap-
ply his test TO Lucy. II occurred to
me that here was fine chance for an
exhibition OF two people applying the
same test to each other. l went to
Lucy and told her that the only fear
had for her happiness with Ben was
his 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 a description OF thunder
storm. 1t would have been so in this
case had not Lucy been a girl of re-
markable self control. 1t 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
in the afternoon and came at 6, giving
Lucy made no comment on his rude
ness. She prattled 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 a summer. He would
try her another day.
The next evening when he called
Lucy told him that she had some let
ters to write, and he must excuse her
from spending the evening with him.
Ben was disappointed He Thought The
letter writing might be put Off. But
Il of 10 10 m
she made things worse. She told him
that her bosom friend. a girl of her
own age, was TO arrive at 800 the next
morning and would he mind meeting
her at the station? What could he do?
Just engaged and all his proffers of a
lifelong devotion still warm. he con-
sented. The hour was not conven-
lent one either TO get sleep before or
after the duty TO be performed. He
sat up till 3-alone after 11--escorted
the visitor two miles across the city.
and when he got home 1t was too late
to go to bed.
He was prevented from making up
his sleep the next night by sum-
mons from his fancee Her mother
was i'll. Lucy must devote herself to
her, and there was no one to entertain
her friend. The girl was very rell-
gious and wished to go TO prayer
meeting. Would "the dear. good boy"
take her and ON returning entertain
her TIL after midnight? Lucy's father
was out of town and would not return
till a. m. She did not dare be left
with her mother without man IN the
house. Ben submitted ungracefully,
took the friend TO the prayer meeting
and was insufferably bored with her
till IL o'clock. when she went TO bed.
He remained alone I'm the drawing
room till 2;45 I'm the morning, when
the father arrived, his train having
been late. Lucy came down 10 kiss
Ben good night. He managed to get
out of the houee without burst OF
temper, but on the street barely es-
capped being taken In by a policeman
for talking TO himself incoherently, his
words interspersed with expletlves,
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
and Ben was made TO wait on wo-
man who bored him. escorting her to
places he detested and at hours most
inconvenient for him. Then she took
midnight train, and he saw her TO
the station. lie had promised Lucy
that he would be In line at the box Of
fee of theater to get tickets for an
immensely popular play at an early
hour 10 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
fiancee, threw the tickets ON a table
and-well, It was a mufied explosion,
something like frecrackers shut up in