Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1895-08-15
BEING A WOMAN.

o~A SIS
of the cleverest things you have
done. How came you to write it?"
She laughed softly. 81 knew you
would ask. I said to myself, he will
scarcely recognize it as mine"
"Truel for you to be the author
of an intense little love song, where
one can almost feel the heart beat
ing, the arm blood leaping, seems
to me slightly homogeneous"
"And yet I am no Puritan"
I'm n sense-no; but you new
ertheless embody my idea of the
self-controlled woman of the world
"a woman who will never let pas
sion sway nor feeling govern her
actions"
Being a cold woman" she said,
"a criticism like yours will necessa-
rily not phase me-"
when did a criticism of mine
ever phase your" he retorted. You
are too confident, too self assured
for that"
What a disagreeable sort of per-
son l must be-" she unused. How
can you bear to be with me? Do you
come to e me from pure kindness
because you do not wish to wound
me? Surely you Ear find no pleasure
in talking to one SO unfeeling."
Nevertheless 1 do; I rarely leave
this house without registering a
vow never to return, but as surely
as the day comes round l find my
self once more ringing at your
gate"
mo doubt ringing several times
before admitted" she laughed; "but
you, who believe in sentiment, will
forgive poor Maxwell; he is in love
with one of the maids, and is there
fore incapacitated for the trifing
duties of every day"
DOUBTLESS you find the case in
teresting from a psychological point
of view"
II do. Mamma wishes to dismiss
them both, but 1 have begged that
they be allowed to remain. I tell
you this to show you what an over
flowing fund of sympathy l possess
Ito let you see how little you have
appreciated the nobler attributes of
my character"
whatever else I have done" he
said, II have never moderated your
facility for turning things into ridi-
Guile. 1t is a fatal gift-that Of see
ing always the comic side of life. 1t
is all well enough while you are
young; but some day"
"'Some day, 1 know not when or
how" she hummed, ''by that time,
my friend, l will have grown so in
different to everything that nothing
will matter much n way or the
other. In the meanwhile, 'vive la
bagatellel"
And is it to be always thus?" he
cried. Twill you crave some
thing better than admiration or fiat
tery-the mere surface pleasures of
a society woman's existence? Have
you not sometimes thought there
would be more happiness in lover
She lifted her eyes. 80 you
think, then, l have not been loved?'
She got up, and from the drawer
of a cabinet took out a book of pho
tographs. It I'm going to dc
an unconventional thing" she
said, when she was seated again,
"but you do not know any of these
men, so there a be no breach OF
confidence. Come here''-she mo-
toned him to the ottoman at her
side. This man"-she touched the
first picture lightly-''is a distin-
Iguished northern physician. / met
him n summer in Canada. We
were both of US off for a rest Come
times people are at their best them;
be that as it may, we saw q good
deal of each other, and before we
parted in the autumn he offered me
more than friendship"
"He has a fine face" he said.
This other is a lawyer who grad
uated with distinction from a cele-
brated eastern college. He has q
clear and logical mind, one that can.
not be deceived by mere appear
%ances. He also"-she turned the
page. "This boyish-looking fel.
low is the only son of an English no.
bleman. 1 might have been my
lady and dated my letters from
'Something-or-Othe Park or from
my townhouse in London had 1 de-
sired. The dark-haired foreigner is
a Russian-the De Vaures In,
troduced him to me in Paris; he
has written several articles on the
american woman's femininity. The
man in uniform is a German-but
why go on?" Ticking the pages
slightly. II have gained my point
have mot? You believe now thai
1 occasionally inspire affection?"
Her tone was wistful, though sht
smiled.
How you misunderstood me-" b,
cried. You know very we'll l never
said you were incapable of awakine
affection you can make any mar
love you if you wish), but the gam
once won, the conquest made, ant
your interest in the affair wanes-
that is what I complain of, you
incapacity for approaching a man
devotion"
She did not answer The roses O
her breast trembled, the hand hold
ing the book clasped it a trif
closer.
"Of all those men," he went on