El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-09-13

A UGDSf 16--This thing is gettiRg
n serious.
n And by this thing" I mean
my alleged engagement to Beth Leon
ard.
On my oath, as an honorable man,
Diary, never asked that girl to marry
me. I never had such a thought in my
mind. 1 never had even a momentary
affection for her, and in my brief in
stander, amused at her wit, and the
manner in which she defended herself
against the wit of others.
1 never had twitted her about being
an old maid, as the others did. I never
expressed the hope that she would sue
coed so well in business that she could
some day take over my business af-
fairs, too, as the other men did.
never held her hand, or made eyes
at her, or paid her compliment. Yet
she walks into my house deliberately
and unlimited and when she departed
1t was with a goodnight reference to
me as her fiancei
Great heavens. are all men married
off in that way2
Driven Out.
telephoned Tomkins yesterday that
I would not be home to dinner Why2
Because 1 have been driven out of nv
would ever come to that.
Seth has a way of coming over here
every evening Sometimes I find hsr
waiting for me when a come home to
dinner, and sometimes it is after din
ner, but here she is, evening after eve
ming, sitting in the chair opposite me-
and talking of our coming marriage
with the assurance with which others
speak Of the sun coming up in the
morning.
Now, why DO you talk like thatr"
had the courage to say the other night:
You are too wise a woman to want to
rsa-~TEH To-
life" -' sue
Il love you so much" she said that
l would give IL up for you If I knew
fame waited for me around the cor
rer."
But how about me- I began
Il know you don't want me to make
such a sacrifice, Max" she said. THAT
Is just like you; you are so big, and
generous. and noble. Any other man
wouldn't think of what a woman is
giving up, but you are different You
were cast in heroic mold, Max, dar-
ling"
And the man who was cast in heroic
mold grumbled like a volcano inside
him and erupted nothing more serious
than sheepish grins.
Every woman with any charm can do
what she pleases with a man. Let the
man who denies this come to my house
some evening. and sit there, alone and
unprotected, and suddenly find an arm
like Beth's around his neck.
He will find what he considers a
Gibraltar of strength and resistance
crumbling away like sand.
August III have tried in vain to
get an answer to the question, when
is a man engaged?' Having failed,
now come to you with question that
is older, and which is weighted down
with many heartaches. 1t is this:
What is a Friend?
Another Puzzle.
Some one has said, 1 don't know who.
I know it is written somewhere in
book: "a friend is one who knows all
your faults, and loves. you in spite of
them"
That sounds we'll It sounds so well
that it is often quoted, and generally
accepted as the best definition of The
word.
I have another: What is a friend?
A myth. One who has existence only in
the fairy tales.
Pessimistic. no doubt. but all who
have needed friends will agree that it
is the right answer.
I thought I had some friends. I felt
that needed them to point a way out
for me in this matrimonial coil. went
to Bardeer. and told him the whole
story.
He threw back his head and laughed.
He foared till the windows ratified.
Excuse me, Max" he said, when he
was so exhausted he could laugh no
more, but that IS the best joke of the
season"
Jokei And he was my friendi
went to Harper, whom I had put
on his feet many times when he bought
on the wrong side Of the market. He
listened with a smile that grew broader
and broader. But he did not laugh L
believe he read in my face that he didn't
dare.
The only thing you can do. Max" he
said, lis to marry her Either that or
an unpleasant notoriety. I knew all
the time that she had picked you out
for her game"
Knewl And didn't warn me. And he
was a friendl
His Explanation.
He said, in reply to my protests
against such treatment, that no man
felt like interfering in an affair like
this.
4 understand" he said, that she is a
nice enough girl She is agreeable. very
bright, comes of a fairly good family
and You might do worse"
When I tried to speak, he silenced
me with this argument:
Almost all men. Max. are married
against their will The woman. in an
alarming majority, goes into matrimo-
ny as a man goes into business He
uses bait; so does she. Some women