The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1895-10-26
FRIENDLY.

ueA. w Hat cant II is TO say friend
ship between man and woman is i'm
possible!' she would cry, with fash
Ing eyes. what degrading cantv'
with a flushing cheek. She liked the
society of men. They gave her a new
outlook on life. She would enjoy it
II they confded their love affairs to
her. So She said. Somehow they had
not as yet given her that enjoyment.
She was p, with a Diquant face and
hgure and man of the world style of
conversation that half yelled an TN
fathomable innocence.
1t was hot evening carly in June.
and one of Annabels friends had drop
pea III. They were sitting together in
the miniature veranlla, discussing q
subject they had often discussed be-
fore
zone comfort about my man-to-man
style of friendship" said Annabcl.
zone great comfort. is that one need
not be eternally. bothering about ones
looks aud that sort Of thing, when one
wants to have a rational conyersati ton.
l don't know anything more aggravat-
ing than to talk ones best talk to a
man, as did out ut dinner the other
day, and to find him obviously >pecu-
latlng rs to whether ones hairs all
ones own. Now. I don't think you or
any other Of my special chun.s would
even notice If wore II sack III eli YOU
came to see me. That's 50 refreshing"
ut isl said the friend. "For ill.,
stance some girls would he dread fully
put out it their shoe had a little hole
IN it, just at the tip, when a man was
there. But your
'Nhere,' and Annabel jumped off
her lounge chair with one bound and
passed her pretty feet under agonized
inspection. For one with whom ap-
pearance was mo object" she was
wonderfully shod.
I'm so sorry" said her friend. II
didn't mean to imply that you had
hole in your shoe. Only that if you
hall it wouldn't trouble you in the
least
''But it would" said Annabel, with
dignity. Il never said one would care
to exhibit slOvenliness to ones friends.
And hole would be slovenly.'
They smoked in silence.
"HOW do you define mans friend
ship for woman?' he inquired, after
the pause had lasted for a long while.
Annabel took her time before an
SWering.
81 think" she replied at last, rather
slowly. lit means having her interests
at heart so much that they could new
er bore yo11-so that her pain or happi-
ness would always be to you almost
more than your own. You would new
er hear her slightly spoken of. You
would save her all you could. You
would let nothing of hers be injured
Where you could you would put vel
vet between her and the rough things
Of the world. as Carlyle said"
Yes, 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 gold
en- haze hung in the sky and wonder
full dream music was being played and
then blown into the balcony on q lit
tie soft June breeze The gold sky
was the light of the great dusty exhi-
bition, full of rowdy Whitsuntide rev.
elers, and the music was blaring from
a brass band. But distance and the
summer and the quiet hour caught it
all up and left nothing of it but what
was beautiful. It made AnnabeI feel
restless.
81 am 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, al
though he had been very comfortable
where he was. He was quite used to
Annabeps frequent changes of mood,
and by INDUCING in no such himself
he was often able to tire her out and
get down to the forlorn little entity
behind the many poses.
The lamp was high concern on
bamboo poles and quite beyond the
reach of AhnabePs five feet Ct :.eieht.
She got low 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 more or less injured
BY being stood upon, even by her.
Therefore, and he lifted her up.
After one furious and nnavailing
twltch Annabel settled to the situa-
tien with surprising ease. She. lit the
the lamp and adjusted it's red shade
and said THANK you' with 4..,nt de-
| mureness when he set her down.
They got themselves into two arm
chairs, but she seemed to find CONVEX
satlOn something Of an effort.
Friendship has many advantages