Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-03-01
A WOMAN'S YES.
An Incident in the Love Affairs of
Miss Bragg.


wonderfully clever young woman.
This was meant In no qualified sense; II
carried with II no contingencies the
distinction was positive. The fact of
her cleverness stood prominently apart,
and was notable item in the general
assets OF her social set IL became one
Of the chief facts concerning her inter
esting 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 II 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-ripe wheat,
the tint that somehow suggests arti-
hciality.
Miss Bragg's love experiences 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 1t 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 tho matter,
however, and contented herself with
believing that all OF her admirers would
get over their weakness without per-
B manent hurt
| A brief note from one Of these ad-
mirers received one morning just as she
was going out produced marked effect
upon Miss Bragg. She gave VI her In
tention TO go out and sat down TO read
second and a third time the very brief
and conventional epistle. IL was n
very concise note from MIR. Philip New
mann, asking her to walk with him In
the afternoon.
These walks, II must be explained,
formed one of Miss Bragg's 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. MIR. 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 10 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 tn o note the third time
and vainly trying to comprehend It's
meaning she took from the cabinet. n
which she kept all her letters, lett, :
IN the same handwriting, and, putting
he two together, studied them. Though
otally different in tone and apparent
meaning she believed them 10 be OF
Practically the same import The first
written by Newman just after theil
. asst walk ,gether three years heforc
vas timid, half fearful proposal o
marriage IL had tremulous note o
lear In it--fear that she would refuse
The lust-just four lines-asked her Il
walk, nothing more Yet, Miss Bragg
.ogic gave the two the same meaning
we'll" said Miss Bragg, as sh,
iuished her note of acceptance, 18th,
; answers the same to both letter
YES Before II was qualified, oh
: scure 'yes'-he didn't recognize in IT.
iisguise This time-l don't like this
: m make 1t plain for him"
. She tore up what she had written
and pcnned in scrawling, careless char
acters: "Yes-Louiso Bragg. like tina
BETTER" she said. She read Newman
:, note again, half smiling 81 wonder
/, this last phase in the evolution of MI
a Newmann's feelings is as compliment
: airy to me as the first" she speculated
: Hes a man of moods, phases and pc
: riodS It's hard TO make out the mean
ing of this last. II sounds like u las
appeal. lie is n human paradox"
q OF all her love affairs, this was TIA
most interesting to Miss Bragg Thi
:. was due To its novel history and I
- other reasons Newman was 81
ciety man of n not remarkable mentI
), caliber, lie measured up to the ave.
y age OF his set. lie was rather tall an
= handsome, with face typically soutl
!. crn. 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 nevC
:, touched upon matrimonial topics.
= lie reserved the mention of this sui
4 ject for the letter that has been r
1. ferred to, Miss Bragg was bit di
"a appointed ut having so important
n question treated after the manner OF
,. business negotiation. IL seemed Ii
"A tic cowardly TO write, Her reply W,
characteristically worded. To II fe
men in the world 1t would have meal
mo" but to the generality of me
u "yes"-a woman's yes
G. A call the next day would have a
5. corded with Miss Bragg's idea Of VIII
., the behavior Of u young man in NeN
III mann's place should have been, but
81 did not call the next day, the ne
le week, the next month or the next yea
Is Indeed, three whole years passed M
10 he neither wrote or spoke TO her upC
~ the subject After short time she r
ID pented of having replied as she hl
81 done Her letter now seemed so hast
% so ill-considered. If she had waited
Oh month TO reply IL would have been d
ferent, she felt Stin she could IL
understand Newmann's conduct, and
to was far from her to ask hun for an e
N. PLANTATION.
Miss Bragg dressed with great car
r. and calmly self possessed, she S
of awaiting for Ne wmann. She read |