Smyrna times., 1932-12-14
WEEKLY STORY
AROUND TABLE
Reading to While Away Time
Under the Evening Lamp
When Days Work is Done
INTERESTING READING
"INDOLENT ARTHUR"
BY Dorothy Douglas

but looked on with varying shades
of Interest at the growing attach
ment between Eva Winter and Ar
thur TOmpkins.
Il can't see what you find so at
tractive in a man who cares more
for his pipe and dog and a walk
through the muddy fields than he
does for good days business. |
think he's indolent, if you ask
me-" said members of her own fam
lily.
Perhaps Arthur's body is indo-
lent but his mind is not" Eva once
remarked, "and besides, I'm nei-
ther engaged nor married to him
vet" BY which saying she proved
that she was at least considering
Arthur as a future life companion.
Arthur himself was a quiet, slimly
built young man with eyes that
were too often aglow with dreams
to be really successful in the world
Of filthy lucre.
But there was no slightest doubt
that business acumen, ambition and
sense of material responsibility
were sadly lacking.
Eva sometimes laughed at her
self and wondered just where her
association with Arthur might lead
her.
Most likely to a five-rOom house
in the suburbs and the state COM
monty called Love in a cottage"
she told herself.
Meanwhile Arthur wasn't worry
ing about anything.
Fortunately Arthur had a slight
income, the result, no doubt, Of
money-making relative somewhere
in the past. It enabled him to lose.
quite happily, most positions he sue
ceeded in getting and go his way
quite unaffected.
When Eva raved at him for his
Indifference, in a perfectly ladylike
but none the less irritating man
ner, Arthur only grinned at her.
Eva, you can't be beautiful, and
lose your temper that way, and If
I'm not annoyed at losing my job,
l don't see why you"
But how do you expect to get
anywhere in life?"
by anywhere l suppose you
mean money, motors, one or two
country homes and continual chas-
| ing after amusement. It's you,
Eva, who will never get anywhere
in life. You are straining after
something to be got through ex-
/ ternal conditions-while well,
| have found life to be full of Joy
and happiness that loss Of mate
rial things will not rob me Of
"Am | material thing?"
Sometimes" said Arthur prompt
| ly, land sometimes you touch the
fringe of that other world where
love and honesty and the soul Of
things count you are adorable
when the spirit takes possession
and at those moments | want to
take you for my wife and life COM
panion more than / have ever
wanted anything"
'And when I'm material?'
"Then I'm not so sure" said Ar
thur. spots of money and that you
who is always seeking happiness In
external things would never make
me happy-I would not want TO sub
ject what / know to be my higher
and better self to continual con-
fict."
''Yes, but that higher self of yours
couldn't even support me comfort
ably"
"Oh yes | could. | would have
no respect for myself II ! loved a
woman whom I could not take prop
er care of. There would be no
flock OF motors nor variety of
homes scattered about all corners
Of the earth, but the very type OF
the love I have for you would make
up for the lack of them. l doubt
If any of the men who say they love
you would be happy with you II
they had to live in log cabin all
their days with you"
"And you?" Eva knew Arthur tc
be quite right about her men
friends. Certainly they would not
take kindly to poverty.
"If you were slant-eyed and had
scraggy hair and lived in a ten,
ement l should still realize that
had found the Kingdom-if the real
you-loved me-"
Arthur" said Eva slowly. Tn
beginning to see real happiness as
you interpret it. have been alb
sorbed lately In some exquisite es
says on Friendship, Love and the
Inner Life that have just come out
in book form. They ran in the Stal
Mercury first and ] saved them al
in q scrap book. They have made
me do a lot of thinking and per
haps-" she looked into Arthur:
eyes and wanted not to hurt him
but added, Il should like to NEE
the writer of those essays before
make up my mind about marrying
you. Something's great force ha'