The Portland daily press., 1895-11-16
A SUMNER COQIETTE.

'OOOu nlgHb, Sdiu Dr6Ht, DIS we SeIld-
rated. GOOD night, brother" said I, with
profound sympathy.
pleasant dreams,'' said he.
'sConfound all womenI' said l.
"Alas, how easily woman can make q
fool of man," said he.
"Or two men," said /.
Ethyl Lynn was by far the prettiest
summer girl at the shore, and she lived
about mile down the beach from the
hotel where was spending a month and
all my spare cash.
was strolling along the sand i'll the
purple and blue twilight toward her cot
tage when I was overtaken by Frank
Brent man had real admiration for
until heard Miss Lynn go into raptures
over him one day when 1 was doing my
best to make myself entertaining to her, If
nothing more.
Ordinarily [ am pleased with any per-
sons good taste who agrees with me IN
what I think admirable, but in this in
stance seemed to have departed from my
usual custom.
However, as was saying, Mr.. Brent
overlook me on my stroll, and as had an
engagement with Miss Lynn and felt easy
in my mind on that score I was rather
pleased than otherwise to have company in
my leisurely twilight walk.
'sGood evening, Mr.. Hite,'' he said, tip
ping his hat with the grace that made
him favorite with all women.
sAh, Mr. Brent" smiled, chow do
you do? I am charmed to see you.
hope you will join me in my WALL"
with pleasure, my dear fellow" We
were friendly enough for that sort of IA
miliarity, and he caught step with me as
we moved along.
s'What delightful eyeningp' said,
ssand how soft the air!''
eyes A land breeze is always delight
full when the days have not been too hot
There is an odor of flowers in it, and an
absence of that invidious little chill which
seems to be an essential of the salt air of
the sea.
81 have noticed that myself" said,
pleased to think that he was SO obseryant,
for 1 admire observant people.
''It is the time for poetry and lovers
rhepsodies, yentured.
He laughed.
"There is an idea in that, he said.
Then I laughed also.
"There is in everything say" said,
bowling with mock superiority.
"Of course, of course, but as I was
about to elucidate, it never occurred to me
before to have the meteorological condi-
tions coincide with the emotional, and l
never have considered atmospheric cur
rents in connection with composite cur
rents of two throbbing hearts. / see now,
though, the advantages of a soft, sweet,
caressing land breeze as compared with the
clammy dampness of a breeze just off the
salt water.
sit is a beautiful thought. responded,
proud of the suggestion l had given him
on which he had based SO remarkable
conclusion.
eyes" he laughed lightly, 'sand the
land breeze doesn' make girls nose cold
either and her hands don't feel like day
before yesterdays biscuits in the cleaning
as they do when the sea breeze sweeps its
salty flavor in"
Notwithstanding Brent was becoming
brilliant, I blushed painfully, for some
where out of my memory, like the ghost
of something, came the thought Of cold
nose that I had once upon time felt touch
my cheek, and L remembered that 1T was
not a land breeze blowing at the moment
of contact.
"You treat those things with too much
levity, old man." said in tone of
friendly reproof. Glove is sacred thing,
and the matters you refer to are incidents
of that sacred experience.
81 presume you are right, he said as
he carelessly Tipped the ashes from his
cigar. "But how does it happen that you
are strolling on the beach aloneP'
'sAnd you?'' I replied, turning upon
him
sOh, I'm with you," he laughed.
"And I am well accompanied, bowed.
'tBut what are men to men under the
twilight stars?' he almost chanted.
This was touching.a subject was not
anxious to dwell upon, as 1 expected to
take Miss Lynn out for moonlight walk,
and I most emphatically did not want Mr..
Brent TO be of the party, SO hedged.
81 don't know" 1 said. 81 think men
can be perfect companions to each other,
even under the most romantic auspices"
Possibly a man might be so to you,"
laughed Mr.. Brent, but not to me. For
me moonlight, music, maids and''-
"MushP' interrupted.
"Ah, r,ush indeed F" he sighed, with his
eyes rolled heavenward, "but better than
any pie that ever pleased palate"
Brent was getting silly.
Chow far are you going down the
beachP'' 1 asked rather suddenly, for at
this point we were only quarter OF a mile
from Miss Lynn's cottage, and l wanted
TO get Brent turned in some other direc-
ton.
: "Oh, not very far he said, rather su-
perciliously, thought, as if had no right
to ask him such question:
Far enough, fancy" | retorted.
{, And pray, Mr.. Hite, how far is FAR
enough in your vocabulary" he respond
ed in such a manner as to provoke me all
over.
1.-The beach is public highway to all
intents and purposes, Mr.. Brent, ~splied
with frigidity, 'tand presume you can go
sS far as it extends
"And still farther no doubt, 20 he said,
sarcastic as satan, eff it only extended
over the rocks into the sea, and there was
deep water there and no life savers in
sight.
"As you prefer, Mr.. Brent, and stop
ped.
Are you going back?" he sneered.
Not just at present.
ftYou might 90 over to Miss T vnn;c oot