The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1896-05-21
A WOULD BE FLIRT.

turning from a pleasant entertainment
given by one Of our neighbors, as she
sank YEARLY into one Of the big sofa
cushions that adorned the couch of our
room.
/ / knew by the curious way she had |
acted during our short walk home that
something was troubling her pretty
head, SO preserved a discreet silence
after the utterance Of the above remark.
She gave me quick glance to notice
the effect Of her words, and seeing me
busily engaged in removing bunch of
white carnations from the lapel of my
dress coat she continued:
"She may enjoy herself after fashion,
but in order to thrill as she did as a
girl it is necessary to be interested more
or less in somebody else. 4"
Still I kept silent, and gathering
courage from pure lack of opposition she
went on:
"H were only able to flirt, I could
get along famously. have often seen
other women add this variety to their
lives, and as far as could ever find
out no harm resulted.
pray do not abstain from any such
enjoyment on my account, interposed.
Don't fatter yourself, my dear, she
said II have the inner consciousness
that I have tried and failed-yes, failed
utterly"
"Tried what?"
"Tried to fiirt, you goose. determin-
ed to try it Just as an experiment. I'll
tell you all about it if you won't inter-
rupt me and will be real good to me for
the rest Of my life.
"Yes, 1 tried desperately to imagine
myself an i'll treated woman; that l
hated you terribly, and finally to make
myself believe that such person rs
Godfrey Gordon never existed, but to
) what an end Just as I fancied was
!, succeeding, you would bob up serenely
, into vision and there you would stay, no
matter how hard tried to forget you. !"
OF late, after the many social func-
tions we had attended, had noticed
disposition on the part Of my wife to
answer only vaguely to my inquiries as
to whether she had enjoyed herself at
0 Mrs. So-and-so's musicale, or Miss
!. Somebody's reception, but ! never sup
v posed for moment there was anything
d serious on her mind, as the above some.
: what gloomy expression indicated. So
N turned all attention to hear what might
be called confession.
maybe you would not be averse tc
! being given an opportunity to use my
insurance money, or else a judge in the
> divorce court might be prevailed upon
to render his decision
But here my remarks were cut short
by a demonstration that would hardly
=. look we'll in words-in fact, should b
$. at loss how to express such mani
;. festation of feminine protestation.
~ When she had resumed state tina
- made intelligibility possible, she brok'
! forth:
Nov. Godfrey, that is too unkin'
for anything. When come to you t.
tell you all, you stand there and max
fun of me. You had better be careful
Young man. 1t may be worse than 20,
suppose. You know what your favorite
Congreve, says:
Heaven hath no rage like love to hatred turneS
, I Nor hell fury like q woman scorned
$50 keep real good till have finished
: "You see, before / was married
whenever went to dance, there Wa
ALWAYS some one-four or five in fact
, whom thoroughly liked, and on whol
l could count to speak to me before til
evening was over and with whom
could have pleasant chat and dane
g., So, no matter how distasteful my pre-
;. ent partner might be, my anticipation
y were pleasant enough to make up #
the present.
}, "There were certain men who pc
/ haps were not actually in love with n
(she said this with perfectly straig
J, face), but who invariably felt dispos'
to drift in my direction, SO that W
I. kept perpetually buoyed up while tai
~ ing with the stupid ones and absorb
after they did speak to me by delight
uncertainty as to what the future mig
bring forth. That, Of course. was befc
! met you, dear.
- when I 60 to dances now, seem
. lose remembrance Of the fact that I {
married, and with woman's vanity
begin to be painfully aware that
very men who would have stood
their heads had asked it in the pas
TAG could not count on now to take the lie
interest in me or to talk other than
ZEN dreariest platitudes. They were paint
AIN " polite, would advance toward
W. with few commonplace remarks, {
when they favored me at german W
some glittering trinket, for which
used to be crazy, felt as though it '
an expression of charity, portray
that, having made my choice, I m
free. abide by it and not expect any very 81
Mis-: exertion on their part.
q n,na. II drifted from bad to worse ii
reached a state of desperation, and W
lty. saw Mrs. Sweetly gazing fondly
Dicky Robinson's eyes the other even
lRER / said to myself, There is woman
Hir,s really lives, and the reason she does
ass d because she forgets she is married.
ss Sai'+ "Then it was, Godfrey, dear, thu
iii ssh tried to force myself to forget that
jRE had ever crossed my path-that is
course, only when went to some Sc
W. gathering. You know you are so fon
NC your cigars.
Next to do was to find some suit
-. one on whom could bestow my a
- tions. Finally thought ! would
- Malcolm Wharton, whom l knew to
Ed Of excellent family and who three y
p sa Itch ago would have given his head to