The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1878-05-25
The Flirt's Failures.

CHAPTER L,


at the moment. ''She's had her chances II
you like" he went on without waiting for
my answer; "had them and missed them. and
made an awful middle of her own lille, and
OF the lives of good many fellows who were
foolish enough to be fond of her,"
'Were you one OF the fellows, Jack, dear ?''
1 asked demurely,fo Jack and l were recent.
ly engaged; ard alter the manner of recently
engaged people, we were both in the habit of
avowing that our hearts had never spoken on
behalf of anyone else previous TO the discov-
cry that we were born for one another.
He laughed in some confusion l thought,
and did not speak for few moments. Then
he PROPOSED that we should stroll on
or rather he suggested "as Kate Coningsby
will have turned by this time let US meet
her and you can have good look at her,
Helen"
"Tell me about Kate Conings5y, jack" 1
said coaxingly; "is she married or single, hap
py or unhappy? Eve never heard you speak
of her BEFORE"
''Pll tell you all 1 know" he said rather
sadly; and then we paused, tor the subject Of
our conversation was cantering up close to
us. At the same instant she caught sight Of
Jack, and re'ning her horse in close to the
ratings, she held out her hand to him cor.
daily, with the words:
Mr.. Parlby! 1 am delighted to see you
again after these long years."
'The years have been very kind to YOU
he said admiringly, and 1 didn't wonder al
his saying it, for she was smiling and flushed
now; aud even I, who had not caused the
smile and flush, saw that her face was
charming one.
"Perhaps the years have been kinder than
Deserve" she said; "but tell me about your.
SELF Are you"
mot married yet, but going to be in a
week or two," Jack interrupted hurredIy
and then he introduced me and she bent a
Kind, sweet, earnest gaze upon me and told
me was going to marry one the of the best
men in the world"
She did not remain with US for more than
minute after this, and during that minute a
greater number of expressions chased each
other over her face than ever saw on
woman's face before. Gaiety and sadness,
oellgnt at something ridiculous, depression
about something of which 1 had no knowl-
edge, interest in Jack and me, indifference
about everything, impotence at being de-
tanned by us-these and dozen other feel
lDgs were legibly written in her sparkling
brown eyes, and on her nervously flexible
mouth before she went away from us.
what winning womanP' 1 exclaimed
rapturously, for was proud of not seeming
to he jealous.
winning! Aye, that she is,as great at win
ming as she is at losing" Jack said medita-
lively. "If you like, I'll tell you her story
some day all L know OF it myself and all
have heard from other people; she has been a
famous fiirt, and an almost equally famous
failure"
'Flirts deserve 10 FAIL" l said. ga woman
who fiirts must be heartless and unscrupu-
lous, misunderstanding that is bad.''
kate C0ningsby is neither heartless nor
INSCRIPTIONS, nor anything that is bad"
Jack said warmly. And 1 deemed it wise
not to question him further, just then, about
this pretty, Interesting woman, in whose face
SO many bygone storms were written.
But one day shortly after this he referred
TO her himself, and told me her story, which
Ishall repeat, nothing extenuating and set
as nearly as l can recollect them.
about fifteen or sixteen years ago, Kate
Coningsby was as light-hearted, loving. hap
Ply and frank creature as could be found
within the borders of the country In which
she had been brought up. Her father was an
Inspecting Commander in the guard service,
and her home was il remote country vii
lage on the seaboard. The only neighbors
the Coningsbys had, who could be consid
cred as at all belonging to their own grade
were the families OF the rector and of the one
imci vi buc pdIlSus luelr VlSlLlnS was. as
you may suppose, strictly limited by circum-
stances, and Kate grew up without any girl
companions of her own class, and with an in
tense love for every kind of country sport and
pastime. Her two brothers were her only
friends or comrades. With them she would
go out rafting and rabbiting or pulling about
the narrow, muddy creek in their little fiat
bottom duck-boat. While the bows were al
home, Kate asked for nothing better than
their companionship and confidence And
they gave both to her largely for she was as
plucky as the pluckiest boy, and absolutely
innocent of every kind of feminine meanness
or caprice. But when it came about that the
boys went out into the world, and she had no
longer their holidays to look toward to, then
the dreariness and the lonliness of the solitary
life told on the girls excitable nature and
caused her to pant for change, change OF any
sort, as relief to the monotony of her lite.
She was asked to be guest IN the house Of a
brother officer of her fathers who was sta
toned In small seaport town about seven
miles from her village home. And there she
went, and there she began to try her wings.
In other words, young soldier officer, who
happened to be staying with another,famiy in
the neighborhood, got hold of her one night
at dance, and gave her a few lessons in the
fine art of filtration. She proved herself an
apt pupil, and used her just developed talents
to such good purposes that when he found
othersfellows beginning to admire her, he for
got that he only intended amusing himself
with this bird of freedom. Accordingly at
the end of fortnight he proposed to her and
she went home engaged.
He was good-looking, well-set-up fellow,
l have heard; and he was a man of good
family, and had pretty name,' Kate argued
IN excavation of her own folly IN fancying
Inf hn
and heartless rascal all around. In the
country an engagement compromises a girl
considerably, and in Kate's place she com
promised herself even unnecessarily. Her
father objected to and would not countenance
the engagement, and the spoiled child defied
him, and fancied herself heroine of romance
for few weeks. During these weeks she
met her lover rashlY whenever he asked her
to do it, and paraded her love for him, and a
dog he had given her, all over the place. At
the end of those weeks, to the intense gratiti-
cation of her family, and the girls own in
tense modification, he Tilted her for strang-
er; and in her eagerness to show people that
she was not wearing the willow, she went in
LOT what looked like desperate love making
WIN the younger brother of an Earl, who
Same as farmer for year with Mr.. War
uen, que OF the Coningsby's two neighbors.
n nc was young, passionate honorable
fellow, and ne offered himself and his
prospects open enough on the shrine of the
young goddess who had CAUGHT bis how.
ish fancy. But the burned child dreaded the
fire. The fellow who had Tilted her had done
her even greater injury than this-he had
taught her to distrust all men. She liked
this young Gerald Hazelton, was pleased and
proud of being the object OF his ardent pur-
suit, and showed all the pride and pleasure
she felt without any attempt at concealment.
But she had no faith in his protestations, no
belief in his love. any more than her own
having any lasting power, and no scruples
about making herself agreeable to every other
man who came across her path.
1t seems that Hazelton grew enraged at
last, and used strong language in remonstrat-
ing with her-language such as only a Jealous,
undisciplined boy could permit himself to use.
he allowed her to see his weakness, in fact:
she, being armed with indifference. fancied
herself the stronger of the two, and told him,
with something very like childish insolence.
that as 1t was never well the gray mare
should be the better horse,' they had better
make an end of their compact. He took her
at her word-a little to the young coouette's
surprise. And so second time before she
was seventeen Kate Coningsby was the hero
Inc OF a broken engagement. She got good
deal of blame from some people, and good