The Press., 1898-04-28
MY COUSIN EDITH.
snoLa seriously to Edith.

"I think you are behaving disgrace. fully" She looked up. She was scratching the gravel on my aunt's garden path with the pointed end of her parasol She chose to willfully misinterpret my words -e
 Ut will all roll in again. think the gardener wants exercise. Erred" went on severely, "is not a man to be played with.
 "I don't play with him. His screw is too feeble for words.
 "I am not referring to tennis. Fred, I repeat, is too good to be fiirted with in the outrageous way you are doing. "I don't fiirt." q. "You do, Edith. Last season it was I , after that'-
 "Ob, that was not flirting; it was cousinly affection. Besides, you don't count" '- Ut is the same thing. Fred is too serious''- l. And therefore shouldn't be taken seriously" And you are making him believe that you care for him."
 "Perhaps l do. "
 "You don t. Fred is not the sort of man you would like.
 "I am not sure. I like him sometimes when he is away. He is very rest ful man to think about.
 "It is impossible for you to care for a man"- ..
 "Thank you. You are abominably rude"
 -"who is fond of Stuart Mill" went on calmly.
 "I didn't know be was. He never talks about it"
 "I should think" unused judicial. ly, "that he can talk about nothing else. What can he say?''
 "Oh, the usual sort of thing-very much the same as you used to. -
 Erred never struck me as being par. ticularly poetical.
 Were you poetical?" she inquired innocently. disregarded the question. "As your cousin am bound to speak seriously to you, Edith.'
 "As my cousin you are privileged tc be rude"
 "It is the fate of good intentions tc be misunderstood.
 "They shouldn't masquerade as rude | ness.
 Erred is''- went on. "Very wearisome.
 "Then why do you encourage him?' asked triumphantly.
 "I don't encourage him. I don't think any of them want encouraging. can't help it Tiff they think I'm nice can I?'
 "It is not kind"-
 "To be nice?'
 "To make a man think you really care-and be laughing in your sleeve all the while"
 My sleeves are tight this year,
 If you really like him. "How do you know I don't?''
 "It would be different. should say nothing As it is, it is disgraceful. |" Suppose I do care for him?'' "You don't. You said he bored you. ''
 "You all do; but I like some.''
 ''I really think you have no heart, Edith. Poor Fred will be awfully lei down. There was Charlie last month
 "His hair curled-do you remember how his hair curled?''
 "Curly hair in a man is effeminate,' , I said. Mine was quite straight.
 "Never mind Charlie, let us tall about Fred. am getting quite fond ot him. haven't seen him all day." l "I wish you would be serious. It il really time you began to look at life so berly. You are no longer 8 girl.
 Have you seen 8 gray hair?'' sh' asked anxiously. "As your cousin and a man of som, experience"-
 Dear me! Why didn't you tell m, that before?"
 "I am three years older than you. 4 man gathers a great deal more knowl edge of the world than a woman"
 "That is why women are 50 charm ing"
 All women are not charming.
 That is so. she assented musingly "Constance Droury, for instance.
 Miss Droury is a particularly wei informed girl" I rather liked Con stance; she appreciated my poems. No every girl has the power to appreciat | Ynv roan,z