The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1894-03-03

An Incident in the Love Affairs OF
Miss Bragg.

Miss Louise Bragg's social colleagues
were fond of saying of her to one an
other and to strangers that she was a
wonderfully clever young woman.
This was meant in no qualified sense; 1t
carried with it no contingencies; the
distinction was positive. The fact of
her cleverness stood prominently apart,
and was n notable item in the general
assets of her social set 1t became one
of the chief facts concerning her inter-
csting personality, and frequently over
shadowed less striking ones when she
was being conversationally considered.
She was of the slender, willowy type:
tall as most men, and graceful after an
unconscious, unstudied fashion. Her
face had straight, angular lines, and
was not essentially pretty When she
smiled it revealed many surprising
curves and subtle charms OF expression.
Wondrous power lay in her brown
| eyes, power under complete subsection
of her will. Her hair was of the
bright yellow tint of over-ripc wheat.
the tint that somehow suggests arti-
ficiality. Little curling wisps defied
the Imprisonment of the dainty Golf
fure in which her trcsses were fas-
tened.
She was original and clever and,
therefore, unconventional and Bo-
hemian. Men she chose to regard in a
humorous light, as rather amusing
animals, charming under certain cir
cumstances, but ordinarily dull and
vulgar. At little social gatherings of
her sex, her coming was always await
ed as an event which would give breezi-
ness an d vigor to the conversation. She
was not at all unpopular among her
own'se This was doubtless due to the
heartless manner in which she rejected
the lovers of Il grea. many of her youn G
lady friends.
Miss Braggs love exper fences had
been 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 consc ience in the matter,
however, and contented herself with
believing that all of her admirers would
| get over their weakness without per-
manent hurt
A brief note from one of these adj
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 epistle. 1t was a
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 Braggs character
| istic social institutions. Besides being
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 hac
not been her companion. She had seer
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 il
IL distantly polite manner
| After reading the note the third tim,
and vainly trying to comprehend it,
meaning she took from the cabinet, il
which she kept all her letters, lette
| i,,f l,np Il
the two together, studied them. Though
totally different in tone and apparen
meaning she believed them to be o
practically the same import. The first
written by NewHann just after thei
last walk together three years before
was a timid. half fearful proposal o
marriage. 1t had tremulous note o
fear in itfear that she would refuse
The last-just four lincs-asked her t,
walk, nothing more. Yet, Miss Bragg
logic gave the two the same meaning
WELL said Miss Bragg, as sh
finished her note of acceptance, ''th
answers the same to both letter
yes Before it was qualified, OH
scure 'yes'--he didn't recognize in it,
disguise This time-I don't like this
III make 1T pl ain for him.
She tore up what she had written
and pcnned in scrawling, careless char
acters: "Yes-Louise Bragg. / like tina
better" she said. She read Newmann'
note again, half smiling. II wonder
this last phase in the evolution of MI
Newmann's feelings Is as compliment
AIRY to me as the first" she speculated
Hes man of moods, phases and pe
riods. It's hard to make out the NEAR
ing OF this last. 1t sounds like las
appeal. He is a human paradox"
or all her love affairs, this was til
most interesting to Miss Bragg. Thi
was due to its novel history and I
other reasons. Newman was 81
cety man of IL not remarkable ment;
caliber He measured up to the ave
age of his set. He was rather tall an
handsome, with face typically soutl
ern. What particular quality of h
that drew her toward him, Miss Brag
herself could not say-but she was col
scious of liking him. Their walks, {
has been said, were frequent, and the
talks, while confidential, had nevt
, touched upon matrimonial topics.
He reserved the mention of this SUI
iect for the letter that has been r
ferred to. Miss Bragg was bit di
appointed at having SO important
question treated after the manner of
business negotiation. 1t seemed Ii