Wichita eagle., 1889-01-17
A COQUETTE.
How Ruby Howard Was Taught
a Severe But Valuable Lesson.


SHOW absurdly disagreeable you can make
yourself, Jack. But therein not going to
quarrel with you. How much longer are
you going to keep me up to abuse met" and
Ruby laughed aloud in her usual saucy,
tantalizing manner. Jack looked at her,
his face as black as a thunder-cloud, on
which was written a stern determination
but she was in no way appalled, by it. On
the contrary, she looked at him gayly and
carelessly, as if she were perfectly lndiffer-
ent TO him or his moods
"Miss Howard" he began.
MISS Howard" she mimicked, mocking-
! ly; ''slnce when, prayl How tremendously
! we grow, to be sure"
/ He resumed, as if she had not interrupted
/ him: 81 will not detain you but a moment
! longer. While l am convinced that at the
present time you are perfectly heartless,
owing more to the unhappy way of your
bringing up and to the influences and fash
ion of society than to natural hardness of
hearth
"Oh! thanks, thanks awfully, you are too
GOOD she broke in again, laughingly. 1t
was all as good as a burlesque to her, &C
customed as she was to lovers rantings.
81 am as firmly convinced" he went on
IN SO calm a tone that it should have warned
her that this meant more than an ordinary
tiff, ''that you love me, but, with your
natural psrverseness, will neither acknowl-
edge it to yourself nor me-
AS he said this-with an air of Judge
pronounclng sentence On some unhappy
prisoner-with his gray eyes fixed on her
face with the sternest gaze they were capa-
bic of-in spite of herself the bloom on her
soft, round cheek deepened TO bright red
and for an instant her saucy, moclzing eyes
fell before his. A transient smile passed
over his gloomy face at this evidence of his
power, and left it even gloomier than be-
fore. As he regarded the lovely, half-shy
face before him he commenced again bitter
": land why will you not yield to that
love and make Us both happy! Twill tell
you. You do not wish to be tied to one; to
receive the love and homage of one is not to
your taste Oh, no, not for years to come.
If [ would wait patiently and in the mean
time be always ready to dance attendance
on all your whims, not noticing any one else,
and always keepin IN the background when
a desirable Irritation came up, then, per-
haps, If you didn't meet some one you pre-
ferred to me, after keeping me in suspense
all that time, you might graciously condo
scend to marry me. But | decline to be-
come the slave of any woman; and, as
much as l love you, am going to leave you
forever"
"Ha, hap and her sweet, low laugh rang
out like chime of silvery bells. "The plot
thickens. Please go on; it is as lovely as
play"
- know and feel,'' said Jack, earnestly,
'that we are especially suited to each other,
and believe that in time You will realize
the truth of what | say and will regret me,
even as ] regret you now-but no more.
I've already said too much-mOre than l in
tended; goodbye" and with deep bow he
turned and left
"Well, of all thingsr' she murmured.
~Forever! Fudge, FL see him tomorrow
on the promenade the same as usual. He
is delicious | do like him the best when he
asserts himself. He is grand when he gets
enraged. He looks so stern and glares so,
and is so unapproachable that / am almost
afraid of him-the darling. If don't look
out he will end in making me marry him
before the season IS over. OF course l
shan't marry any one else, but I'm not go
ing to hurry myself there's plenty Of
time" After which sage conclusion she
went up to her room in gay spirits, thinking
of the good time she would have in making
I'D with Jack as she had done number of
times before.
The next day Miss Ruby failed to meet
Jack as usual. In fact a week passed, and
IN all that time he had not called. She had
missed his presence from ball and
opera, and every place that she had graced
with her bright presence. AT last, making
few inquiries, she found that Jack was
out somewhere on the broad ocean on his
way to China to join his brother, tea mer-
chant, and was likely to be absent a term
of years.
Although outwardly Ruby managed TO
conceal the shock she had received, she
could not conceal from her own heart that
something had gone from her that she
missed and longed for with an indescribaple
longing and wild regret. 1t was all the
more maddening that no one was to blame
for her sorrow but herself. The old places
had lost their charm Every thing and
every body was insIpid, fat and monotonous.
All! if he would only return, how gladly
would she acknowledge her love, and how
gladly would she marry him AT toe earliest
date he might mention. Had she known
his address at that time she would have
written to tell him of her love and peni-
tence.
Four years after Jack had gone Ruby
was al fashionable watering place. She
was still the belle Of every assemblage.
Her Indifference and utter carelessuess,
combined with her rare beauty, brought
her scores Of admirers, whom she drove
almost mad with her coldness She was
still as lovely as ever, but IN her big,
brown ewes there was shade OF sadness,
and slightly absent look which gave a
touch Of soul to face that had heretofore
sparkied with wit, and gIowed with gay
ETY. and high spirits, but had lacked feeling
Now il was perfect II Jack could only see
her now.
One dsv she was taking her morning
stroll, aud feeling an understandable de-
preston of spirits. Her great eyes were
wearing their most absent look- and as
they wondered over the crowd. that was
ever coming and going she started vio-
lentlT. AID her delicate, hlgh-ored face
turned Rs white as the nny lace at Der
threat She fixed an absorbed gaze on
vehicle that was slowly passing Inc Co
cupants were a broad -shoudered- grand
looking man dressed in gray. HIS shapely
head was crowned with white straw hsi>
pair of large dishg1ring spectacies OF
coiored glass completely hid his eyes; ms
firm mouth was shaded with loag brown
muscache. and between his bps was the
inevitable cigar No WHISPERS hid has nrI1
chin ara fire rounded thro2% footuz1
at his side was driving a span Of spirited
blaca-s- In al instant the eguip@ge Was
hidden By the crowd out RnoF eyes
would have known that face, that foris1- Il
/. s.G1i neen = far rans-a sA~ss-~ e''-r@~