Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1895-04-04
IRIS ALL OVER NOW"

|
In room, ha1f-study, half-bedroom,
two women were talking. They were
both young, both moderately good
looking and both in a different way,
had intelligent bright eyes that OBJ
served much and betrayed little. One
woman was a small passionate little
person with delicate mouth and she
was called Isabel
The other woman was a small pas
sionate person with full pale lips and
IN oppressive chin. She was called
Lillian.
1t was cool summer evening, after
dinner, but the room seemed hot to
both of them, owing to the point in dis
cussion.
Isabel spoke.
Yes, l have done with him alto
gether. Are you really surprised"
mo, not in the least | was sur
prised at the beginning of your friend
Ship but l was quite prepared for the
end. You never understood each
other
! THAT'S just it, and in consequence
continually quarreled. And continued
argument is so tiresome. / assure you
for months | have felt quite worn
OUT
And he
"Oh, he" The woman's face soft
ened Il am very sorry, but I fear l
must have been trial, Lillian. l al
| ternated between trying to act up to
| his idea of me and ruthlessly tearing
1t down. The curious fact is that he
never had any instructive recognition
of my real self"
Were you"-Lillian Strengthened her
small person and arched the pretty
pert chin-"were you ever really en-
gagged, Isabel?"
The other answered rapidly:
"Oh, mol How could we be; l am
so poor, and he earns very little. Now,
If it had been you, with all your
money, it might have been different
Still, / did look forward to marriage,
when he would be jealous no longer
and / should be all his. And then
was jealous, too"
You! Who were you jealous of,
dear?"
Wasn't 1t absurd, Lillian?- -of you
and-of Others"
"Well, l did krow him long before
YOU"
Eyes, and you were very great
| friends"
ooh, he consulted me about every
thing"
Isabel. trembling little. About
meW
"Well, yes. about you-s sometimes"
"IIow horrid Of him"
There was pause. Isabel paced
the room, and large tears appeared in
her gray eyes, which she did not al
, low to fall Lillian had two malicious
dimples at the corners of her mouth,
and in distinct contradiction to their
presence she sighed.
"You see, Isabel dear, you were not
| suited"
'How could we be?' broke out the
other passionately. In all his love
!, for me he had no trust; in all my love
for him there was a certain amount
"
he wounded me day by day. He is
sensitive. too. In different way; and
my wish to have him all to myself, to
rob him from his TOO numerous lady
friends, seemed absurd In his think
ing. He refused to believe IN the
depths CT my feelings, because | was
timid of expressing them. | wanted
him to understand me by instinct, and
a man so often lacks thct."
"IIe is very clever and has plenty OF
tact"
Isabel stopped short and faced her
companion. "Tact is an elastic thing
In his case it was onesided, and only
applied to his dealings with certain
natures. AS l said, he made mis-
take about mine"
well" Lillian smiled and then
sighed again Its all over now"
/ "And / remember" continued the
other as if she had not heard. THE
first time ! saw him, remember the
curious thrill, the curious certainty
that came over me. that he would play
some large part IN my Ire. wonder
il he remembers too. | wonder IL he
remembers his first impression of me
| was horribly shy-and ! know he
thought me pretty"
1 "He is great admirer OF female
beauty certainly" admitted Lillian
dryly.
| "Will you-shall you see him much
now?"
surely, my dear Isabel, you can't
expect me to give up an old friend just
/ because you have quarreled with him.
But still he might talk Of me-
Il don't think so. And II he did l
can decline to discuss the subject
The other suddenly knelt down be
side her friend. In her small face, In
her gray eyes there was a hungry,
wistful expression that Lillian could
not be blind TO and It gave her an IN