The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-02
ALL LOVED ONE GIRL.

had dropped in after his days work or
pleasure, as the case might be, and they
were now sprawled about in more or less
undignifed attitudes in saddle back chairs,
their cigars we'll under way and the inevi-
table black coffee by their side The talk
had fallen on the subject of matrimony
No one of these three men was married
as yet, but each was beginning to grow
somewhat weary of the conventional bach
e1oF's life. They had lived no worse than
the average run of young men, On the
other hand, they had lived no better.
They were beginning to feel that one
might have too much of running round
the town and kicking up ones heels with
out troubling for the morrow. There was
no particular novelty in the reflection.
The majority of unmarried men have
probably felt the same thing at one time
or another or, thought they did. Some of
them have gauged their feelings accurate
ly, married and lived happy ever after
ward. . Others have married without dag
nosing their case so correctly, and it has
been bad for their wives.
These particular three men were at least
Renuinely disposed to contemplate the idea
of marriage. AS to the sort of woman
they would like to marry, there was natu-
rally difference of opinion
cit is curious, - said Bickersteth, Inedi-
tatively stirring his coffee, but only the
other day I met a girl VINO, it seems to
me, would be all that one could want for a
wife. She has looks, of course. never
could contemplate sitting down to dinner
every evening opposite an ugly woman.
And she is about my own height. One
does not want to have to bend double every
time one kisses ones wife, and to have to
stand on tiptoe would be worse still She
does not talk except when she has some
thing to talk about. That is a great point.
g Most women ruin a mans temper by
if-t1. ah
really don't make the slightest difference
one way or the other. A smart, well set
up woman, with lines like racing yacht.
None of your 1ackadaisical, all over the
shop sort of young woman, with hair fly
ing over her face and loose frOck, but
girl who's got q good figure and is not
ashamed of letting people know it. And
her voice! [ don't think ever heard tones
so extraordinarily sympathetic. A remark
able woman, without a doubt, a very re-
unarkable woman
Its funny" broke in little Charlie
Saxenham, THAT you should only have
come across your idea more or less recent
~, because I have only just come across
mine. I was at dinner down in Knights
bridge-one of those houses facing the
park you know-the other night, and, as
luck would have it, took her in and sat
next her. By Jove, that was n girl for you,
if you like. Big? No, not big woman.
u
type of girl She'd got that lovely shade Of
red hair that painters rave about, don't you
know, and which one never sees-at least
I've never come across any before, anyway
and her lips were perfection, not too red,
you know-that's beastly-but just ex-
quisite tint But you must see her to get
any real idea of her at all " And Charlie
sank down deeper into his chair and sent
cloud of smoke circling round the shaded
electric lights.
For my part, - said Fletcher-he had
been in the army five years, but had retired
on coming into pile at his fathers death
II like q woman who's a girl, if that
isn't any contradiction in terms. What I
mean is, I like a woman whose ideas are
still pretty young. The worst of the modern
girl is that she is nearly always a woman
at least when she's more than ID or so,
and one can't very we'll marry at that age
in this country, though have seen any
amount of native weddings in India where
the bride was not day more. 1 was in
troduced to a girl at a dance the other
night who really was a girl, though I
should put her age down at about p or %.
That's the sort of a girl I'd marry. Pretty,
of course. AS Bickersteth said, you can't
sit down to dinner every night opposite
scarecrow. Figure? Well I don't know
very much about that I rather like the
loose frock type myself with all Difference
to Bickie. Seems more feminine somehow
to me. -
just then Bie1zersteth happened to glance
at the clock.
''Whew, 9P' he said ST must be off. -
The two other men said they had to go
out, too, and followed him into the hall.
A string of hGnsoms was outside the
door, and each man got into one and gave
an address to the driver. And then the
hansons all ratified down PiccadilIy in the
direction of Kensington.
Bickersteth stopped his cab outside a lit
tie house facing the park AS he jumped
out and handed the driver his fare a sec
Ond hanson drove up, and out got Saxen-
ham. A moment later and Fletcher pop
ped out Of q third hanson and stood on the
curb beside them.
Good Lord" said Bickersteth, "you
don t mean to tell me that
e. said Sa1enham, Fam going to call
on q Miss Derringhanl. "
seThe deuceP' said Fletcher.
''Well, look here" said Bickersteth,
"mum's the word If this ridiculous
story gets out, we should never hear the
last of it. Still, there's no reason why
one of US shouldn't go up and see tho
lady. Let's toss which it shall be?''
He pulled out coin from his pocket.
just at that moment a private brougham
pulled up beside them, and Freddie Mars
den, the atrocious little cad, who had got
into the club no one knows how, marched
himself past them up the steps of the house
and rang the bell The door opened and
shut behind him with bang.
And then the whole absurdity of the sit
uation struck the three men on the pave
ment, ard, despite their discontinue, they
broke into peal of laughter.
After which they all squeezed them
selves into one cab and drove off to the
Empire. Exchange.