Life — September 3, 1908 — page 26: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

250 ERE ® (Continued from page 245.) He paused a moment, and then said, reflectively: ‘ Som body must have loved you." “Oh, yes, I suppose so. Possibly, also, you ’—— He smiled. “Well, I suppose so. By the way, you don’t look like a misanthrope. You're a handsome girl—your spirits are good— there’s nothing morbid about you. Surely your attitude toward this thing called love is not a cynical one.”* “Dear ine, no! And might I say the same thing of you “What! That I am handsome?” “Well, perhaps I shouldn't have said that, Men are so vain, you know, that they swallow everything in the nature of a compliment. What I mean is that you are no misan- thrope, either. Surely you are not a cynic.”* This time he laughed aloud. “My attitude about the whole affair is quite simple,” he said. “It’s a question of common sense. I live in town, on a moderate salary. I have a nice bachelor apartment, and I lo as I please. I am ambitious, and believe that I can satisfy my ambition better if [ am unhampered. All this seems selfish. But in reality it is not so. It is simply cold, hard logic. For, suppose I should do the unselfish act—so-called— and get married. The chances are that I might not make my wife happy. Somehow or other, the modern conditions don’t seem to favor the success of this sort of thing. I sce so much marital unhappiness among my friends. And so, as a reasonable heing, I am going to keep out of it. How about you? She smiled. “You have voiced my sentiments pretty well,”’ she replied “From my own standpoint, I agree with you perfectly. 1 wouldn't get married for the world. I have a lovely time, splendid loyal friends, and I really have opportunities to do so much good. Of course, I don’t do as much as I might, but I'm doing more and more all the time. Next winter I expect to join a class in settlement work. The fact is that nowadays it doesn't pay to fall in love, I am only sorry that you mentioned the subject.”* “Why?” “Well, you know, it’s an awfully insidious thing, and some times the mere suggestion of it is enough to ’— “Great Scott! Do you think there is any danger in our case? ’* She looked at him calmly “Certainly not. But you know it is a thing to be avoided Why, it would spoil everything between us. Dear me! It almost gets me into a panic to think about it. I hope you feel the same way.” He gazed at her gravely. “T can assure you T do,"* he replied. “Why, I wouldn't fall in love with you for anything. It would be the end of everything, wouldn't it? And the worst of it is that neither of us has been in love before. And of course that makes it so much harder.”* T don’t understand you."’ “Why, we might not know it. It might steal over us un- awares—scems to me I have read somewhere that’s the way it affects some people. But I know better than that. I know it does.”” “ How do you know? ”? He shook his head. Now, that isn’t fair,” he said. “Because you already think me conceited. But put it to yourself. You have had men fall in love with you, haven't you? Why, you just said so."" "Yes." “Well, didn't they slip into it before they knew what they were about? Why, I dare say what might have been in an entirely unconscious manner—without the slightest idea of loving you—and then suddenly found themselves head over heels. “Well, yes. [ remember one or two like that. “Then here's the point: I don't know about it, because I have never been in love. But you do, because you've ob- served it in other men, and you've been able to tell exactly, because you were an interested spectator. Now, this being the case, it’s your duty to tell me. Don’t hesitate a minute. Remember the awful consequences and be firm. If you ever see anything about me to indicate that I may be falling in love with you, you must warn me at once. Now, won't you?" “On one condition.’ “And that?” “That you do the same thing with me.” “But you might not like that—I might offend you. Sup- pose I should take you aside and tell you frankly that so far as I was concerned there was danger. Why, you'd think me more conceited than ever, and it would anger you. “Tt would—certainly—if I hadn't asked you to do it be- forehand. But not as long as the matter is thoroughly under- stood between us. Only, of course, I must reserve the privi- lege of still having my own opinion.” “Oh, certainly! All I can do is to say ‘ Beware!’ or ‘ Be careful!’ and then, if you don’t choose to take the warning. why, that’s your affair.” “Well, it might not be my affair altogether. I might take you aside and warn you, and you might not believe me—then that would be your affair, also."’ “Certainly, but it would then be an even thing. We would still be quits. Now, when shall we begin? "’ At once."" All right. Your hand upon it They shook hands solemnly hen he looked at her keenly. Your face is serious,’’ he said. There's a shade of anxiety in it. What is it? You don’t mean to say that already you suspect '’. She returned his lool “Yes,"" she said, “I do. I'm really worried about you.” “You don't tell me! Well, isn’t it fine we've made this agreement? Because now there isn't the faintest possibility of our getting in love with each other without knowing it far enough ahead to prevent it. I only hope you are not annoyed with me, or feel that just because you've noticed something— whatever it is—that it’s going to make any difference between us. Because I swear I shall not permit it. Come, now, what have you noticed?" She gazed out over the distant ocean at the smoke of ht that was lazily crawling eastward. I didn’t like the fact,"’ she said, “that you mentioned love at all, That in itself was a bad sign. I thought of it myself—once or twice—and took good care not to mention it But you—well, you blurted it right out. If you hadn't been dwelling on it more or less you wouldn't have spoken about it. And I tell you, my friend, you can’t even think about it— it isn't safe.’ “ Anything else? '" “Yes—you shook hands with me. “What of that? Two men would have done the same thing.”* (Continued on page 252.) comicbooks.com