The herald., 1915-06-17
they be dangerous in tn, way?"


timental dreamings that never knew
man and a woman to sit down before
one but straightway they would fall
to romancing; and if they were young
and unmarried ten to one they would
be persuaded, by the subtle and per-
suasive influence of the fire. to ex-
change vows, or to do something equal
ly foolish"
How absurd" laughed Lydia. Did
you ever happen to know of such a
case?"
Indeed | did," replied Myra 81
was thinking of Irene Leighton and
Give Wheaton when | spoke. Of
course they were both of a sentimental
nature, and they were a bit smitten
with each other before he made his
first call. but at the same time don't
believe he would ever have proposed
to Irene If she had not seated him
before a beautiful crate fire upon that
first evening"
Dear me-" Lydia drew nearer to
the dangerous flames. DO you mean
to say that he fell into the fire, speak
ing metaphorically, the minute he sat
down."
oh, | don't suppose he proposed
instantaneously after taking his seat,
but he is excessively literary, and he
began by recalling various scenes in
his favOrite novels where the hero and
heroine had talked their affairs over
before fire, and then he asked Irene
whether she had ever read the 'Rever-
les of a Bachelor"
And she had?" breathlessly de-
manded Lydia
No, she hadn't" went on Myra. 80
he told her all about the book and
how the hero of it was a lonely old
bachelor who was accustomed to sit
before his solitary fire and console
himself for the lack of a real COM
panion by some creature out of his
fancy and out of the ashes. Then, of
course, Give went on to talk about his
own dreary existence and to tell how
he had not even a fire for companion
ship, but that he had a picture of a
happy newly welded pair sitting be-
fore fire and planning their future
together. This was the poor mans
substitute both for a fire and for a
wife"
And of course Irene couldn't re-
sist remarks so touching and original
put in Lydia.
She couldn't! When he went home
that evening they had already planned
on which side of their living room
they would have the crate and whether
they would burn coal or wood"
That was lovely" sighed Lydia.
But don't you dare tell me that the
cold glare of day or the sight of the
ashes in the crate caused her to re-
pent the next morning"
We'll, if she repented she never
admitted the fact" declared Myra.
for Irene, with all her sentimental
ity, is girl of pluck. Just the same,
/ am quite sure that If she and Give
had sat down before a gas crate on
that first evening l should never have
been invited to act as bridesmaid next
month"
But I think it was his knowledge
of literature that famed the flame of
her fancy" unused Lydia, as she me-
chanically took up the poker and began
to stir the fire. It's so unusual in
these days to meet a man who knows
anything about books or who could
recall a single heroine who had ever
been wooed before a fire, so I'm not
surprised that Irene was fascinated.
If Give had sat down before her fire
and begun to talk about insurance
or real estate l am sure that Irene
would not have accepted him even II
he had followed up such converse.
ton with proposal"
Perhaps not" admitted Myra. "But
/ do believe that it was the fire that
did It,"
What kind of dress did Irene have
on that EVENING"" demanded Lydia.
You know that costume has a great
deal to do with such situations, and IL
she wore the kind of gown that lends
itself to freight and If she sat near
enough to the blaze so that her fea-
lures could be illuminated by the fit
fu] fame as the novelists put it,
why, / can easily understand Gives
quick surrender"
Il don't know anything about these
Details" laughed Myra. II only know
that the fire was the matchmaker"
WELL" declared Lydia, 81 am go
ing to ask father to have our gas CRATE
changed to a real log-burning love-
persuading fireplace and then be care
full who sits before it."-Chicago Daily
News.