Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-03-28

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the whole course OF his existence.
| Speech was beyond him. He could
only stand and stare.
Elaine laughed again.
You did not expect me to shy
that. did your she asked.
Cyril passed his hands over his
eyes like man awakening from q
! dream.
NO" he answered, drawing .
long, deep breath.
She was still looking at him.
; "You expected me to be over
whelmed with utter desolation at the
prospect of your going, didn't you?
Well, perhaps might have been,
!only. you see, / shall still have the
tennis and the boating and the fish
ing and the one thing and another
to console me after you have gone
and am easily consoled."
| Cyril said nothing. He only stared
at her helplessly, wondering II she
had taken sudden leave OF her
senses.
Elaine saw the look, and read it
Alright.
II am quite sane" she asserted,
nodding her fair head with great
gravity and decision; ''as sane as
you are-saner, perhaps" Then, all
at once, she dropped her bantering
tone. Nov let us talk sense" she
went on; 'let us understand one an
other"
81 wish / could understand you,"
said Cyril, with a dazed, uncomfort-
able sort of feeling that something
had suddenly gone wrong with the
laws of the universe.
Elaine nodded again.
you will in half minute" she
said. Nov, listen to me. ! am
going to state two facts. Fact num-
Der one-you are tired of me. Fact
number two-I am tired of you.
There's the case in nutshell"
Cyril thrust his hands in his pock-
cts and became suddenly and deeply
interested in his irreproachable
boots.
by jove!" was all he said.
Elaine threw up her pretty white
arms and clasped her hands at the
back of her head with graceful ges-
ture OF WEAKNESS and discomfort.
II am tired of YOU" she repeated.
Don't get cross. 1 am not rude,
only truthful. l am stating a fact.
1t is my nature. always get tired
of men in the end. 1t is only
question of time. Most things in
this life are, think"
She paused, but Cyril was silent.
Men" she went on, refectively.
charm you up to given point, and
pail upon you afterward. There is a
great sameness about Them
Cyril started, as we'll he might. 1t
was somewhat of poser to hear his
own Utmost thoughts and sentiments
put into words in this calm fashion.
How often had not he thought just
what she had said with the slight
difference of substituting the noun
feminine for the noun masculine!
''You speak" he said, sarcastic
cally, from experience, no doubt"
She looked at him serenely.
'Yes," she answered, II do. /
know men pretty thoroughly now.
which is a great achievement; and l
know myself too-which is a still
greater achievement, though you
may not think so. 1t is always the
same. So long as / am not sure of
the man, so long ] want to be sure of
him. But the moment i am sure of
HMM that moment / cease to want
him. never felt sure OF you until
last night. Until then you had al
ways eluded me, and l could not tell
IL you were in earnest or not; but
last night you showed me that you
loved me-for the moment--and that
was the end so far as / was con-
cerned." She paused. II showed
you that / loved you, too-for the
moment, 'she added, presently, "and
that was the end so far as you were
concerned. Last night was the CHI
max, and after the climax--to people
like you and me--comes the re-
action"
Once more she paused.
by jove!' said Cyril again.
He could not think OF anything
else to say.
Truth to tell he felt distinctly
small, and that is feeling that does
not conduce to mans general good
humor at any time. He was beaten
at his own game and vanquished with
his own weapons. The situation was
novel ono, but it lacked the charm
which novelty is commonly supposed
to possess. This girl, with her angel
face and innocent eyes, was not the
simple trusting maiden that he had
believed her, but very queen OF CO.
quotes, a firt Of a different and
more dangerous caliber than any he
had met before. Life has its illusions
and its delusions.
Don't be cross, said Elaine, in
persuasive tone. Don't bear NAL
ice. Shake hands and be friends. l
shouldn't have talked like this only
that know you are just like me.
don't know how know it, but | do.
Instinct, suppose; woman's safest
guide. / didn't know it until to-
night. 1t came upon me all at once.
My convictions generally do. know
you feel just as feel and think as l
think. l know you wanted me until
you thought you could have me,
and then you didn't want me any
longer. Now confess. Am / not
ri0bto',