The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-25
JEALOUSY.

As cure Lor jealousy
Indifference, - replied Prudence con
cisely, without lifting her eyes from her
book.
"Oh, botherp' remarked the vision in
yellow pettishly. Then, wheedlingly,
''Please talk sense. -
My dear, I've given you the condensed
wisdom of the ages on the subject, said
Prudence mildly ''Of course if you'd
rather hear that jealousy can be cured by
an infusion of fresh rose leaves gathered
at midnight during the full of the moon,
or something of that sort, can oblige
you"
''But don want George to be indifer-
ent, murmured Polly, pouting with un-
necessary prettineSs. Il just want him to
be sensible. And anyway you talk as If
Indifference could be cultivated by writing
to the secretary of agriculture for a pack
age of Seeds sowing them in Georges
heart and watching them develop"
1T is quite evident to me, " said Pru-
dence, that what you desire is not alb
stract argument on the emotions nor yet
advice on the proper conduct of your af-
fairs, but a chance to free your mind. Be
gin, my dear, begin. When did George
first show signs of jealousy?"
1T was at the Cartwright 5 dance down
at Seaclih. -
Il told you not to wear your opal bracelet
or you'd have bad luck. What's the good
of pretending not to be superstitious9
Haven't L often told you that the only
girls who need to pose as sensible are those
who are so hopelessly plain that no one
could be infested in their vagaries?"
yes But my opals went with my
frOck- You remember it, Prudences It's
silver and pink and blue chiffon in clouds
layers of EN-, you know, over silk. So
1 had to wear my opal. And you know
how I love to dance. -
Yes. Georges sister Jane says that If
your head were as active as your heels
you'd be quite intelligent, doesn't shef'
"Yes. L don't care, though, for she
weighs ton or two, and her wit is about
as graceful as her movements. But any
way I love to dance, as you remember, and
George can't dance. -
wherein is the root of the trouble"
philosophical Prudence. fAu jealousy
begins in a knowledge of ones defcien-
cies.'
but he was lovely about it, pursued
Polly. HE came to mo and said, just as
sweetly, Prue: Now, little girl, you go
ahead and enjoy yourself. Dance every
dance, and I'll be happy watching you and
only sorry that Pm such a hopeless clod-
hopper. Wasn't that dear of him? So
told him he was adorable and that I'd sit
out quadrille or two with him"
II PM Kind of youl''
"By the time the first quadrille came
thought he looked a trifie queer. He
marched me off on to the piazza and said
casually that it was curious to sec how lit
tie girls cared about the characters of their
masculine acquaintance. Thon he asked
If L knew much about Rowland Wells,
with whom 1 had been waltzing." D."
q hope you told him that you always
required copies of a mans family tree Of
his certificate of membership in church
and of his receipted bills of the preceding
month before dancing with him?'
''No. 1 didn't think of that. just said
that I knew Rowland Wells waltzed bet
ter than any one else of my acquaintance,
and that that was the main requisite at a
dance. WhereupOn my lovely, liberal
fiance snarled and said that Mr.. Wells led
his creditors as pretty q dance as he did
his partners, and that l should see his
grace of motion when he had been drink
ing I yawned and replied that scandal
never interested me- and that it was not
so valuable for the information conveyed
about the person discussed as for the rev
elatiOn of the character of the discusser." "
Very neat, Polly. What did he say
then?'
"Oh, he ranted little. Talked about
the disgusting familiarity of the waltz,
the sickening vulgarity of the polka, and
SO on. And while he was declaiming some
one came and found US, and / discovered
that L d missed two dances. So 1 went in
But, Prudence when 1 looked across the
room later and saw poor old George glar-
ing fercely at me- but wearing "a most
miserable expression at the same time,
felt sorry for him. began to think how
4 should feel if it were the other way and
George were dancing while l looked on. "
''That put yourself in his place idea is
the worst enemy of enjoyment and of reso-
luton ever devised, interpolated Pru-
dence
perhaps it is. But felt uncomforta-
Dle dancing after that and when How
land Wells came for his next waltz I said
7 little tired and VVOI1ld he mind if
1 didn't dance it. And he said he'd rather
sit it out himself So we went out Oh to
that little round gallery that opens of DR..
Cartwright's den and sat there. And
was glad to think how pleased and sur
prised George would be at my unexpected
amiability. And, Prudence Dalrymple,
what do you think he did?'
II give it up. Men move in too mys-
terious ways their wonders to perform for
a mere woman ever to guess their meth
DDS "
''He came to me at the time of his sec
ond quadriIle and asked if he shouldn't
resign it to Mr.. Wells, with whom I SEEM
ed to prefer the reInotencss and seclusion
of a dimly lighted balcony to the open
glare of the ballroom. He said that such
barefaced flirting on the part of a girl
known to be engaged was not only insult
ing to her fiance, but even amounted to a
defiance of society itself; that the charac-
ter of the man in this particular case
made it positively indecent. 1 assure you,
Prudence, that he acted for the rest of the
evening as If I had been guilty Of capi-
tai crime at least. And he hasn't been 20
see me since"
land the Cartwrights' dance occurred
whon?"
1.-The night before last said Polly,
blushing. Don't call me a goose, Pru-
dence And tell me what to do to cure
George of jealousy"
'Stop wearing opals, - advised Pru-
ience briefly, returning to her book.
Il can't" said Polly proudly. "I'm
not superstitious, and besides, George
gave me that bracelet. Anne O'Hagan
in New York Journal.