Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1913-02-27
FOR 4 mere WH|M
That. Is What People Thought.
but the Girl Had Reasons
for Her Actions.
BY MARIAN COOK.

That's funny! Dick Sterield is
over there having dinner at that Ia
BILE in the alcove. He doesn't seem
TO look u way. | never knew him to
be SO blind when you were around"
Il suppose, since you are my guard
Ian. that you will have to know that l
broke my engagement with Dick last
night. That was why | was able to
accept your invitation TO dinner at
such short notice, | was to have gone
to the opera a~fterward."
You gave up hat ring for a ere
whim? Really. I'm surprised"
There is something besides the
ring in an engagement, Mr.. Bob"
Granted, but it was n pretty ring,
now wasn't it,"
yes. but you see | was going to
have to marry Dick"
Would that have been such a cal
amity? Dick is as good looking as
the average man in this restaurant, he
has lots of money. good manner and
the usual assets of a popular society
man. What is it about him that you
don like. DO you mind telling me?"
No, | always tell you everything
that is. nearly everything" She look
ed across the table at the strong
handsome face of the lawyer who was
eating his dinner with the eager pleas.
ure of a healthy, hungry man. She
leaned a little toward him. Il
wouldn't let Dick kiss me so he quar-.
relied"
He quarreled? l thought it took
two to quarrel"
Not when n OF them is Dick"
We'll. such a proceeding would
have been entirely conventional. Dick
naturally thought hat he was mere
ly asserting his manly rights"
But | have always felt that l
wouldn't marry him and l didn't want
to have any bitter memories"
A quiet triumphant light cleaned
suddenly in the shrewd gray eyes Of
the lawyer,
Il am glad, Eleanor" he said, that
you are keeping the flower Of your
youth white for the right man, when.
ever he ONE Why did you ever
enter into an engagement with Dick!'
Il am sorry that you asked me that.
/ don't like to appear mean and small
in your eyes but | was flattered and
pleased with Dicks generous wooing
and / just allowed myself to be en-
gagged to show another man that ]
was desirable in somebody's eyes at
least and" concluded Eleanor with a
rueful little laugh. Il had all my trou-
BILE for nothing for the other man
didn't even notice"
THAT sounds as if you had fallen
in love. Eleanor"
Yes, it sounds that way" she an
swered systematically.
Suppose you let me take you to
the opera tonight! am not so old
that | have forgotten the gallantry
due a pretty woman"
Go home with me and let's talk
instead If you are really willing to
give me one of your valuable eve
nings!"
u am glad that you are not going
to marry Dick" said Mr.. Bob as they
crossed the snowy pavement to his
car. II thought you loved him and
that was the only reason | did not try
to interfere. Are you sure, perfectly
sure, that you don't love Dick now?'
Yes" Eleanor replied quickly.
Dick has no ability and if he didn't
have money he couldn't make any. !
always Measure men by you since
father died. | remember he said 10
me one day, Daughter, never marry
a man who can't make a living. II
he has money, he may lose it To
tell you the truth, Mr.. Bob, Dick has
been getting on my nerves. He was
always somewhere around"
That objection would only have
held until O were married" laugh
ed the lawyer.
Il can't believe that you are cyni-
cal at heart. You say things like that
because you want to cover up your
real thoughts and sentiment from a
too curious world"
''Why?"
Il don't know. Nice womanly rea-
son to back up my assertion. isn't it?'
They had reached the girls home
and after chatting with her mother for
q while, they sat down to warm com
fortably before a big open fire in the
library. Mr.. Bob, as Eleanor called
Robert Ogden, had been her fathers
partner in the law firm and 1t had
been at the older mains request that
he was made Eleanor's guardian.
Why" he asked. watching Elean-
or narrowly, why do you think that
1 am not cynical at hearth
Because you have shielded both
mother and me from every bit of care
since father died"
That was my duty. Your father
helped establish me in my profession
when | was a young man."
Many men forget either to feel or
to show gratitude. l know OF poor
sick little children that you have TAX
en- to the hospital and cared for at
your expense No man to whom a
child appeals is really cynical"
That" he said. rs charity and
charity in a cynic is not an impossible