The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-05-19


Dolly seats herself on the sofa and allows
Mrs. Dalton to take her hand, though she
looks rather sullsy. Still, she does, poor
little girl, regard Mr.. Clement Lascellcs as
the first prize In the marriage lottery, and Is
| willing to take upon herself his part of the
| contract; to worship him with her body, and
endow him with all her worldly goods For
in small way she is an heiress though he
is not destitute of money and has an excel
lent position. Truth to tell, the young man
is not what Is called IA bad sort;" he has
good looks, good brains, and good manners,
when he Is not egged on to taking liberties
| by the silly batteries of the other sex. Poor
| Dolly loves him madly, and has innocently
shown her pleasure In his notice and her
| sufferings ut his neglect. Mrs. Dalton hav-
ing paused to give due effect to her words,
Dolly, after moment, Is constrained to say
rather sullsily, "Wcllw
"You must take the VOW first"
"Whatvowr' with latent irritation.
"The vow never to tell any human being
| Mr. Lascelles least of all-that I, or for the
matter Of that, any one, advised you how to
act toward him."
30, of course, promise"
"Promises are like pie-crust" replies Mrs
Dalton; then with an air of great solemn-
ty, she goes to u small bookcase at the end
| OF the room, and comes back with Bible.
"You must kiss the book" she says.
30, no." cried Dolly, frightened. For she
knows that she never kept secret in her
life, and is terrified ut being put 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!"
eyes" cries Dolly, with tears in her eyes,
II do"
"Then kiss the book"
"But how do / know there is any thing in
what you are going to tell me." says doubt
ing Dolly.
"Because I say so. Do not know the
world and men.'
Dolly takes the book, trembling "What
am to say." she faters
"Say: Il swear not to tell Clement Las
celles or any other person that Marian Dal-
ton advised me how to win his affections"
With sudden desperate gesture Dolly
kisses the book and repeats the formula
Now then!" she cries, cxcitedly.
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 himH' gasps Dolly.
YES" repeats her adviser "By all low
ing him. l don't mean throwing yourself ut
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
rule, when 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. Nowyou,and
others like you, have so hung upon Clement
Lascelles' looks and words, have so posi-
lively shown him that he is a great being, a
lofty intellect, 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-
ship; to counterfeit Indifference as best you
may, and to let u gradual and startling con-
viction come over him that you were not
really in earnest, after all"
SIT is very easy to talk" pouts Dolly.
"It is very easy to act, too" returns Mari
an, ''if you are positively certain that your
plan Of campaign is going to be successful"
"How do know that it will be-"
'"rry it for twenty-four hours and see how
it works.
"But don't know what am to do"
''You must be absolutely guided by me,
and not act for one moment on your own
responsibility.
II dare say it will turn out all wrong"
says Dolly, ungraciously, and that I 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 docs it
matter to me whether you are happy or
miserable! Go your own way"
Dolly springs up and catches her by the
arm. 'No, no, Marian don't go; don't be
angry. 1 will do whatever you toll me-"
'Then hearken 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; will keep my eye
on him and report to you how he takes it.
If he approaches you in the evening, look
bored and distraite, and reply to him by
monosyllables"
II shall never be able to do it," groans
Dolly.
''Not with such big stake to winl" "a
little sarcastically)
''Ah! you don't know what it is to love!"
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
amusing, has considerable fund of small
talk, is devoted to sport, and has not Mr..
Lascelles' aesthetic taste or lofty manner of
showing superiority. He has IL 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 and
its cause have greatly soothed his compa-
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
charming in dress of delicious apricot
tint which he has not seen before, (he Is
great connoisseur Of dress;) if he could only
catch her eye, he would beam on her one of
those glances which would have intoxicated
hor ipaiden soul. But whereas it has been
his wont to meet her tender pleading glances
every two minutes heretofore, tonight he
might be Banquo's ghost, and she one of
Macbeth's guests, for all she seems to see
him. His memory serves him up various
sneering and savage quotations ON the
theme of Souvent femme vurie. He is so little
congenial to his neighbor ut dinner that she
expresses the most unfavorable sentiments
raUo o,.1i in him in tho rn1 W. -rnom iatar