SOUND ADVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 313, 11 January 1908, Page 4

SOUND ADVICE.

"And that's what she said," Polly linished breathlessly, her brown eyes glowing with earnestness and her hands clasped over her knees.

" She's that lecturer the. women are all laving about, isn't she?" asked Tom. " Well, you needn't sneer," said Polly. " She is just lovely, and she wore the loveliest brown dress this afternoon. All the girls were perfectly crazy over her. And the way she pointed out the dangers of constant quarrelling and fussing was just terrible, Tom. She said that every single hard word was like a scar on the spirit and made it as ugly as a scarred face, and it terrified me tc- death, for we do quarrel an awful lot. So I've made, up my mind that we must never do it again. Just bear and forbear—that was what she said." " Three days ago," remarked Tom, casually, "you said that life without friction was like an egg without salt." Polly is too true a woman to lie at all depressed with what she said three days ago. " 1 never did," she declared, " because 1 like eggs without salt. But we'll never get. angry with each other again, Tom."

"You mustn't," , said Tom. "The next time 1 have au engagement with you and some new man comes along—or some old one—like that Jack Benham last week, Polly, you " " I explained to you perfectly plainly, Tom Ciranthain, how just it happened," said Polly, liriuly. " You know very well that I didn't understand you, were ruining up that night, and 1 proved it to you by Molly. And,, anyway, what did Jack matter 1 All that happened years and years ago. If he wanted to see me again when lie was in town for just a day he had a perfect right to come, and I had every right to let him—so there." Tom looked pained. Polly glanced at him, and then continued: "Anyway, I'd like to know who was responsible for that fuss over Stella Mowbray. You know how I hate her and how she spreads everything. Your iust calling on her that evning was enough for her to start it all over the town that our engagement was broken, off. Why, I was denying it for months, and she—hateful thing!—patronises me even vet." .

" Didn't 1 Ills high priestess lit the lecture to-day say something to you girls about being sisters in spirit, or something to that effect?" .inquired Torn. " Stella Mowbray's a nice girl., Polly, and you know it, even if, you don't let yourself say it." "Oh, nice!" sniffed Polly. " Nice," remarked Tom firmly. Polly swung her foot and looked out of the window, while Tom produced a cigar and elaborately lighted it. " Jack's nice, too," she said, briefly. "Now, there you go," said Tom, with maddening gentleness. "We'd better pull op."

"We will not," said Polly. "We'll have it right out here. What do you mean by 'there you go.'?" " Why," said Tom, judicially, " that you go there, T suppose." "Well," said Polly, "you got jealous straight away because T spoke of Jack, and that's what you meant, and I'll tell you when he camee back from Egypt he's coming to see me again." " AH T can say "began Tom, with aggravating deliberation. "I don't care a bit what yon say," broke in Polly, "but for goodness sake hurry up and get it off your mind." "I was about to remark that we needn't worry much about Benham, because it's quite possible that an alligator may eat him up," said Tom.

"It won't," said Polly, wildly. "It shan't." "Tt must—it will," remarked Tom. "Oh!" breathed Polly furiously. "T just wish that T dared throw this old ring at yon—and if it was anything but my first solitaire, T would " Pollv paused, shocked and stilled. Then Tom threw away his cigar and proceeded to prove himself equal to the occasion.

"T ilo'vt pare." saiil Polly, happily. ail I'niir liter, "f tliink quants arc fun." "Ours are." snirt Tom. 'Tolly, how long is iliat Bonliam fellow going to stay «way from lionio?" Polly blushed slightly. "Three years." slip timrirmrert.

"Sc I hoard," remarked Tom.