The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1898-02-22
MY COUSIN EDITH.
/ spoke seriously to Edith.

spoke SERIOUSLY 10 EulbH.
81 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.
at will all roll in again. think the
gardener wants exercise.
Erred, y went ON severely, sis not
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 fiirted with
in the outrageous way you are doing. p"
81 don't fiirt."
"You do, Edith. Last season it was l
after that
"Oh, that was not flirting; it was
cousinly 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. ;"
81 am not sure. like him sometimes
when he is away. He is very rest
full man to think about.
sit is impossible for you to care for
a man
"Thank you. You are abominably
rude
-"who is fond of Stuart Mill" I
went on calmly.
talks about it. -
81 should Think I 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 poeticalr' she inquired
innocently. l disregarded the question.
"As your cousin I am bound to speak
seriously to you, Edith"
GAS my cousin you are privileged to
be rude
at is the fate of good intentions to
be misunderstood.
''They shouldn't masquerade as rude
ness
Erred isl went on.
every wearisome.
''Then why do you encourage him?'
asked triumphantly.
''I don't encourage him. / don It
think any of them want encouraging. I
can't help it if-if they think I'm nice,
can I?''
''It is not kind
''To be nicer
"To make 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 don't
sit would be different should say
nothing AS it is, it is disgraceful. -
Suppose do care for him?"
"You don't. You said he bored you y
"You all do; but like some
II really think you have no heart,
Edith. Poor Fred will be awfully let
down. There was Charlie last mont"
"His hair curled-do you remember
how his hair curled?"
"Curly hair in man is effeminate, "
/ 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."
81 wish you would be serious. It i.
really time you began to look at life 80
berly. You are no longer girl"
"Have you seen gray hairf' she
asked anxiously.
"As your cousin and man of soms
experience
dear mel Why didn't you tell me
that before?'
81 am three years older than you. A
man gathers great deal more knowl
edge of the world than a woman.
"That is why women are SO charm
ing"
"All women are not charming"
"That is so, - she assented musingly
Constance Droury, for instance"
Miss Droury is particularly vel
informed girl. - I rather liked Con
stance; she appreciated my poems. No
every girl has the power to appreciate
my poems.
Eyes, about the failings of hel
friends
'They at least are failings"
''She says SO. -
tYou 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 tina
she was hurt
miss Droury is very popular. !"
Erred hates her. l think she's well
meaning but unfortunate. -
81 was not thinking of Fred"
''No, you were thinking of yourself.
Edith had a disagreeable habit 0.
reading ones thoughts-to be more cor
rect, of reading my thoughts. Some
times it verged upon indecency.
"We are getting away from the ques
tion,' said severely. 81 want to SPEAK
TO you seriously ABOUT your nirea1loA
with Fred. !"
81 deny the Irritation. -
"Then it is seriousf'
She did not answer. She wore per
sonal blue. There are some blues whiol
belong to the universe, and there ar
some which belong to persons. Thi
blue belonged essentially to Edith.
"a L. IL. ks.
done her hair. had told her of 1t tw'
days ago. 1t suddenly struck me tina
her adoption Of it was delicate com
pliment to me. I liked compliments
delicate compliments. Besides, Free
was not the man to make Edith happy
On the whole I don't think he was tn
man to make any woman happy.