Passaic City record., 1893-01-21

| not have been so niggardly."
ssI am certain you don't call him
Harry, DEAR"
"Not, perhaps, as rule, but at times
men friends are more demonstrative than
you think them. For instance, if Thorn
II mean Harry. was ILL"
.'But am quite we'll.
tStill, with all this influenza about"
HER BACK.
She had put her jacket on the table,
her chocolate drops on the mantelpiece,
her gloves on the couch--indeed the
room was full of her and was holding
her scarf just as hold Thomson's.
.sI walked down Regent street be-
hind you yesterday" l said, sternly,
sand your back told me that you were
vain."
81 am not vain of my personal appear
ance ct any rate" 80
aHow could you beG"
She looked at me sharply. but my face
was without expression. and she sighed.
She remembered that I had no humor.
Whatever my faults are, and they
are many, vanity is not one of them"
ssWhen / said you had q bad temper
you made the same remark about it.
Also when"
ssThat was last week, stupidl But,
of course, if you think me ugly"
81 did not say that.
"Yes, you did"
ssBut if you think nothing of your
personal appearance, why blame me if !
agree with youa"
She rose haughtily.
ssSit down."
81 won't. Give me my scarf" Her
eyes were flashing. She has all sorts of
eyes.
.sIf you really want to know what !
think of your personal appearance"
81 don't"
I Presumed my pipe
"Well9" she said.
"Well2"
ooh, I thought you were going to say
something"
sOnly that your back pleased me in
certain other respects"
She let the chair take her back ,into
its embrace.
s'Mary, deap!'
It is fact that she was crying. After
I had make remark or two:
81 am so glad you think me pretty"
she said, frankly, ''for though / don't
think so myself, like other people to
think it; and somehow I thought you
considered me plain. My nose is all
wrong, isn't ita"
ssLet me see."
$50 you admit you were entirely mis-.
taken in calling me vaina''
"You have proved that was"
However, after she had drawn the
daggers out of her head and put them
into the scarf (or whatever part of a
lady's dress it is that is worked with
daggers), and when the door had closed
on her, she opened it and hurriedly fred
these shots at me:
"Yes, I am horribly vain-I do my
hair every night before 60 to bed
was sure you admired me the very first
time we met know I have pretty
nose-good afternoon.
HER sKLFIsHNEss.
She was making spills for me, because
those Thomson made for me had run
down.
ssMary."
"Well2"
"Mary, dear"
81 am listening"
tsThat is ALL"
s'You have such curious, wasteful
habit of saying ones name as If it was a
remark by ITSELF"
eyes; Thomson has noticed that also.
However, think meant to add that it
is very good Of you to make those spills.
I wonder if you would do something else
for me2"
'As friend2"
sYes. want you to fill my pipe and
ram down the tobacco with your little
finger"
sYou and Mr.. Thomson do that fol
each othera''
soften"
every we'll. Give it me. This way5'
s'It smokes beautifully. You are 3
dear, good girl"
She let the poker fall.
"Oh, I'm not" she walled, ~ am not
really kind hearted. It is all sel6shness !"
This came out with rush; but am
used to her, and kept my pipe in.
Even my charities are only hideous
kind of selfshness." she continued with
cIasped hands. ssThere is that poor man
who sells matchboxes at the corner of
this street, for instance. I sometimes
give him twopence." (She carries az
enormous purse, but there is never more
than twopence in it,
ssThat is surely not selfish, !" I said.
| ssIt is. said she, seizing the poker q
If intending to do for herself that in
slant. 81 never give him anything simply
because see he needs it, but only occa