The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-08-26
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.


ter table. as the most conspicuous place,
hoping that the widow would note the
elegance OF the hat, and It's harmonious
blending in the general decoration Of the
room. Having made the selection. he
threw himself into a chair by the table.
to show that he Charles Dantois. was
the proud owner of that silk tile.
The beautiful Madame de Jeuse entered
in cortege OF perfumes She was de-
iightfully gracious to her painter" and
seated herself near him on the corner of
the diyan But the hat, like a barrier,
separated them Still she did not appear
to observe IT, Evidently the widow was
accustomed to high hats. And after awhile
even the artist himself seemed to forget
he ever owned one. He confded TO
Madame de Jeuse that he had never met
In all his life woman OF such superior
intellect nor one who seemed TO UNDER
stand him quite so well, and the coquet-
fish beauty assured the artist that he
realized for her the ideal she had long
sacrificed The tete-a-tetc was progress
ing delightfully."- when tea was brought In,
and the charming widow arose to serve
It,
Naturally the tray was placed upon the
center table. and in distraction the foot
man put the silk hat on the divan. Dan
tots took the cup which the widow pre-
sented. and at the same time raised the
which in itself was difiicult. not 70 say
dangerous, but which he accomplished
without any serious results.
Nine de Jeuse, coyly Withdrawing her
hand returned to her seat on the divAn.
But she gave n frightened scream Ihe
artist glanced at the center tabie--his
hat had disappeared. In moment ne
realized the terrible situation-sne han
seated herself on his silk tilel and stood
before him. holding the demolished hat IN
the tins OF her ieweled fingers. She looked
erst AT the artist then at the hat. In an
endeavor to connect the two, and burst
out into an inextinguishable laugh.
WHY is Il that nothing so amuses a
woman as 10 sit on a mans hat, patucu-
larry his tall, silk tile? The tact admits
neither discussion nor ANALYSIS. put GER
tain II IL that a woman takes delicious
and even diabolieal pleasure in demol~
| ishing a mans hat. She finds II so very
! funny but the man. Well. he doesn't
| ind II quite so droll.
| The pretty widow laughed and laughed,
and the artist laughed, because he felt
:, compelled to. II would have been unfair
| to allow such an amiable creature TO
| laugh alone, but his laugh lacked sponia-
| neity--it was weak and constrained-and
| his smile was forced.
"Ah. monsieur. IL ask a thousand par
.aons-really. I am $3.50 very sorry"
| said Nine. de Jeuse. looking archly at the
| artist and laughing all the while.
''oh. Il is nothing at ALL absolutely
nothing" replied Dantots. assuming SUI
| perb air OF Indifference.
But your poor lit-tIe hat" said the
| widow hardly able to suppress her hilar-
| NV II hope YOU believe that~that ! am
| sincerely sorry. Monster Dantois.'' and
| then the little coauet,e laughed again.
The artist smiled as he looked AZ her.
| hut /, was a severe smile. After ali, he
| said to himself. she appears absolutely de-
! void az Intellect Her laugh IN positively
| Irritating; II CRATES on ones nerves. sa-
| yor< o, hysterfa, or worse yet--the hsy
| Ium And then she isn't al all pretty
| when she laughs. FL Grand Dieu' she "
/ simply making fun of me. Were ] a
| society man she wouldn't dare laugh 80
| hiIariousiy--but | am only an artist, ma
| chere-she simply sat down on the hrt Of
an artist.
| IN, 40 not laugh for the accident r.
| grave. though this unthinking society wo-
1 man does not realize Il. As Dantois
| watched her he began 70 detest her-until
the detestation grew TO hatred Had such
| an accident occurred with his model. he
| would have pardoned IT, and would M
| doubt have heartily joined In the laugh.
: hut with this woman II was different. lie
/ couli never pardon her. She had sat on
/ something mote than his hat-on his am
I hitsons his hopes and his heart. And he
/ turned away from her-hciter row thsa
| later In a single moment she Rad made
/ him realize the immense gulf which sep
/ arated them and which would siEays sep
/ Rrate them Perhaps II was sheurt-hut
! II was fnite-irraparahie.
And when Mime. de Jsuse had creased
laughing both made an effort 90 rssum.
the thread o. their conversation But Il
was Impossible, They could find nothing
| TO say. The silence vas icy. They simply
smiled at each other. people so who
/ are barely acquainted. and who await a
| third person who does nst eoune At The
| end o. quarter % an hour the artist
arose and hade the widow roat evening.
As Ne PASSED into the Arts-rnorn ne r.
solved 20 axense himself on The soosnan.
lie slapped the demolished hat on HE
| head. snf wlfh defiant and fsro~igus
look. eyed the iaekeT. hoping that he
/ Vouif iauxA Fus ne valet Ae pssd IN
/ firnFs4feF ~rrsffa $50 -s---f' hfasseff "a A
50 Daniots passed o. into the stree, hui
| never again asd BE- cross the threshold Of
| Nine. Sc Jsuse's salon