The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1921-10-13
Ralph Put to the
Acid Test
By FREDERICK CLARKE.

csp,HsLI isn. we-,sfn Newspaper taioa
u The first days Of their engage.
m"nt Ralph and cynthia loved each
other To distraction. Ralph Blair was
twenty live. aud had a prosperous fu
ture la the "iiice of the telephone com.
pauy cynthia was Just nice Amer.
ican girl 30 q wellto-dp family.
Il tell you. I'm rs happy ~ a king.
Old nan" said Ralph to hls chum. Pe.
tsrson. 1t seems ~ though wan,
to sing all the time"
How long have you been cngageJf'
asked Peterson gloomily.
two weeks" answered Ralph
ecstatlcaliy.
Wait till rs two months" said re.
terson darkly.
Henry Peterson was nearly thirty
His NE was supposed to have been
permanently blighted 10y an unfortu-
nate aud mysterious love affair a year
previously.
What do you mean by thaty' de-
mandcd Ralph Blair hotly.
Il mean answered Peterson,
speaking quite imp-rsonally. u
course mean that woman must be
kept In subsection Ia order to insure
happiness. The worst % Il l.. they
are ~ cunning"
Cynthia isn't cunning :" exclaimed
Ralph Indignantly At least. not In
the way you mean
They az. all cunning" Insisted
Peterson. "At FIRST they are as meek
"a miik then. when they have wound
their teuiacics firmly round their We.
Tins they begin to exercise their pow.
er Little by little they claim do
minion: at last the day arrives when
they have enmcshrd their victims and
are supreme"
Peterson said Ralph his face
pale with anger II ever you speak
la that way about Miss Dunn again
I shall have nothing more "a do with
YOU"
Nevertheless. la spite of his injig.
nation. Ralph was vaguely conscious
% Peterson remarks when cynthia
began to shower loving little attcn.
lions upon him For instance. there
was that birthday SIT Of box -
cigars Ralph Blair was fond OF 81.
surs. but Cynthia had chosen these
hecaus. of the picture on IA. box.
which she considered artistic
That he had TO hurry through the
box ~ cigars. with painful results.
rather than deceitfuily destroy It's con.
tents. might have been u passing az
fair only Hut then came the affair
% the n.ckwcar On the tfth Of o.
tob-r cynthia handed him an obiong
box. surrounded with prettily colored
paper Inside Ralph found crimson
aud yellow tie. lie stared at ~ In
dismay.
That IN for you. dearest made
II myself" said Cynthia proudly.
But Cynthy. ! cant wear this !" ex.
claimed Ralph Ia horror. Then. See
Ing her eyes cloud. he added hastily:
Il mean. It's too good for me. dear.
e-t. What would fellow like my.
self look like. wearing beautiful tie
like thisf
Cynthia smiled happily.
"Neyer mind. dear" she said. kiss
ing him. when It's worn out I shall
make you another"
Before h. left III. made him prom.
ls~ 20 wear IL every day. lie dressed
too somberly. she told him. Ralph
promised. and fed home. gulplng
when he swoke next morning he
hoped that the tie would look better
by daylight Instead II looked worse
lilo. fellows, look ~ Blair" SANG
out the youngest bookkeeper at the
once. Say. blair. you sln't married
are your
"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. TO
say the least.
The final blow was the matter Of
the haircut. Ralph had incsutiously /
that his hair was growing
long
Don't have II cut. said Cynthia. I
Il don't want you TO look like a com I
mon business man without poetry or
! want you 20 look like .
An artist. There. the secrets out
Ralph. promise me you'll let Il curl
over your forehead iike--like Byron"
Ralph Hair drew himself up hrnly
"Now. cynthia" he said. "let us un
icrstand one another. am not going
10 be- a poet. I nm going to be a tele-
phone man. And ! am not going TO
ook like Byron. Byron was slob.
sm going 20 have my hair cropped.
md ! am going 20 wear black tie
intii get tired. aud then shall
witch OF To any color choose. Now
Hear. I don't want 10 he harsh. but
iou must choose between Byron and
ne"
"f,alph :" sobbed Cynthia. and buried
Ter face In her hands Dyercome with