Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-09-06
FRIENDLY.

She would enjoy it If they confded their
love affairs to her. So she said. Some-
how they had not as yet given her that
enjoyment She was %, with piquant
face and figure and man of the world
style of conversation that half yelled an
unfathomable innocence.
Ii was a hot evening early i'll June,
and ons of Annabels friends had drop
ped in. They were sitting together in
the miniature seranda, discussing sub
ject they had often discussed before.
zone comfort about my man to man
style of friendship" said Annabel, Zone
great comfort, is that one needn't be
eternally bothering about ones looks
and that sort of thing, when one wants
to have rational conversation. 1 don't
know anything more aggravating than
to talk ones best talk to a man, as did
out at dinner the other day, and to find
him obviously specializing as to whether
ones hairs all ones own. Now, don +
think you Or any other Of my special
chums would even notice it l wore
sack Mhep You came to see me. That's
SO refreshing
cit is" said the friend. "For in
stance. some girls would be dreadfu1ly
put out if their shoe had little hole in
it, just at the tip, when man was
there. But you
"Where?" and Annabel jumped off
her lounge chair with one bound and
passed her pretty feet under agonized
inspection. For one with whom appear
ance was "po object" she WAS wonder
fully shod.
"I'm so sorry,'' said her friend. 81
didn't mean to imply that you had
hole in your shoe. Only that if you had
1T wouldn't trouble you in the least"
"Rub it would,'' said Annabel, with
dignity. II never said one would care
to exhibit slovenliness to ones friends.
And a hole would be sloYeply,'
They smoked i'll silence
Elbow do you define a mans friend
ship for wonlaal?' he inquired, after
the pause had lasted a long while.
Annabel took her time before answer
ing
~ think" she replied at last rather
slowly, sit means having her interests
at heart SO much that they could never
bore you-so that her pain Or happiness
would always be to you almost more
than your own. You would never hear
her lightly spoken Of You would says
her all you could. You would let moth
ing of hers be injured. Where you could
you would put velvet between her and
the rough things of the world, as Car
lyle said. -
ayes, but he spoke Of his wife
Annabel did not seem to hear ths
words She was looking over the roofs,
the appallingly uniform roofs of West
Kensington, to where a golden haze
hung in the sky and wonderful dream
music was being played and then blown
into the balcony on little soft June
breeze. The gold sky was the light Of
the great dusty exhibition, full of rowdy
Whitsuntide jewellers, and the music was
blaping from brass band. But distance
aud the summer and the quiet hour
caught it ali mp and left nothing of it
but what was beautiful 1t made Anna
bel feel restless.
Tim going in" she said suddenly,
springing to her feet. ''Here goes for
lighting the lamp" And she whisked
into her little drawing room with q
movement anything but dreamy.
Her friend followed resignedly,
though he had been very comfortable
where he was. He was quite used to
Annabel's frequent changes of mood,
and by INDUCING in no such himself he
was often able to tire her pnb and TO gef
down to the forlorn little entity behind
fhe many poses,
The lamp was a high concern on bam-
boo poles and quite beyond the reach of
Annabel's 5 feet of height She got 8
iow chair and prepared to climb upon it.
Zone moment" said her companion
gravely. "We have decided that it is
right to protect all that belongs to our
friend. Now, this chair belongs to mine,
and will be iGere or less injured by be-
ing stood upon, even by her. Therefore,
and he lifted her up.
After one furious and unavai1ing
twitch Annabel settled to the situation
syith surprising ease. She lit the lamp
and adjusted It's red shssle and said
GThank you'' with great occurrences
Whep he set her down.
They got themselves into two ar1p-
chairs, but she seemed to find converse
tion something Of an effort.
ffFriendslip has many advantages
oyer-the other thing he said at last.
"Yes?"
ayes. It has far less obligation about
it. Now, one takes an interest in ones
friends work. How's it getting on, by
the way?"
"Oh, much as usual!' said Annabel
But ono doesn't feel it weighing on
ones mind that she should have to work
ut all. Now, With ones sweetheart. how
different, She should sit all day i'll silk
attire and cross hep little hands in her
lap it she liked. The wind should not be
allowed to blow too roughly on her.
Ridiculous, woaldn' t If bet"
Degrading, - said Annabel stout1y,
"Just SO. Degrading. Then there's
that absurd notion that women want
taking care of. With ones friend the
fiction doesn't have to he kept up. She
goes alone to theaters and meets one al
Fhe door, and there's no nonsense about
having to see her home. She takes hes
pwn bus and off she goes. Now, if shs
Were=-not one's friend, she shouldn't &c
one step by herself. There would always
be tedious male creature at her side
elbowing off the passersby and taking
every unnecessary care of her. Sounds
oppressive, doesn't it?'
"Yes, said Annabel A little visit
fitness had crept into her voice and
some of the sturdiness had faded.
's..Then there's not that terrible de-
mand for sympathy. One expects ones
friend to fit in with ones own partiG-