The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-02-24


my age a woman does not give five
O'Clock flrtations. 1t is not even a
caller. / am sure it is my little friend
Rosamond, the charming girl spoke
off,
81 shall flee, then"
"Do you not wish even to see her?r
"Never! Or, if you insist, shall go
into this little ante-room and look at
her through the crack of the door.
That is the only concession l shall
MAKE" and the young man stepped
quickly into the next room as the OPP
posite door opened to admit the visitor.
Through the crack Andrew could make
out the graceful silhouette of a young
girl.
"How do you do Mrs. Harmony
said the girl, as she entered the room.
al have brought back the little book
on the orphan asylum that you
lent mamma. May / stay moment
with you ?''
She continued to keep her back to-
wards Andrew, and he now beginning
to get tired of the game, had about
concluded that Miss Rosamond must
be frightfulIy ugly.
'Sit down here beside me-" and Mrs.
Harmon easily contrived to place the
girl just opposite the small room; and
the young man, his eyes to the crack,
was struck by the pretty face he beheld.
"Weli, Rosamond, what are you do
ing nowadays? Are you going out
much?"
"No, very little. l had card for
Mrs. Laton's tea this afternoon, but
wrote her l was ill. You'll not betray
me, will you?p And she laughed a
merry laugh that set Andrews heart
vibrating.
''Do you not care for such affairs?"
asked Mrs. Harmon.
"Surely, Mrs. Harmon, you do not
think it would be amusing to spend an
hour or two watching Mrs. Laton's
flirtations, with no one to talk to but
the insipid women and stupid men of
her set?'
"You are severe, my child"
''Severe? Well, with a woman like
Mrs. Laton, do not think one can be
too much So"
Instinctively Mrs. Harmon raised her
eyes to the door that concealed An
drew, and under pretcxt of arranging
the portiere, she crossed the room, and
as she rearranged the drapery, whis-
pered to her nephew:
"It's nearly flve-you'll be late to
your tea.n
But her warning was unheeded. An
drew did not bulge. As for the girl by
the fire, she was still full of her idea.
"Do you know Mrs. Laton, Mrs.
Harmon?n she asked.
"Oh, yes" the old lady hastened to
reply, and to turn the conversation,
she went on:
''But you are wrong to declare that
all men are stupid. There are some
who are quite sensible"
Sensible? Well, | do not know
them. | do not mean that they are all
stupid, but they think themselves so
superior that they are wearisome. They
are vain, insufferable bores, with their
blase airs and their idea that they are
irresistible because they can fiirt with
Mrs. Laton, who has bleached hair
and smears paint on her face as IL it
were palette, and whose brains are
good for nothing but TO devise out
rageous hats and gowns"
Again Mrs. Harmon cast an uneasy
glance toward the little room, in which
Andrew was fast waxing angry. He
would have liked to strangle this girl,
whose superb health and beauty irritat-
ed him.
''And when will you get married,
my dear?' suggested Mrs. Harmon,
again throwing herself into the breach.
81 shall never marry"
Indeed? Why not?"
"Why not?" repeated Rosamond, a
shadow of melancholy coming over
the face that Andrew admired in spite
of himself. Because am little fool
that can not do as the rest do. l would
wish to love my husband and to have
him love me. / would wish to marry
a man whom / should single out from
among the rest for his goodness and in
telligence. / would wish to have con-
fidence i'm him, and above all, to be
proud of him."
AS the girl spoke, she had become an
imated with a gentle exaltation. which
was not without its effect on the young
man behind the door.
''Well Rosamond," said Mrs. Har-
mon, "why do you not realize your
dream?"
Because there are no young men
nowadays who care to look for girl
who pleases them. Marriage for them
is matter of business, nothing more,
and the woman herself does not count.
They marry when they have lost their
money, and when The little heart they
possessed has been frittered away on
some Mrs. Laton OF another"
Again Mrs. Harmon arose, and, pre-
tending she had an order to give, ex-
cused herself, and hastened to her neph-
ew.
"Well, aunt, she has given US a nice
dressing down, eh? For charming
GIRL l would back her against the
world.n
"Hurry, Andrew; it is late, and you
will. miss your tea"
''My teal he repeated, "Bother the
tea. Is there nothing else in the world
hut my tea? No, you must find an ex-
cuse to bring me into the room, and
I'll show that young lady whether all
men are fools. Oh, she need have no
fear, shall not try TO marry her, for |
still have all my hair, little money,
and heart still intact"
Mrs. Harmon could not restrain
smile at the young mans vexation, and
five minutes later Andrew entered the
drawing room.
But, contrary to all expectations, the
If