The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-12-30
A MODERN WOMAN.

4 AZ Z. l.-s--4------ss3 NJ
Margaret Hrocktoh ifsverfor an instant
suspected herself OF being a sentimentalIst
She thought sho was modern in every par
ticular, including heart and soul She
was charming, she knew and somewhat
vain, clever and little mercenary and
thoroughly worldly wise and worldly
minded. And yet there were three years
when Miss Brookton rivaled any old tifno
heroine Of romance In her sentimental at
titude.
1t happened In this wise; One day,
when aho was 30, there came to her a cor
tain stalwart follow she had known from
infancy and told her what she already
knew--that he loved her and wished to
marry her. Miss Brockton, liking him
exceedingly well, realizing how plcasant
life might be made with his money, his
name, his devotion to her and his compan-
ionship and deciding that tho ecstatic love
Of which poems and novels treated would
mover come TO her anyway, accepted him.
The engagement came out duly; the cups
md saucers came in. Margaret liked jack
Whittlcstone great deal and found tho
position Of fiancoe charming, and all was
we'll.
Then the villain appeared upon the
scene in the shape OF Louis Radcliffe,
Jacks cousin. Louis was delightfully."-
unmodern person, who seemed to have tax
en- for his model some of the early Vic
torian heroes. He was combination of
youthful romanticism, elderly cynicism
and other interesting qualities. He had a
superb scorn Of the conventions, a magnif
icent belief in himself and q correspond
ing amiable skepticism in regard to other
people.
He Interested, Margaret greatly, she
said, at first Then she ceased to say any
thing about him. Jack, not being skilled
In the ways Of women, did not worry over
either his betrothed s speech or its absence.
He knew the new woman" we'll enough
not to assert his rights and bid her have
less conversation with his cousin, even had
he wished to do So Liberty being the law
Of Margnret's life and unsuspecting good
nature of jack 8, the situation had every
chance to complicate itself.
1t did SO promptly. Margaret, who had
decided that fervid and ecstatio love was
not at all likely TO come hor way, awo<e
one fine morning to the realization that
the universe had in It just one man
Jacks impossible poverty stricken, ire
sistible. cousin. And Jacks cousin, who
had laughed at Margaret's feminine cynic-
ism and pretense of coldness, felt that she
and she alone could be the complement to
his life. They were both unhappy enough
to give them credit for some good inten-
tions, but in the midst Of their unhappi
ness they were supremely conscious of
what trifie misery was compared to the
joy of seeing each other.
Margaret knew perfectly In her few
sane hours, that she did not wish to marry
Louis R,,dcliffo. She realized that he
would develop into a thoroughly undesir-
able sort OF husband, even apart from his
poverty.
"If only could get over this" she
moaned to herself. "At 40 should be
wretohed with him, at 40 1 should be COM
Portable II not madly happy with Jack.
III only, IL only were 40 nowp'
1t was one day whom she and Louis had
sat for an hour staring ahead of them at
the sea that the climax came.
why don't you talkf'' demanded Mar
garct, finding her heartbeats oppressive
Because cannot say what wish to-"
he answered. Then, of course, he proceed
cd TO say the things which he should not
have said. And for a few minutes the sea
and sky reeled before their eyes and they
breathed as IL In a trance After which,
according to the saorificial modern man.
ner, they decided to part, and the next day
the community was startled to learn that
Mr. Radcliffe was going to Europe.
Then IL WINS that Margaret showed how
thoroughly lacking she was in the modern
mcrcenary spirit she had always claimed.
1t gave her mournful satisfaction to
think TINT, though she could not marry
Louis, who to tell tho truth, had not asked
her to do so, she need not marry Jack So
she broke her engagement promptly and
proceeded to indulge herself in her great
grief She heard nothing of either Of tho
cousins for long time for naturally her
course Of action with Jack had suspended
communication between the families.
For three years she was secretly as ro-
mantle as the most romantic schoolgirl
She thought of Louis constantly and
pleased herself by imagining that he, in
Egypt or Algiers or wherever he was, must
know her thoughts. She was exceedingly
happy with her grief outwartIly she
seemed much the came, but inwardIy she
acknowledged the sway of love and its
power.
One evening threo years after Louis
Radcliffe had gone away she went to a re-
ception. A little pudgy woman, over
dressed and overgemmed, stood by her
hostess side
MY cousin, Mrs. Radcliffe, Miss Brock
ton, " said her hostess And then, with
sudden remembrance: "You must recall
Mr. Radcliffe. He was Jack Whittlcstone's
cousin, you know"
And then as Margaret cordially inquired
after Mr.. Radcliffe and said how she we'll
remembered him, sentimentalism for tho
first time fell away from her. From that
moment she was the really skeptical and
thoroughly modern woman she had al
ways claimed to be.-Exchange