The Hope pioneer., 1886-10-01
Two Young Men.
New York Correspondents San Brrncisco
Argonsut. s
THE PoMPoUs NfNSy.


Last winter I sat opposite one oil
these heavy youngsters at dinner. OF
sixteen plates. He took rather vi
vacious young married woman in and
sat beside her, with his smooth-shav-
en-, and complacent face held high in
the air, his eyes half-closed, and the
corners of his mouth drawn down.
There was an expression of severe
reticence and overwhelming reserve
about him. He was about twenty.
three years old.
Il see you very often at the opera
ana occasionally at dances, Mr.
burke-Jones," she began, "but you
always come late and drift off before
one has chance to nod to YOU"
'"They bore me-"
A pause. Then she continues:
II suppose you see so much of life
that the more modest and unspiced
entertainments which we women con.
slider SO exciting are dull to you"
"Yes." ....
Another pause. He glances with
cold esteem at the soup and permits
himself to taste the sherry. The fish
passes in silence, while q man across
the table talks to the vivacious young
married woman. She is exceedingly
pretty, and her black eyes snap with
the gossip, chatter and lights. She
turns twice and looks at the solemn
iace beside her. Then, evidently think.
ing that she has been stupid, Essays,
with a bright little emile:
"Of course you're going down to
jerome on the opening day?"
Never do the races"
"Ah! suppose you 20 in for more
coliege sports; most men in your club
do Pm told"
There was such a long wait after
this that my neighbor-a sister of the
blackS-eyed talker-suggested that !
should rescue the earnest little work.
er across the way. The solemn young
man evidently did not consider her
last remark worth a comment. She
waited and then made another dash.
He wouldn't talk about the opera.
music. the clubs, races, colleges or
athletics, SO she tried him on the
theatre. No results. Then she ask.
ed him what steamer he had last
crossed in. and he said it was the
Alaska.
"Ah, she's a beauty" said the de
termined conversationalist. Then she
went of into q monologue, and told a
charming little story about q love.
match which occurred on board that
steamer-at least she said it was that
one-when she crossed, in September.
Still the pompous ninny at her side
said nothing. But she would not give
him up without one more struggle,
with what I've always claimed since
was stroke of genius, she got him of
on the topic OF London tailors, and he
spoke at least twenty words before
coming to halt. Then the hard.
working little lady glanced over at us
with triumph beaming from her eyes,
and we felt like applauding her efforts.
But the dinner was over by this time,
and she did not try her skill with the
reticent youth again.
THE COOL EGoTIsr.
Men OF q certain class are confined
to New York. They won't grow any.
where else, and they only flourish in
the first circles. They are exotic
plants, which only come to perfection
in the hothouse. know one of them
possibly as good q specimen OF the
species as one could find. He is per.
haps twcnty-four or fve-a kind OBJ.
server would say eighteen. He doesn't
care about cultivating mustache, it
is commonplace-fast becoming vul.
gar. There is an air OF gentle lassi.
tude about him-might one say weak.
ness in his legs? He is always little
over-dressed-a popularity which he
outgrows in three or four
years-and always wears some rings
diamonds, gypsy settine-on the
engagement finger" Whether this is
to demonstrate that he is "bespoke"
"a proclamation for all spinsters
who run to read-or merely q form oi
exterior decoration, 1 have never
summoned the courage to inquire.
When girl-a green girl-goes out to
dinner, and finds him sitting at her
right hand-as in nine cases out OF
ten she will find him-she is at first in
censed. She sits brooding sulkily,
considering herself snubbed in having
been invited to meet q callow boy.
Presently the boy begins to talk, not
eagerly, but rather as if it was expect
ed of him. Like Annie Laurie, his
voice is low and sweet; at times so
| low that she is forced to lean toward
him to catch his remarks. Then the
fun begins.
At first she is piqued by his appar-
| ent Indifference. She opens fire, quiv-
ering vengefully at the thought OF
crushing him. Gradually, in some
wierd, mysterious way, she feels her
hold on the conversation slipping
away; he turns it, with q firm hand
into the channel he wishes it to be in
She begins to feel helpless and uncom
Portable; she is conscious that he is
making game OF her; she stirs uneasily
under his glance, and wishes dinner
was over. That glance, by the way,
is q superfine article. It is q very
peculiar glance, wide-eyed, and un-
smiling; and, though he stares great
deal, it is never admiring-speculativ
is the best word to describe it.
It Is coldly speculative, and
anything more disconcerting was
never put into the eyes of a man.
When the girl makes a final
struggle for self-assertion it freezes her;
it fastens on her face and coldly spec
ulates on every feature. She feels that,
while he is gently complimentary in
his remarks, he is saying to himself,
in the words of Aaron, the Moor, "Oh,
what a thing it is to be an asst" But
with q congenial companion, one who
knows and makes allowances for his