Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-05-17

s1pIugaleI lcy YOU de SnaLL De yours,
promise, and 1 viii only MAKE one con
: ditior''
Z Dolly seats herself on the sofa and allow
Mrs. Dalton to take her hand, though sh
looks rather sulky. Still, she does poo
little girl, regard Nr. Clement Lascelles d
the first prize ii the marriage lottery. and j
willing 10 take upon herself his part Of III
contract; to worship him with her body, an,
encow niin with all her worldly goocs. Fc
IN a small way she IS an heires5, though h
IS not destitute OF money, and has IN excel
lent position. Truth to tell the young MAJ
is not what is called "a bad sort;" he ha
good looks, good brains, and good manners
when he IS not egged on to taking libertie
oy the silly batteries Of the other sav- Poo
Dolly loves him madly. anu has innocently
shown her pleasure II his notice and he,
suIerings at his neglect. Mrs. Dalton hay
ing paused to give due effect to her words
Dolly, after a moment, IS constrained TO say
rather sullrily. .'Wellr'
''YOu must take the voTT first"
"Wiat vow!" with latent irritation.
THE VOW never 10 tell any human being
| Nj. Lascelles least of all-that l, or, for the
matter of that, any one, advised you how to
act toward him"
20, of course, promise"
| promises are like pie-crust," replies Mrs.
Dalton; then, with an air Of great solemn
ty, she goes to small bookcase at the end
| OF the room, and comes back with Bible.
You must kiss the book she says.
80, no." cried Dolly, frightened. For she
| knows that she never kept q secret IN her
life, and is terrified At being pat on an oath
| which she may break in spite OF herself, a
| few hours later.
well" says Mrs. Dalton, firmly, ''do you
want him or do YOU not?'
Yes cries Dolly, with tears in her eyes,
81 DO"
Then kiss the book"
But how do kro#- there is any thing in
what you are going 10 tell me:" says doubt
| ing Dolly.
because say 50. Do 1 not k:,ow the
world and men,
Dolly takes the book. trembling "What
am TO say!'' she fdlters.
Say: i swear not to tell Clement Las
celles or any other person that Marian Dal-
ton advised me how to win his affections"
With a sudden desperate gesture Dolly
kisses the book and repeats the formula
Now thenr' she cries, exciteily.
Mrs. Dalton takes up her parable. 'Clem-
ent is really fond of you-he would be ex-
ceedingly fond Of you, if you only allowed
him.
''If allowed him. glsps Dolly.
Yes" repeats her adviser. BY allow
ing him. don't mean throwing yourself at
his head, and showing him that you adore
him; but by making him doubt Your love and
his own capacity for pleasing You. Different
men want different treatment. There is
nothing so delightful to some as to see and
know that woman cares for them-it adds
ten-fold to their devotion for her; but am
bound to say these men are in the minority.
Most of them are far more stimulated by
doubts and fears-the woman becomes more
dear as she seems more distant, and, as a
rule, when a man is literally crazy about
one Of our sex, it is because she has worried
and tormented and kept him on perpetual
balance between hope and fear. Now you, and
others like you, have so hung upon Clement
Lascelles' looks and words, have SO posi-
lively shown him that he is great being, a
lofty intellect, a rival to Apollo, that it is
not likely that he is coming off his pedestal
TO worship his wOrshipers. Your only
chance, my dear, is to abandon your wor-
snip; to counterfeit Indifference as best You
may, and to let gradual and startling con-
viction come over him that you were not
i.
lit is very easy to talk" pouts Dolly.
''It is very easy to act too" returns Mari
an, eff You are positively certain that your
plan of campaign is going to be successful"
''How do l know that it will be!"
'1ry it for twenty-four hours and see how
it works"
"3ut don't know what | am TO do.'
You must be absolutely guided by me,
an lfstf
responsibility
Il dare say it viii turn out all wrong"
says Dolly, ungraciously, and that l shall
lose him altogether"
"All right" replies Mrs Dalton, losing
patience and rising from her seat ''Do as
you like After all. what on earth does i.
matter to me whether you are happy or
miserable! Go your own way"
Dolly springs up and catches her by the
arm. mo, no, Marian, don't go: don't be
angry. l will do whatever you tell me''
Then hearllen and obey. Dick Wynd-
ham is coming tonight. You know he is
rather fond of you. Talk to him, and to
him only, all the evening. Do not glance in
Mr. LaScelles' direction; l will keep my eve
on him and report to you how ne takes it. !
If he approaches you in the evening, look |
bored and diStraite, and reply to him by
monosyllableS."
Il shall never be able to do it." groans
Dolly.
''Not with such big stake to win?n Ga |
little sarcastically)
"Ahl you don't know what it is to lover' |
cries Dolly.
Not as youdo, certainly" retorts Marian, |
with an infection of voice which Dolly is |
not acute enough TO catch.
Dick Wyndham arrives in time for dinner. |
He is rather fond of Dolly-he is exceed |
ingly hard up, and wants her money even |
more than her sweet self He is bright and |
has Il considerable fund of small |
talk, is devoted to sport, aad has not Mr. |
Lascelies' aesthetic taste or lofty manner of |
showing superiority. He has genuine con-
tempt for man who talks art and PLAYS |
classical music as Mr.. Lascelles has for one |
who thinks of nothing but hunting, lawn
tennis and polo, though he rides fairly |
straight and is an average shot himself.
Not little disgusted is Lascelles, there
fore, when Dolly, whose sorrowfulness ard |
its cause have greatly soothed his compla-
cency for the last tWenty-four hours. seems
TO have eyes and ears for no one but this
half-witted soldier at dinner. She is looking
in a dress of a delicious apricot
tint, which he has not seen before, Che is
great connoisseur of dress;l if he could only
catch her eye, he would beam on her one of
those glances which would have intoxicated
her maiden soul But whereas II has been
his won't to meet her tender pleading glances
every two minutes heretofore, tonight he
night be Banquo's ghost, and she one of
Macbeth's guests, for all she seems to see
him. His memory serves him up various
'neering and savage quotations on the
'heme of soucsnt femme rdrie. He is so little