Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-08-13
A FRIENDLY HINT.

|
Glow rude to tell mo SO! / suppos
| your thoughts were miles away. / don
| Duppose you were paying tho slightest at
tention TO what was saying"
"To be perfectly frank with you. wa
not but you need not bo vexod with me
| because l was recalling something yol
said To mo long ago"
Something brilliant, no doubt"
He smiled. "It was such character
istio speech, 4" he said; $50 exactly what
might have expected from you, that hav,
never forgotten It.
"Then you have been disobcying orders
for told you positively that you were mo-
to remember anything said.'
"It happened this way" he went on
"You had just come back from New Yorh
and had brought with you all manner o.
ouvenirs-photograph and books ant
german favors, and don't know what al
beside and one night you very kindly Of
fered 20 show them to me. When I came
to one picture, you blushed a little, and
asked: Is this the lucky fellowY Has the
heart you have SO jealously guarded found
its rnaster at lastr And you answered,
with q shrug Of your shoulders: Bah
that mamie loves me too we'll He let's
mo SEQ just how much am to him. He
would bore me to death In week."
well, she Dried, opening her eyes, land
is that all Have you been treasuring up
foolish speech like thatf Why, I have
said ever so many cleverer things since"
"But none more characteristic he re-
Piled.
"Do you know" she said, "it Is humil-
iating to reflect that after being as much
With me as you have been you should
know me 80 little. Il argues that / am
either very stupid or very reserved"
II not know you'll" he cried. "Why, I
know you almost as we'll as myself. Do
you suppose could have studied you In
all your moods as have done for years
without having gained some knowledge Of
your dispositionF'
She laughed slightly. "And have you
been studying mo all this timer I hardly
think am worth it. Did you hnd me In
terestings'
Accordingly sol And ono thing that
have discovered about you will surprise
you People call you flokle do they notf'
"Sometimes
"Well, you have impressed me as being
unusually consistent. thought when first
knew you that you were the coldest girl
You have never given me any reason to
change my opinion"
"Coldp' she repeated. II cold? That
mel"
II am not the only one who thinks
that, " he said. "Look at those roses"
pointing to o cluster Of Brides In the vase
at his elbow. "The man who sent those
meant you to know that they were appro-
pirate; that as they are white and cold
and passionless, just SO are your
"And do you know" she cried, "when
opened the box and saw them my first
exclamation was one of disappointment
White rosesl How vsxing! Why not red
onesf They at least mean something; they
convey an idea. But thesep And
pushed them away"
RI heard yesterday" he said Irrelevant
ly, THAT you are going to be married. I
wondered II it was true!"
"Who is 1t nowP' she laughed. "The
northern army officer or the South Caro-
lima physicianp'
us it tfueP" he asked.
"Do you suppose, she said, holding out
q ringless hand, "that IL had so far for
gotten my good resolutions as to promise
to marry anybody would not wear the
badge Of my servitudef''
"That is we'll put, the badge Of your
servitude! No, think until the fatal
words are said over you that you will allow
no man the pleasure of publishing his tri-
umph abroad"
20 wise young judge, she cried, chow
I do honor theel''
ooh, it is all very well to laugh" he
said. ''It is an easy way to dispose of q
subject, but you will never convince ME
that you have any feeling-nothing
could
Would you like me to persuade your"
she said in her soft voice.
There was moments silence, then he
turned from her roughly. "No; 1t is bet
ter that should think Of you as do now,
for can be bitter against you, and that is
o protection.
She looked up at him dazedly. Hitherto
no suspicion Of the truth had come to her,
but it flashed over her all at once and with
1t great rush Of pity and regret.
II am going now," he said rising. "u
/ staid, would make fool Of myself, and
II frets you to have people make fools Of
themselves, doesn't itp And yet they arc
not always to blame. You have faculty
for drawing them out, for leading man
on to reveal his tenderest and most sacred
thoughts. Why do you do 1t? When 1t Is
all told, you are not apparently touched.
What especial object have you In viewY"
For q moment she hesitated, then soft
answer trembled on her lips, but her
worldly wisdom came to her aid and re-
minded her that this was not the method
TO pursue; 1t would only mislead him and
end In trouble. Better be misunderstood
herself than prolong his suffering by Ill
advised kindness.
"What object have IY' she asked, throw
ing her head back against her cushions
"have I. ever any objects I don't think
have. II men will tell me their private
affairs, am sure am not to blame. I
often wish they Wouldn't certainly
would be spared much boredom. Now,
what have always liked about you Is
your indifference. You are so delightfully."-
Unconditional, so free from the troublesome
sentiment that makes other men uninter-
oetin0 Dear Geoff''--she rose from her