The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1918-04-11
A Successful
Experiment
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T BY ooRroN ARRur
Copyright, 1918. by the Mcclure Newspa
per Syndicate.)

AAS puS 4AS pokSA OoAN~ oOA uPSAyS kOSO
and walked down the leaf-strewn path
to the other bench, where the girl was
sitting.
"Would you like to try an expert
ment?" he asked quietly, standing with
hat in hand before her.
She looked at him for a moment
unsmiling, her expression neither in
viting nor~repelling.
Perhaps" she said at length.
He sank into the seat beside her.
1T is something l have often wanted
to try" he said slowly. "Here are we
two, perfect strangers in a city of five
millions, and never likely to see each
other again after W. leave this chance
meeting place. We have sat here for
half an hour, each pretending to read,
or to watch the squirrels, or the falling
leaves, or the misty golden sunshine
out there on the field, but each *
aiming and appraising the other when
the other wasn't looking.
"Now, this is the experiment: We
have each gained a strong first i'm
preston of the other. Let us, with alb
%solutely frankness, tell each other
what those impressions are. Let us
do what friends cannot do-speak
without reservations, made for fear of
hurting each others feelings"
She sat without speaking for a mo-
ment after he had finished, gazing
thoughtfully out at the warm expanse
Of autumn-tinted park.
"But why?" she asked at last. 81
am not sure that Burns was right.
Perhaps it is just as well that we can't
see ourselves as others see u.s."
"That," he said, makes it m expert
ment. It will be a new experience. I
want to know exactly how I look in
the eyes of a stranger, however much
the knowledge may hurt. Have you
ever felt that way?"
"Yes," she said, II have. Everyone
does, I think"
swell, I'll tell you, if you will do as
much for me-"
Again she hesitated and sat silently
watching a gray squirrel that untrou-
bled by self-consciousness, was busy
burying a nut.
SWELL" she said finally, "you first"
1.-THE fact that l came over here and
proposed this experiment to you at all
shows that I thought you a sensible
girl" he began slowly. "You impress.
ed me as being neither a prude nor a
flirt. You are pretty don't need to
foil yynIJ fhOf-h,rt 81 has MT ,DoiVoJ
you. You are rather thoughtful and
studious, and you have a genuine feel
Ing for the beauties of nature-sOme-
thing which too many girls just pre-
tend to have. You are not above, I
believe, taking an interest in babies
and embroidery, although you know
what is going on about you in the
world and read something besides the
woman's page in the newspapers. You
don't work for your living, and your
home is n OF the comfortable houses
in the Seventies. You see a good deal
of the society side of life, but you keep
BEAUTIFULLY busy at serious things. You
are probably a suffragist in a quiet
way. and you are also interested in
some form Of social or philanthropic
work, which YOU do not treat as an
heroically assumed duty. And"
He was interrupted by the girls low
laughter. "Why not say that I have
all the good qualities, and be done with
it," she asked. "Your impression is
certainly not very accurate. Let's see
if l car do better.
"You. it seems to me, have many Of
the excellent qualities that you are
attributing to me. You are nothing of
a sport but are a rather serious
minded young man, somewhat too
much given to i~ntrOspection., You are
not bad looking, and you impress me
as having q good deal of common sense.
You are about twenty-five, and you are
n Of our rising young professional
men-an architect, perhaps, or an en-
gineer Of ONE sort. You read a good
deal, and, when it comes to newspa-
pers, something besides the sporting
pages. You are rather domestic by ma
ture, and you have a sense Of humor.
You also live in one of the better
homes in the Seventies or the Eight
les, and you are a confirmed New
Yorker. There, how is that for a snap
shot portrait?"
He did not answer at once, and they
both sat silently for a few minutes.
Presently he said gloomily:
my experiment has failed, I'm
afraid"
"Of COURSE" she assented gently,
ut was bound to. 1t shows Of how
little worth a first impression is, any.
way. You wondered If the defects that
you see in yourself were apparent to
others. and you are half disappointed
that they are not, for you do not like
the idea of wearing a mask. Isn't that
it,"
"Yes."
"And yet you must have known, ex
cept in moments of self-depreciation
that you make a favorable first i'm,
preston; and l know that I do, con
ceited a. that may sound"
"All right" He Strengthened up alb
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