The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1913-10-02
ACTED ON HER
OWN JUDGMENT
How a Young Woman Sc
IeCted Her Life Partner.


cussiny over their afternoon tea the
matter of choosing a husband. Mrs
Brown advocated giving way to love.
no matter how unprOmising match
might be otherwise. Mrs. Tinker con
sidered common sense the most deslr-
able trait to look for in a life partner
Mrs Evans declared that. fter all that
had been said against marriages for
money, without it there could be no
comfort and without comfort love is
short lived Mrs. TWitchell declared
that no man could ever have won her
who was not a fascinating CONVERSE
tionalist.
Your remark. Mrs Twitchell." said
Mrs. Anderson. reminds me of u story
"a story in which | was the principal
actor. When | was eighteen | went to
visit Il schoOlmate whose father was
very intimate with the superintendent
of an insane asylum. During my visit
dance was given for the patients,
and we were all invited.
MY first partner was SO queer look
ing and had such a restless. anxious
look ia his eye that | was afraid of
him. Every now and again be would
pause or stop short in the dance to
look at some other mental wreck. ana
once | was dreadfully frightened fo1'
fear he was going to attack demute
little woman who of all those present
looked the most tractable My partner
said very little to me. and when | adj
dressed remark to him he barely an
swered me- He seemed preoccupied.
| fancied that he considered every one
present his natural enemy and if es-
capped being strangled by him before
| the dance was finished l would be for
| tunate. / was much relieved when
| the music stopped.
My second partner was very differ
ent. He was about thirty-fve years
| Old and handsome as a picture. shall
| never forget the quiet. well poised look
| in his eyes. The matron introduced
| him to me and as she did so whispered
| something to me which | understood
to be that he was an invited guest.
But if she had not SO Informed me |
| should have been sure that he was Of
| perfectly sound mind. He made sew
| era remarks to me in the intermissions
| Of the, dance that caught my attention
at once. and l longed to listen to his
/ conversation. Such a man at Such an
age is just the person to impress a
| young girl who is naturally fattered
| by any notice he deigns to bestoW
| upon her. AS soon as the dance was
finished put my arm through bis that
should not lose him.
He talked delightfully."-. He was a
graduate of an American. German
and an English university. He had
travelled everywhere and had the fac
ulty Of imparting not only information
OH abstruse topics, but of making one
seem to visit the places he had visited.
His favorite topic was biology. l re-
member his telling me that scientists
were getting every day nearer to d
knowledge Of the source of life. and
be surprised me by telling me that the
day would come when they would by
chemical substances and forces pro.
duce protoplasm. the fundamental liv.
ing substance.
while we were chatting my first
partner passed us and gave my com
panion a look which fattered myself
was due to jealousy. had no mind
to he interrupted in my tete-a-tete anC
) showed by apparent rapt attention thai
was absorbed in what was being
said to me. ...,.--
my partner after this. continuing
, tbs remarks on the source Of life. grew
animated. He made me feel that ht
was u superior being sent down from
heaven to demonstrate that our morta
I part is nothing more than a chemica
, combination to hold the soul during it:
, preparation for another existence. MY
enthusiasm waxed with his. But
, though l was rapt in, what he said
, there was a dual current of though
ii my mind. a feeling Of how happy
could be with, how proud Of. such ,
husband.
Again my first partner came nea
us. and again | noticed that he wa!
wrought upon BY jealousy. True, h'
was a lunatic, but | was at an age t
be pleased even at the jealousy Of al
unbalanced mind His insanity neet
not necessarily interfere with his taste
At that moment my companion CAV
my arm d clutch that caused me t
Shrek with pain, shouting, l will fore
| your soul from your body and put
back again. And from the look in 81!
: eye | knew that were he free to do 8
J lie would murder me.
Il heard sharp whistle. In me
: tnent my first partner was holding m
] second and in a few seconds more b
was joined and assisted by severa
keepers. The man admired was bus
. tied off like felon and the man di,
; not admire superintended his remova
We'll. to end the story. it turne
q out that my first partner was bri
liant young doctor who as medical d
rector of the asylum was studyin
!. mental diseases. My second was
p lunatic of no special education VIII
!, had picked up :: smattering of vatiou
sciences Such was the judgment !
\ Girl Of marriI gpa bic ;i%rp betWp