The sun., 1901-04-09
JUST A WOMAN'S WAY
by CLYDE DuNN1NG.

1t is a rainy, disagreeable day. Elizabeth
and her cousin "Jack" are seated ON sofa
in a well-furnished room, before glowing
hearth. A long silence, when Elizabeth
says, suddenly:
"Jack, do think Of something to amuse
me. ! am as blue as indigo!"
Certainly, my dear cousin. What shall
I do? Favor you with skirt dance, turn
cartwheels, pull 20 colors of silk ribbon from
my chops, orr"
'Oh, Jack! Why are you SO foolish?",
"Weally, cawn't say, We know, unless"
thoughtfully. "I'm misconceptions sort
of animal. But what can do" And Jack
seats himself on the head of the sofa and
gazes down, rather disconsolately, into
pair Of moist eyes. 'By jove, / wish Arling
ton could see you now! He'd have little
foundation for his unreasonable 'Odes to
E. full of liquid eyes and"
A furtive dab of handkerchief to the
said "liquid eyes" appealed powerfully to
him, and he broke off abruptly.
'By the way" he says, finally, "have you
heard that Eastman leaves for Europe soon?
Some fellows at the club hinted that you
are the prime benefactor in blessing society
with his absence for an indefinite period"
The handkerchief is unreservedly in use
now. "It can't be that you're snuffiing
about him?" savagely. A faint sound.
rather difficult to classify, is the only re-
ply.
"Are you?" he persists, relentlessly.
The handkerchief goes down, and Eliz-
abeth sits bolt upright.
Finally she says: II can't tell you what
I'm crying about, but I'm in trouble, Jack
and want you to help me.
Don't see how ] can help you"
"Well, by giving me advice, and"
"All right, 'Barkis is willin';' but if that
cad Eastman is in it it'll go hard with him,
and don't you forget it!'
'.Well," Elizabeth begins, pulling at the
fringe on the sofa, suppose, just sup.
pose" :"
"All right, I've supposed it'll"
"That certain young lady had known
a certain young gentleman for long time,
in fact, all her life, and he'd been very, very
kind to her"
Eastman to II" growls Jack.
"And that he had asked her to marry him,
and she had refused"
so Eastman and are in the same boat!"
interpolates the landscape observer.
"Telling him that she had the sincerest
regard for him, and that she felt like a
sister to him, you know" pursues Eliza
beth.
eyes, ! know"
"And she really thought so then, but
afterward, when he seemed to be a little
afraid to be quite the same dear old friend,
she felt different, and later, when she heard
that he was going away for long, long time,
she knew that she cared great deal more
for him than sister ever could"
Lucky dog!"
"And that she would never be happy
without him, and"
Say, Elizabeth, what do you see in that
| frog, anyway" demands Jack, turning
squarely around. Just leave him alone;
| you needn't be afraid Of being an old maid.
Remember you've got me to fall back on if
you don't get another chance. I'm whole
lot better investment than"
Don't interrupt me! Turn your back
and pay attention"
''That's the way! You'll never take a
good thing when you see it. But, remember,
1 it isn't my fault" And Jack readjusts him
self.
"And she is just as miserable as she can
be. 1t may be that he doesn't care for her
any more"
"The heart that has truly loved, etc.,
etc." quotes Jack, softly.
"Well, suppose that he does love her yet
she can't tell him she's changed her mind,
and--O, Jack, what shall do!"
might insert personal in the Sunday
papers. Eastman doesn't leave till Mon
day."
''Now, Jack, I'm sure you can devise some
/ plan to help me-"
II don't know, unless you can arrange
to walk into room where he is some time
with your left eye turned up and your fan
in your right hand pointing downward on
direct line with the toe of your right boot
Seems to me that that is part of Loves
Telegraph that means 4 relent--'"
ooh, Jack, how can you?"
GLOW can /? Amt / doing my evelest
to help you back with Eastman, and yol
treat me like that? Never mind, you'll be
punished sufficiently when you get him. !
And Jack turns his aggrieved back on her
perhaps to hide his real feelings.
'But Jack" pleadingly.
"But what?" gruffiy."
"Can't you suggest something?"
"Well, you know that am going away
myself tomorrow, but / might see East
man tonight and suggest that he had bet
ter call again. Then you'll be happy. And
I'll go to the devil" he adds, after short
pause.
"Oh, that would never dol"
"Wel, Elizabeth, it's what call hard
lines to have to advise the girl you love bet
ter than all the world beside on such mat
ter. But if you really want to let him know
that you feel differently now, you might
send a note and tell him that you would like
to see him once more, on some pretext OF
other He'd surely come. Then all your diff
fculty would end, and you'd have the bliss
full privilege of seeing his blooming picture
as long as even you would care to, he fin
ishes, moodily. "How does that strike
you?"
sDear old Jack, you're dream!" ex
claims Elizabeth, bestowing kiss on his
forehead with heartiness which sets hin
tingling deliciously. Before he could turn
however, she is gone, leaving him nothing
else to do but to secure his hat and um
brella and walk to the club
When Jack calls the next morning to bic
the family good-by, it is not the Elizabetl
OF Yesterday that greets him, hut the OLE
Elizabeth, as calm and inscrutable as if sl,'
had never sought any .cousinly advice o.
bestowed cousinly kiss upon the tall young
fellow who held her hand SO long at part
ing.
"Wonder if dare kiss herr" he thinks
The old Elizabeth had always frowned upoI
such cousinly demonstrations. believe III
try it," Rather to his surprise, she permit
the caress, which he attributes to his sug
. gestion concerning Eastman"