, 1900-10-23

sure you're not talking of an attack of
measles"
Don't be impertinent. I'm telling
the truth. In others the symptoms
show more slowly. so that it almost
seems as If they would never appear
at all. but the fatal age comes sooner
or later."
And you are sure there are no ex-
c~eptions?'
perfectly"
Thank you for that much encour-
agement, at least"
~ don't understand"
Never mind now; proceed, for I'm
intensely Interested
"A girl just entering the manage
period isn't so particular. She judges
by the outside cover II a man wears
good clothes, has a jaunty appearance.
can talk bright small talk-yes. she is
susceptible to good looks, especially
soft, soulful brown eyes, curly locks
and all that sort of thing. He must
dance divinely. of course. and her cup
Of happiness is filled to the very brim
If he can quote tender lines of poetry.
Should all these charms prove futile.
a cane and a pair Of patent feathers
would certainly conquer. Oh. yes. its
rather foolish. but most Of us. unless
very strong minded. Can look back to
this sort of Beau Brummel hero. There
is one advantage of this age, however;
it is usually brief. You can't blame
us much because. you know it is only
actual experience that teaches us to
| suspend judgment of the fruit until
we have cut 1t to view the core"
1T seems to me this manage. too,
is somewhat callow to be very inter
esting. Let's go to the next"
"Oh, not so fast, dear sir. The man
age is a long. long ago. Why, in
some cases it is the only age Cno mar
rage or home-age. you know, but
there are many different stages.
"Oh. l see-evolution.'
Yes, something like that. II not
evolution, at least variety"
Pardon me for asking questions. but
can you tell me why so many apparent
" nice girls seem to favor the blase,
reckless and oft times seemingly good
for-nothing men of the worldT"
i've been expecting that. Well
you remember Eve?"
Fairly we'll. although | could
scarcely be classed as contemporary"
Il beg your pardon. You remember
the story, ! mean, of the temptation
and fall-all caused by curiosity. That
old failing still clings to womankind
with the tenacity of a barnacle. The
life of a worldly man seems a sort OF
mystery to a girl with little or no ex-
perience. The hint Of vice. the sug
gestive circumstances Of her friends,
all make her the more determined to
find out for herself. She certainly
does not like him because of his vices,
but her own discoveries are made SO
gradually that she fails to realize her
danger until her conquest is complete,
and we all know how hard it is to
wean ourselves from any one or any
thing OF which we have become fond
ave when we realize fully the trail-
ties and worthlessness."
But often 1t is the bright, wide
awake woman Of the world who falls
In love with this sort OF man"
Il hardly know how much you
mean to convey by the term this sort
Of man. but ! suppose you mean the
good fellow kind. I'll tell you women
hate sham-in man, at least. The man
who makes a great pretense Of good
ness and perfection must, naturally.
slip occasionally, and SO women turn
to the men who do not pretend to all
the virtues on the moral calendar. be-
cause they think they are the more
sincere Of the two. A sort OF Scylla
and Charybdis. I admit"
"Or in modern English, Between the
devil and the deep. deep sea- How
about men who compliment and fat
ter!"
Many women say they don't like
the trait. l am sure it isn't very
pleasant to listen to. 1t unless 1t is ad-
dressed to ones self. But, II the truth
were told, most Of us do like 1t, JUS,
' a. ws ius uds and cake. even though