The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1896-07-03
A RIFT IN THE Lutte.

A RIEI In IHE LUIE.
He thrust his hands into his pockets.
She envicd him his ability to do so, but
compromised by twisting her fingers tight
" together behind her back. He gnawcd
his mustache, with the hint of an amused
smile in one corner of his mouth. She
cholscd and blinked bravely to keep back
the tears From his standpoint this their
first quarrel was a pretty little joke, in
which he held the upper hand and meant
to end it all by taking her close in his
arms when he got ready and kissing her
back to her old sweet self.
From her standpoint she felt that things
never could be the same again. 1t wasn't
that she blamed him for caring, because
she had seen too much of Tom Wells. She
had rather enjoyed his jealousy Mt first
She liked to see him standing by, clinch-
ing his hands and growing pale, because
she knew that it was all because of love
for her. But when the battle was finally
on, when he had got her alone and come
to the point, things changed. Instead of
having him at her mercy he some way
seemed to have her at his. She didn't
quite like the deliberate ease with which
he seemed to contemplate his ultimate tri-
umph, and, after the first burst of re-
breaches was over, he seemed to be per-
fectly confident that she was going to be
lneckly pcnitent and full of promises of
reform III the future.
She tinglcd to her finger tips with rebel
lion. He should not conquer her. She
had been really trifle ashamed of herself
at first and had meant to tell him so after
she had teascd him Il little, but now she
was determined not to submit. This one
first case was the test case. Upon its out
come depended the tenor Of their whole
future life, and Miss Beatrice Lane was
going to come out victorious this time if
it tore her little hcartstrings till they
snapped If he, the great, tall Philip
Ewing, were going to bc such domestic
tyrant as this, the sooner she knew it the
better, especially US Tom was going back
to college in u fortnight, and she would
need him to assist her in her projected
torture of her dcspOtic young lover.
There now, little girl, it's all over, and
we might as well kiss and make up. I
know you were thoughtlcss You didn't
mean to hurt me by your flirting with
that little, insignificant schoolboy, so
We'll forget all about it. Come, lift up
your head, Trix, and
Trix did lit up her head, but Ewing
stepped back, all at once realizing that the
lips weren't quite as coaXingly sweet as
usual Her chin seemed to have lost its
dimple; her eyes might have been hard If
there had not lurkcd in them n trace of
hurt pleading. But her voice was very
calm and even as she answered slowly:
70, %l,,,f 7
something to say about whether or not
you will kiss me; also you don't seem to
remember that you yourself graduated
only last June, just n year ahead of this
other little insignificant schoolboy. am
almost afraid, 3" she went on, taking on n
superior tone of condesccnsion as though
the new feminine ideas were really rooted
in her dear little soul, Pm almost afraid
that men who have broad shoulders
and have won questionable fame on u
brutal football team when at college some
how grow to let their physical power dom
mate their motives as we'll. Mr.. Philip
Ewing, you can't carry me before you just
because your arms are strong. A woman
admilcs fine proportions in IA man, bue' not
after he betrays that his muscle and Drawn
are mighticr factors in his life than gentle
manliness. To think about it, l don't
know but prefer Mr.. Tom Wells lack of
stature with its attendant abundance of
honor and honesty, to Mr.. Philip Ewing's
six feet of pompous stubhornECss.
She was frightened at herself for she
hadn't meant to say So much, but when
she Ind begun she couldn't find a place to
stop. Then too she rather enjoyed seeing
him vince and when he drew in his breath
with quick start of pain at her fling nj
his questionable fame" she was goadcd
on by an irresistible power to show him,
once for all, that she wasn't going to be
wax iii his hands. She was too angry to
consider. Pride had overpowcrcd her love.
and rs she went on the big fellow only
looked ut the tiny fury i'll spccchlcss amaze
mcnt, crushed, hurt, aStounded, at her
sarcastic dclugc.
At last she finished. He bowed his head
rs if to gI, and then turned, holding out
the dear, strong arms where she would
have given worlds to creep if only she
could have done 50 without n sacrifice OF
her pride And all he said was:
Beatrice for heavens sake don't make
this mistake Remember, dear, that you
once loved me; that / was the first man
sou loved; that you were the first girl
loved. You can't go to some one else
won't let another man have you and kiss
Sou YOU iilNc lOPu You
But this tiny embodiment of the new
woman'S determination to teach man his
place set her teeth and only smiled ut him,
smiled just as amuscdly as he Ind smiled
at her in the beginning of the little dis
putc which now had reached such alarm
ing proportions.
Poor Philip stood and waited, holding
out his empty arms and she merely smiled.
So he turned and went, but the new wom-
an received Il terrible shock the instant
that the door closed behind him, for Miss
Beatrice threw herself on n mountain of
pillows and INDUCED In delugc of good
salt tears, just the kind Eve would have
shed had fortunate Adam had to go
through the probationary period of lovers
disputes before she became Mrs. Adam.
She didn't know much of men in her
own life, only the dear indulgcnt old
papa, who was said by all the family to
spoil her terribly, and Philip. She had
never had lover before and therefore did
not know what they did when they quar-
relied with their swecthearts. In books the
sighted hero Of olden times fell upon his
sword, but with n quaint little feminine
lack of farseeing logic she sighed content
edly because she knew Philip had no
sword. Then she told herself, with fond
pride in her big lover, he was too brave and
sensible to do anything like that, and
when she found herself lost in an ocean Of
proud faith in Mr.. Ewing's manly good
sense she went off into a second spasm of
tears and shame. Only she did hope that
he would go away-not too far, of course
so that she couldn't hear from him
Through other people, be it understood)
but far enough so that she could not meet
him.
There was that tea that very afternoon,
where she was going to pour. 1t would
never do in the world not to go, for tho
girls must never dream that she cared,
but she choked again as she remembered
that he had promised to drop in near tho
end with few of the men. And she knew
what that meant, for hadn't he dropped"
in every afternoon during the season, o.
tsnsibly 70 have her hand him . Gun~ot