The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1899-09-27
THE NEWEST WOMAN

"Well, really now, this is awfully
good of you, Miss Polly, taking pity on
poor devil like me. Have a chair,
will you?" and ROderiek Hospitality
swept pile of papers from the single
chair his stuffy little Office contained.
Thanks, /" said Polly, demurely. at
grieves me to see'-with severe bend
ing of her pretty brow-''that you are
not quite so commOdiously domieiled
as you have led your friends TO believe.
Indeed, fail to observe the costly statue
or the curtained recess which hid a
painters masterpiece, or the bric-a-brae
which adorned youI special sanctum,
or the jardiniere of exoties-Or-"
"Oh, come now, don't be hard on q
fellow if he tried to cheat the world b
little with his optimism, but found a
parallel for every parable"
Parable is a very mild expression" +"
put in Miss Polly. al call it lies"
''The Bible name sounds better" he
suggested mildly, land more appropri-
ate; besides, / can illustrate every as
sertion. For instance" he pulled aside
the curtain from his one window-''this
is the curtained recess from which /
look down upon my costly statue; there
it is-old Ben Franklin, shedding his
benign presence over that dingy square.
Is he not as much mine as he is yours,
or Mr.. Smiths, next door, That's the
sociological light to view it in; and the
painters masterpiece is little further
on, but visible to the naked eye. The
simmer of the bay is exquisite in the
sunlight, and on dull and murky days
it is Corot at his best; it might be Tur-
ner just now, it is such brilliant dash
of color. And the brio a-brac, | assure
you, Miss Polly, that broken nosed
Juno on the shelf just over your head is
q marvel Of the rare unique"
"And the exotics," murmured Polly,
chow can you account for them?"
"My greatest treasurer he announc-
ed - pushing a single flower pot in
view. THAT is a sprig Of rose geranium
that certain young lady dropped from
her hair last Christmas at the Caring
toms ball. Are you satisfied?"
'No. All those half-truths are worse
than lies'-with a queer little catch in
her voice, then with sudden change
''Roderick-"
"Well?'
"Tve come to eat my lunch with you;
it's dreadfully improper, know, but, "
maliciousIy, "nIy little office was so
small that / sighed for more spacious
quarters. Are you sure your clients
will not interrupt us?n
"I think may assure your safety on
that score"
"Very well, then, I shall spread the
feast" cried Miss Polly, springing up
and grasping fat black bag, which had
nestled unnOticed in her lap. Remove
your ink and quilts from your desk in
to the recess, also the legal cap and
those heavy TONES of Jurisprudence and
The Heavenly Twins F" with wither-
ing scorn. ais that the way you spend
your time, Roderick?"
"Only my leisure moments" he
pleaded.
''Do you know" said Miss Polly, "Pve
been thinking it over calmly and de-
liberately, aud I've come to the conclu-
sion that progress and poverty don't
pull together at all. Theoretically it's
all very well to strain point and say
they do, but, coming down to facts, u
with smart thump Of her closed FIST
on the desk, sit doesn't work. The
grindstOne of poverty has no more in
common with the giant strides of prog
ress than-than-"
THAN yon with me, ;" suggested Rod
erick.
She sent reproaehful glance across
the desk to where he sat in the window
recess.
Cant you be impersonal for just two
minutes?'' she asked. 81 like to gen
eralize wide Of the mark and narrow
down gradually and logically to my OBJ
jective point. 1t is such mistake tc
think that all women jump at conclu.
sions. The new woman is entirely
above such things"
''You must be the very newest thing
in women" he said, in an emphatic
tone Of approval.
She shook her head.
aNo, we haven't reached the super
lalive yet"