The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-01-01
THE NEW WOMAN.

Tue dark eyed Miss Brown smiled lit
lie wickedly az she gathered her hlmy
skirt up In her hand and tripped up the
stairs with the most approved Delsartean
grace. She felt sure that Mr.. Won Ehren
was watching her progress with admira-
tion, and she suspected that each click OF
her high heeied slippers upon the stairs
brought throb to his youthful German
heart. That was why the dark eyed Miss
Brown smiled.
When she had hung up the flmy frock
and kicked of the high heeled slippers
and was attired in dressing gown and
knitted, shapeless footgear, she was still
smiling. She brushed her hair and looked
ht herself critically.
81 am certainly better looking than I
was" she murmured appreciatively, "and
I know how to make the most OF my
charms better than did. This pink thing
Is becoming. He must be younger than l.
It's almost mean for me to let myself fas-
cinate him. Those Germans are 50 TO
mantle. They are not flippant, cold blood
ed things like our men," Here Miss
Browns dark eyes looked somber, and
she glared for second at photograph
ON her table. Then her face frightened
again, and she went on in her reflections.
If it were purely personal matter"
she decided, II simply would not do 1t.
But it is not personal. Those foreigners
are really in state of painful ignorance
about the American woman. l dare not
say they think girl who has been to col
lege can't be fascinating. For me to prove
to the handsome Herr Won Ehren that we
can be all things to all men will be really
patriotic act, a vindication OF the new
woman, a triumph over the flaxen haired,
Madonna faced, eternally knitting ideal.
Still, of course, it mustn't be allowed to
get too serious. don't want him shoot
ing himself or me-"
With this charitable conclusion Miss
Brown climbed into the big four posted
bed which filed the larger part OF her
room in the old homestead where she was
spending the summer and fell at once into
the refreshing sleep which Gomez especial
" to those whose minds are free from
guile.
In pursuance of her patriotic plan Miss
Brown permitted the young German, with
the handsome, boyish face and the courtly
air, to be her constant attendant every
where. He seemed to like the position.
His eyes sought her place the instant be
entered the dining room. If she started
out for a ran.ble, he always sprang to her
side, and with his foreign air of Difference
and humility begged permission to accom-
pany her. Every one about the place no.
ticed and smiled at the young mans ap-
parent infatuation.
Miss Brown played her part exceeding
~ well. She was a clever young woman
and never allowed the youth To become too
personal or too sentimental. She told him
about her college life, and he seemed to
never weary of her tales. She discussed
every thing with him from the classics to
clam bakes and from poetry to politics.
She was one of the few young women who
could do this in a way that would inspire
the respect of a man who knew much on
these subjects, but who was unaccustomed
70 women who knew anything outside
the purely feminine realm.
1t was before the evening that Miss
Brown tried TO instruct Mr.. Won Ehren In
the beauties of Browning that she decided
to stop playing with fire. She did not fear
it herself; but, as she put it, conscience
not quite outgrown kept her from getting
real enjoyment out of other peoples ago.
MES. And the courtly, slow speaking
young man had really seemed to her un-
til that evening to be approaching the
stage of agony.
Il cannot understand your Browning"
he said in his deep voice, with the marked
German accent which all the summer
boarders found SO delightful What is
it which he means by such things as this,
Where he stands the arch fear in visi
BILE form, yet the strong man must go'' >"
"Oh, you have been reading Prospice,
have your" said Mr.. Won Ehren's guide.
"He means death, of course"
Il understand better the rest. The res,
is very beautiful, said he, and he began
to quote it. But Miss Brown didn't want
to hear "Oh, thou soul of my soulf" even
with the quotation marks, SO she stopped
him.
We'll, If I may not be permitted te
speak of that" said the gentleman oblig
ingiy, may l ask your permission to read
the little poem / find here, One Way te
Love?' You might kindly elucidate that. .
But Miss Brown didn't care to hear tht
poem.
All" said Mr. Won Ehren. "It is not
SO we love. When we have missed the
heaven, we do not say, Those who wiz
heaven, blesU are they We love other
wise
You are still werthers over there,
imagine" said Miss Brown lightly, rising
as she spoke.
Pardon me-" said the young man, ris
ing also, s'if / ask you what may seem K
you a most impertinent question. You
have told me and shown me much about
America and American ways. VIII yor
not tell me how it is that American WON
en- lover"
Herr yor Ehren must ask more ex
perienced American woman than l thai
question, answered Miss Brown, with &
certain dignity. She was annoyed. If the
man was going to make an idiot OF him
self, it would be disgusting.
1t is not" pursued he, las our womer
do. / am convinced of that. You are al
different. YOU
1T is a subject on which one cannot
generalize," broke in Miss Brown quite
curtfy, and on which we most certainly
do not wish TO particularize. l thinl
there's fog coming in.
The fraulein wishes the subject chang
ed" hazarded the German, smiling a
Miss Brown in a peculiarly irritating
way. But before we leave IL may moi
ask her congratulations that know about
the German ways of loving?"
Miss Brown for the moment was almos
staggered, but before the German had I
chance to observe that she had recovered
herself sufficiently to say:
s.Ah, it is as suspected. Indeed 1 d.
congratulate you. And is she f1axer
haired madchen?"
NJ. Won Ehren kindly gave brief de
scription of the young woman who wal
waiting for him 70 finish his travels, anc