The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-10-18
FRIENDLY.

men. w naG CanG III is TO say friendship
between man and woman is impossi-
hle!' she would cry, with flashing eyes.
"What degrading cant!' with flush
ing cheek. She liked the society Of men.
They gave her new outlook on life.
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.
IL was hot evening early in June,
and one of Annabel's friends had drop
ped i'll. They were sitting together in
the miniature veranda, discussing SUBJ
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. dom t
know anything more aggravating than
to talk ones best talk to 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 t
think you or any other of my special
chums would even notice if l wore a
sack when you came to see me. That s
so refreshing"
cit is," said the friend. "For in
stance, some girls would be dreadfully
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 'no object" she was wonder
fully shod
"I'm so sorry" said her friend. "I
didn't mean to imply that you had a
hole in your shoe. Only that if you had
it wouldn't trouble you in the least"
"Rut it would" said Annabel, with
dignity. 81 never said one would care
to exhibit slovenliness to one's friends.
And hole would be slovenly."
They smoked in silence.
GLOW do you define a mans friend
ship for woman?" he inquired, after
the pause had lasted a long while.
Annabel took her time before answer
ing.
81 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 save
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. -
eyes, but he spoke of his wife,.
Annabel did not seem to hear the
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 a little soft June
breeze. The gold sky was the light of
the great dusty exhibition, full of rowdy
| Whitsuntide revelers, and the music was
blaring from brass band. But distance
and the summer and the quiet hour
caught it all up and left nothing of it
but what was beautiful 1t made Anna
bel feel restless.
''Im going in," she said suddenly,
springing to her feet. "Here goes for
lighting the lamp" And she whisked
into her little drawing room with a
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 indulging in no such himself he
was often able to tire her out and to get
down to the forlorn little entity behind
the many poses.
The lamp was a high concern ON bam-
boo poles and quite beyond the reach Of
Annabcl's . feet of height. She got a
low chair and prepared toclimb upon it.
lone 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 viii be more or less injured by be.
ing stood upon, even by her. Therefore
and he lifted her up.
After one furious and unavailing
twitch Annabel settled to the situation
with surprising ease. She lit the lamp
and adjusted its red shade and said