Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-07-25
A FEMININE DEVICE.
BY HATTIE LUATMIS.

3. !. :. J !. : !. / !. !. ! :" !.
Sf~N yachting party would
&zh MA prove a success was
NkA forego conclusion.
Miss Delamore was her
mW self success, and all
STAsS~ her undertakings bore
the imprint of her con-
0D quering perso sonaHty.
Those honored by her invitations were
in the habit of accepting promptly,
while those not so fortunate were prop
erly envious and east down. Accord
ingly, when for this particular occa-
sion she received regrets, and those,
too, from Kitty Crawford, on whom
she had principally relied for the en-
tertainment of her guests, Miss Della
more simply set her lips together with
Napoleonic firmness and drove at once
to Kittys home to inquire into the
matter.
She found the young lady in the gar
den, languidly occupying hammock,
and attired in negligee gown which
the male observer would have thought
enchanting, but which Miss Delamore
was too absorbed to notice.
Gas for your not going, my dear"
she said, plunging into the converse
ton with her usual impetuosity, that's
all nonsense, you know. It's got TO be
arranged somehow. I've depended on
having you sing, and, besides, the
yacht is perfect dream now that 1t
has been reftted. What's the matter,
anyway, Kitty?" As she hurled this
question at her friend she bent upon
her controlling gaze such as the hyp-
notist fixes on his prospective victim.
But the other girl was as shrewd as
she and as self-possessed. "Oh, l don't
know, Lou" she answered, with care
Iessness that was almost too elaborate.
'I'm rather used up, and, besides, the
sea breeze burns one to a crisp, espe-
cially the nose. And, considering the
tilt of mine, you know, l can't be too
careful about giving it undue promi-
nence"
''What absurdity-from Kitty Craw-
ford!" thought Miss Delamore; but she
I'm going to have the jolliest sort of
crowd, Kitty. / want you to meet
Miss Huntington, of Baltimore; she's
really distractingly pretty. And Mr..
Jack Walford-let's see. Do you know
him?"
Miss Crawford, lowering her inscru-
table lids, admitted having met the
gentleman in question at her uncle's
Seaside residence. She neglected to
add, however, that they had immedi-
ate1y and mutually fallen in love,
state of affairs eliminating in an en-
gagement after six weeks acquaint-
ance, and that just a month before
this very morning they had quarreled
irretrievably and parted forever. Nor
did she mention that in breaking this
brief engagement she had come as
near to breaking her heart as we'll
conducted nineteenth century girl ever
comes to so ill-advised a proceeding.
Not being given to indiscriminate con-
fdences Kitty referred to none of
these things, but their recollection
may account for her saying, in very
languid voice, just as her friend rose to
go: Don't expect me tomorrow, Lou;
but if the day is lovely, and happen
to feel just like it, l may come"
Whereupon Miss Delamore, interpret
ing the remark as an unconditional
surrender, kissed her enthusiastically
and went away in triumph.
But when Kitty came on board the
yacht next morning there was not in
her manner the faintest trace of list
lessness or languor. In her blue yacht
ing suit, with a jaunty sailor hat
perched carefully on one side, she was
the very embodiment of girlish anima-
tion. Her advent was hailed with an
enthusiasm universal, except in the
case of one young man, who exclaimed,
under his breath: 1.-The devil! She