Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1894-03-08
A WOMAN'S YES.
AN incident In the Love Affairs Of
Miss Bragg.

were iohd OF saying of her TO one an
other and to strangers that she was n
wonderfully clever Young woman.
ms was meant in no qualified sense; it
carried with 1t no contingencies; the
uisVinctlon was positive. The fact of
her cleverness stood prominently apart,
ana was notable item in the general
assets OF her social set. 1t became one
of the chief facts concerning her inter-
esting personality, and frequently over
shadowed less striking ones when she
was oelng convcrsatonally considered.
one was OF the slender, willowy type;
tall us most men, and graceful after an
unconscious, unstudicd fashion. Her
face had straight, angular lines, and
was not essentially pretty. When she
smiled 1T revealed many surprising
curves and subtle charms Of expression.
"ondrous power lay in her brown
eyes power under complete subjection
OF her will. Her hair was of the
bright yellow tint of over-ripe wheat,
the TINT that somehow suggests arti-
ticiality.
Miss EraSgs love experiences had
oeen numerous; but she had managed
with her cleverness to give them va
riety. Every man she had ever known
well had attempted to make love to her.
She thought it very amusing, and her
women friends agreed with her in this
view when she told them of her ex-
periences, emitting names. She was
not without conscience in the matter
however, and contented herself with
believing that all of her admirers would
get over their weakness without per-
manent hurt.
brief note from ono Of these ad-
mirers received one morning just as she
was going out produced marked effect
upon Miss Bragg. She gave up her in
tention to go out and sat down to read
second and third time the very brief
and conventional epistlc. 1t was u
very concise note from Mr.. Philip New
mann, asking her to walk with him in
the afternoon.
These walks, it must be explained,
formed one Of Miss Bragg's character
clever she was peculiar, She went
walking with young men much oftener
than she went driving or to the theater
with them. Mr.. Phil Newman had
been one of the first young men to en-
joy the pleasure of these walks, and
the sight of him promenading with Miss
Bragg had inspired countless other
young men to aspire to the Same priv
ilege. But for three years, although
she had walked often, Newman had
not been her companion She had seen
him occasionally at balls, parties, the
theater and elsewhere, but had had lit
tie communication with him. The day
before receiving his note she had passed
him on the street and he had bowed in
distantly polite manner.
After reading the note the third time
and vainly trying to comprehend its
meaning she took from the cabinet, in
which she kept all her letters, letter
in the same handwriting, and, putting
the two together, studied them. Though
totally different in tone and apparent
meaning she believed them to be OF
practically the same import. The first,
written by Newman just after their
last walk together three years before,
was timid, half fearful proposal OF
marriage 1t had q tremulous note OF
fear in it-fear that she would refuse.
The last-just four lines-asked her to
walk, nothing more. Yet Miss Bragg's
l,n ftua ha nj
"Well," said Miss Bragg, as she
finished her note of acceptance, "thc
answers the same to both letters
yes Before it was qualified, OBJ.
scure 'yes'--he didn't recognize in its
disguise This time-l don't like this
I'll make it plain for him."
She tore up what she had written
and pcnned in scrawling, careless char
actcrs: "Yes-Louise Bragg. like that
better" she said She read Newmann's
note again, half smiling. 81 wonder il
this last phase in the evolution Of Mr.
Newmanns feelings is as compliment
ary to me as the first" she speculated
Hes man of moods, phases and pc
riods It's hard tomake out the mean
ing of this last 1t sounds like las
appeal. He is human paradox"
of all her love affairs, this was tn,
most interesting to Miss Bragg. Thi
was due to its novel history and t.
other reasons Newman was SO
ciety man of not remarkable menta
caliber. He measured up to the aver
ape of his set. He was rather tall ant
handsome, with face typically south
ern. What particular quality of hi
that drew her toward him, Miss Bragg
herself could not say-but she was con
scious of liking him. Their walks, q
has been said, were frequent, and thei
talks. while confidential had neve
touched upon matrimonial topics.
He reserved the mention of this sub
iect for the letter that has been re
ferred to. Miss Bragg was bit dis
nppointed at having so important
question treated after the manner of
business negotiation. 1t seemed lii
tie cowardly to write. Her reply wa
Enthusiastically worded. To fev
men in the world it would have mean
mo" but to the generality OF me
''yes"-a woman's yes.
A call the next day would have ac
corded with Miss Bragg's idea of wha
the behavior of young man in New
mann's place should have been, but h
did not call the next day, the mex
week, the next month or the next year
Indeed. three whole years passed an
he neither wrote or spoke to her upo
the subject After short time she re
pented of having replied as she ha
done Her letter now seemed SO hastJ
SO ill-considered. If she had waited
month to reply it would have been dit
fercnt, she felt Still she could nc
understand Newmann's conduct and
was far from her to ask him for an e,
planation.