Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-03-05
MY COUSIN EDITH.
/ spoke seriously to Edith.


words.
at will all roll in again. think the
gardener wants exercise.
Fred" l went on severely, "is not
a man to be played with. "
II don't play with him. His screw is
too feeble for words -
81 am not referring to tennis. Fred,
repeat, is too good to be firted with
in the outrageous way you are doing"
II don't flirt.
"You do, Edith. Last season it was !;
after that
ooh, that was not flirting; it was
oousinly affection. Besides, you don t
count. ?"
cit is the same thing. Fred is too
serious
"And therefore shouldn't be taken
seriously"
"And you are making him believe
that you care for him"
Perhaps | do -
"You don't. Fred is not the sort of
man you would like.
II am not sure. 1 like him sometimes
full man to think about.
cit is impossible for you to care for
a man
"Thank you. You are abominably
rude. "
-"who is fond of Stuart Mill" l
went on calmly.
81 didn't know he was. He never
talks about it,
Il should think" | unused judicial
ly, "that he can talk about nothing
else. What can he say?'
ooh, the usual sort of thing-very
much the same as you used to. E"
Fired never struck me as being par
ticularly poetical.
"Were you poetical?" she inquired
innocently. | disregarded the question.
GAS your cousin | am bound to speak
seriously to you, Edith"
'As my cousin you are privileged to
be rude. A"
cit is the fate of good intentions to
be misunderstood. "
"They shouldn't masquerade as rude
ness"
Erred is | went on.
Every woarisome.
"Then why do you encourage him?"
/ asked triumphantly.
81 don't encourage him. l don't
think any of them want encouraging. l
can't help it tiff they think I'm nice,
can IT,
cit is not kind
'To be nice?"
"To make man think you really
care-and be laughing in your sleeve
all tho while,
"My sleeves are tight this year. "
eff you really like him -
Chow do you know don t?''
sit would be different. | should say
nothing AS it is, it is diseraceful. "
Suppose l do care for him:"
"You don You said he bored you.
"You all do but like some.
Il really think you have no heart,
Edith. Poor Fred will be awfully let
down. There was Charlie last mont"
"His hair curlcd-do you remember
how his hair curled:"
Curly hair in man is effemiuate,
/ said. Mine was quite straight.
Never mind Charlie, let us talk
about Fred. am getting quite fond Of
him. / haven't seen him all day.
II wish you would be serious, 1t is
really time you began to look at life So
berly. You are no longer a girl.
"Have you seen "a gray hair?" she
asked anxiously.
"As your cousin and a man Of some
experience
Dear mel Why didn't you tell me
that before?"
81 am three years older than you. A
man gathers "a great deal more knowl-
edge of the world than 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 well
informed girl" / rather liked Con-
stance; she appreciated my poems. Not
every girl has the power to appreciate
my poems.
Eyes, about the failings Of her
friends.
"They at least are failings.
"She says so. -
"You are i'll natured. hope, Edith,
you are not jealous in temperament. -
"Of Constance? Certainly not "
She answered my implied question,
not my verbal one. knew by that that
she was hurt.
"Miss Droury is very popular.
Erred hates her. think shes we'll
meaning but unfortunate.
Il was not thinking of Fred. "
ono, you were thinking of yourself "
Edith had a disagreeable habit of
aiding one's thoughts-to be more cor