The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-10-27
Ralph Put to the
Acid Test
By FREDERICK CLARKE.

'MenI haIpn ana Cynthia loved each
other TO distraction Ralph Blair was
twenty-five. and had a prosperous fu-
t1re in the office OF the telephone COM
.pany; Cynthia was just a nice Amer
lean girl OF a well-tO-do family
Il tell you, I'm as happy as a king,
old man." said Ralph to his chum, Pc
-terSon- 1T seems as though / want
10 sing all the time"
How long have you been engaged? %
asked Peterson glOOmily.
Two weeks" answered Ralph
ecstatically $50.
Wait till it's two months" said Pc
tersOn darkly.
Henry Peterson was nearly thirty.
His life was supposed TO have been
permanently blighted by an Rnfortu-
Aate and mysterious love affair q year
previously. -.g..
What DO you mean by thatT' de-
manded Ralph Blair holly
Il mean," answered Peterson,
speaking quite mpcrsOnally, . OF
course mean that woman must be
Aept In subsection i'll order 10 insure
Happiness. The worst of il is, they
are 80 cunning" e.,
Cynthia isn't cunning" exclaimed
Ralph Indignantly. AT least, not in
the way you mean
They are all cunning insisted
Peterson. Al first they are as meek
A. milk; then, when they have wound
their teutaclcS firmly round their vic
INNS they begin 70 exercise their pow
or. Litrle by little they claim do
HHniou: al last the day arrives when
they have enmc~Lcd their victims and
arc supreme
peterson" said Ralph his face
pale with anger, IF ever You speak
in thar way about Miss Dunn again
1 shall have nothing more 10 do with
yeH."
Nevertheless. In spite "t his mdig-
nation. Ralph was vaguely conscious
OF Peterson's remarks when cynthia
began r. shower !nviu. little attcn-
hons upon him. For Instance. there
was that birthday yif, "r "a box II
cAgars. Ralph Blair WAS fond OF ci-
gars, bur Cynthia had chosen these
because Of tho picture "u The box,
which She considered artistic.
That he had go hurry through the
hos nf cigars. with painful results.
rather than deceirfully destroy is con-
tentS, might have been "a passing al
fair only. Buu then came the affair
al the ncckvcar. ON the Gfrh "f Uc-
tObcr Cynthia handed him an 0hlOnS
box. surrounded with prcttiiy coIOred
paper. Inside Ralph found crimson
and yellow tie. lie stared AT it in
dismay.
THAT * Tor you. dearest. made
il myself" said Cynthia proudly
But Cyuthy, l can't wear this, cN-
claimed Ralph In horror. Then. sec
ing her eyes cloud. he added hastily:
Il mean, lis TOO good FOR me. dear
est What would Il fellow like my
self look like. wearing a beautiful Tie
Ike thiS:" 4
Cynthia smiled happily.
Never mimi. dear" she said. kiss
ing him. When lis worn "ut ] shall
smaEe YOU another"
Before ar left she. made linn prom
Use To wear il every day. lie dressed
too >omhrrIv. she told him. Ralph
promised. and fed home gulping.
when he awoke next morning he
hoped that the tie would look better
by daylight. Instead il looked worse.
"Ho. fellows. look At Blair" sang
out the youngest hookkeeper AT the
ONCE. Say, Blair. you amt married,
are yOuE"
shut up" yelled the victim.
The next morning. when he was not
wearing the tie he met Cynthia in
the street Her manner WAS cold. 10
say the least.
The final blow was the matter OF
the haircut. Ralph had incautiously
remarked that his hair was growing
long.
Don't have il cut" said cynthia.
II don't want you to look like a com
mon business man without poetry or
individuality. / want you TO look like
an artist. There, the secrets out
Ralph, promise me you'll let IT curl
over your forehead like-iike Byron
Ralph Blair drew himself up firmly.
Now Cynthia" he said. "let US I'M
4 derstand one another. I am not going
to be poet. I am going to be a tele-
phone man. And 1 am not going to
look like Byron. Byron was n slob.
am going 10 have my hair cropped
aud I am going 10 wear black tie
until I get tired. and then 1 shall
switch of to any color I choose. Now.
dear. don't want TO be harsh, but
you must choose between Byron and
me"
Ralph :" sobbed Cynthia. and buried
her face IN her hands. Overcome with
retnorse he gently withdrew them.
Cynthia was laughing.
Cynthia, :" he exclaimed indignant
by.
"Oh. I'm so glad, dearest" she ex-
claimed. throwing her arms round his
Aeck. II was all that horrid Mr..