Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1895-04-09
At HIS OWN GAME.
Cyril Danve,s was bidding her goodby


pleasant.
Her serene, unconscious eyes gazod
straight before her into tho hazy dlstarct
with rapt, faraway expression
"And, like nj pleasant things, Cyril
went on in tho samo desperate way, Ill
must como to On ond, suppose. All
! pleasant things como to an end. don't
thcys"
Elaine turned Tie calm light Of her gray
eyes full on his face.
II suppose, sho said, "you mean you
are going away?"
| eyes" he answered. IT am going back
to town tomorrow. / did good deal OF
thinking last night, and I-well, l came
| to the conclusion that-that things were
getting little bcyosA me-"
Elaine's eyes had wandered of to tho
distance again.
$50 you arc going away tomorrow" she
said after pause.
"Yes," he answered, lowering hfs voice
to a tcnderly regretful tone "Are you
sorryY"
Sho contemplated him for a moment
with an cnigmatical expression. Then,
"No," she said. liam glad, because IL you
did not go should have to, and want to
stay little longer"
And then she laughed.
To say that Cyril was surprised would
be to put things with ridiculous mildness
Elaine laughed again.
"You did not expect me to say that, did
you? she cskcd.'
mo, he answered, drawing long, deep
breath.
"You expected me to be overwhelmed
with utter desolation at the prospect of
your going, didn't you? Well, perhaps /
might havo been, only, you see, i shall
still have the tennis and the boating and
the fishing and the one thing and another
to console mo after you are gone, and
am easily consolcd."
Cyril said nothing. He only stared at
her hclplessly, wondering If she had taken
sudden leave OF her senses.
Elaine saw the look and read Il Alright.
~ am quite sane" she asserted, nod
ding her fair head with great gravity and
decision. "As sane as you are-saner, per-
haps." Thea all at once, she dropped her
bantcring tone. "Now let us talk sense"
she went on; "let Us understand one an
other
II wish could understand you" said
Cyril, with dazcd uncomfortable 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.
"Now listen TO me. l am going to state
two facts Fqct number one-you are tired
If me. Fact nI,,saber two--I am tired Of
YOU. That's tho oase ~ a nutshell" +"
Grill thrust r.. hands ia his spockcts and
became suddenly and deeply Interested in
his irrcproachablc boots.
"By .Iovel" was all he said.
II am tired of you," she repeated.
Don't get cross. am not rude, only
truthful. I am stating fact. 1t is my
nature. Ialways get tired of men III tic
end 1t is only question Of time. Most
things in this life arc, think.
Men," she went on rcAeot!vcly, "charm
you up to given point, and pail upon you
asterward. There is a great sameness about
them"
Cyril started, as well he might It was
somewhat OF n po:er TO hear his own ir-
most thoughts ard sentiments put ir1o
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 mascu-
lire!
"You speak," he said sarcastically,
from experience, 10 doubt"
She looked at him sercDciy.
"Ycs," she answered, ~ do. know
men pretty thoroughly now, which is n
great achievement, and know myself, too
which Is a still greater achievements,
though you may not think so. 1t is always
the same so long &c am not sure Of I..cn
SO long want to Ike sure OF him. But the
moment / am sure Of him--in that mo-
ment l ceaSc to want him. / never felt
sure Of you until last night. Until then
you had always eluded me, and could
not tell IL you were In earnest or not, but
last night you showed me that you loved
me-for the molncnt--and that was the
end so far rs / was concerned" S'he
paused. Il showed you that loved ycu
too-for the moment, ''sho added present.
ly, land that was the end as far as you
were concerned. Last night was the eli
max, and after the climax--to people like
you and mc-comes the reaction"
Once more she paused.
"By .Iovep' said Cyril again.
He could not think Of anything else 20
say.
Truth To tell, he felt distinctivc,y
small, and that Is n feeling that Goes not
conducc To n mans general good humor at
any time He was beaten at his own
game and vanquishcd with his own wcap-
ons. The situat.N WIS n novel one, but
IL lacked the charm Nat novelty Ii com.
monty supposed 10 possess. This girl,
with her angci face and innocent eyes was
not tho Simple, trusting maiden that hc
had believed. bu: a very queen Of coquettcs,
frt Of u different and more dangerous
raiiber than any he had met before. Life
had its illus.ons-ard its disillusions
Don't be cross" said Elaine in per-
suasivc tone. Don't bear malice. Shake
hands and DC friends. shouldn't have
talked To you like this only that know
you are just like me. don't know how
l know 1t, but l do. Instinct, suppose
-woman's safest guide I didn't know
1t until tonight. 1t came upon me all at
once. My convictions generally dc. I
know you feel just as fe,i and think "a !
think. know you wanted me until you
thought You could haye me. md then Won