Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1895-08-08

read it carefully, and, whenever she
expresses opinion or sentiment, then
believe the contrary of what she
writes You have no idea what safe
rule that is to follow. A man is sure
to come out straight in her good
graces and to avoid lot of unpleas-
antness if he will bear that in mind.
Personally I've found 1t to work splen-
didly."
Whereupon Cameron lit cigar and
took up a palmetto fan from the
table.
as that so? Then you would not be-
lieve that a young woman was de-
lighted to go off immediately on five
months absence abroad If she only
told you sop
stOf course not. A man must be very
green, or very unsophisticated where
women are concerned, to believe that,
if she wrote specially to tell him so.
In that case she meant to say: My
dear boy, am desperately sorry to go
away and leave you. l can't say SO
outright, so 1 do the next best thing.
I wrote to tell you I am going, and
am glad, and if you are not a fool you
will understand and do the proper
thing"
OF course, Cameron is clever. / have
always said Of him that he is egotis-
tical. but I have never denied his
brains. I don't know but what look
upon him now as an unrevealed genius.
Perhaps, if he had not been largely en-
dowed with the good things of this
world, he would have shown his great
capacities by some wonderful inven-
ton.
and in your opinion what would be
the proper thing to do? What would
YOU do?'' l asked, gathering up gently
the poor little heap of ashes, the worth
less remains of Alice's sweet, misunder-
stood and harshly treated note.
What would do?" answered Cam
eron refectively, tipping the ashes off
his cigar with his little finger You
say she's handso me, and young and
rich?"
had not, but it was all true. What
I had doubted was her sincerity.
"Tn that case" continued Cameron,
"I would go to see her, with the inten-
ton of saying good-by, and I would
propose to her, and 1 would go abroad
with her this summer on the same
steamship she crosses in
THAT was evidently the invitation
given you in that note you so foolishly
burned, my dear boy. l suppose she
wants to have you along while she ex-
plores the old cathedrals and art gal
leries and climbs up the Alps. Now,
don't fall over some precipice or get
caught in some snowstorm in the early
fall, before you get back to these
Shores" concluded Cameron, while I
swept the ashes of my sweet, ill-used
note with mingled emotions into an
empty envelope, which I put in my vest
pocket.
And look here, old man." said Cam
eron, as l shook hands, having called
up a coupe, better not mention that
you burned that note. Women are pc
culiar in some ways. Don't like to
have their letters ill-treated. Looks
careless, and as if you had ugly
thoughts about them. l bet you
thought that handsome young woman
was an insincere little humbug."
"Why, man, thought she wanted to
get Tlu Oh L Sdlu WIS
over her meaning when you came in"
$50 l saw" said Cameron, with an
amused smile, resuming his palmetto
fan and pulling closer into the window
to catch the south breeze. "Now just
let me tell you'll have had large ex-
perience of women, as I said just now.
Well, Alice Dacres is the sweetest,
most loyal and most sincere woman I
ever came across. Her face, beautiful
as it is, can't compare to her soul, as
you'll find out for yourself some Of
these days. You are not fit for her,
old fellow, must say. But she fancies
you, so 1 suppose it's all right. Go and
tell her good-by, and propose to her as
I suggested The idea of burning that
sweet child's note, and to think that
you misunderstood her besides; you
ought to be ashamed of yourself"
II would be if l had the time" l
said, impatient at delay, as the coupe
drove up. Good night" l said.
Thanks for the benefit of that ex-
perience of yours"
Not at ALL" said Cameron. II just
wish that note had been written to me.
l wouldn't have burned it. l would
have understood at half glance the
meaning it conveyed. You are no bet
ter than a vandal."-N o. Times Dem
ocrat