Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1901-03-13
AN AMBIGUOUS ANSWER

>N-~c~~-~Oo~~~N~~~~~~O
'It's no good going on like that, man.
ma" said the girl, blushing suddenly
red. Il stuck to Wimberley as long
as there was ghost Of a chance, and
when l saw there was none, and no
other man came forward-well, l sup
pose love George Anderson as much
as girl like me can-I know we can't
marry-but what's the good of going to
dances and dancing with useless stick
after useless stick all the timer"
Lord Wimberley Is not useless
stick" said Lady Lester, with sudden
warmth, which brought tinge of color
to her cheeks and made her look much
younger and unusually handsome. "It
Is you who are such foolish and frlv-
olous girl that you are incapable of
appreciating his talents. His speeches
in the House of Lords have been much
admired"
"Oh, why don't you have go-in for
him yourself, II you admire him SO
much? I will make you a present of
my chance, for 1t isn't worth straw"
"Alice, how dare you speak to me
like that? Remember that l am your
mother"
Alice had not seen her mother angry
for years. She was amazed and a tritle
alarmed at the unexpected ebuliition
of the wrath Of TIE dove.
"Of course was only joking" she
said, sulkily. "You gave 1t to me, and
thought l might have little one
back. OF course he is not likely to
| think Of you. He Is great deal too
wise to make such a-er-um-well,
you know what mean."
You are an exceedingly insolent
girl" was the mothers reply to this
polite apology, "and I terribly regret
crippling myself in this way In order
to give you a chance that you have
| wasted"
81 never asked you to-
"Yes, you did. You were always say
ing that you never had proper chance
like other girls, and what you would
do If you had. Well, now you have
had 1T, and what good has 1t beenT
In this dialogue Of 81 never did" and
"T wish l hadn't there was no doubt
a great deal of truth on both sides.
Lady Lester had been foolish; Alice
had been unsuccessful. Both had con-
Cured In this folly with their eyes
open, and success, after all, does not
depend solely ON the desire and need
of the seeker. 1t would have been bet
ter If the ladies had accepted the ine
evitable without recrimination, but
they had both been ground to such a
sharp edge by the continual stress of
liable to wound Doomed as they We're
by nature to fill the greater part Of
their time with talk, whether It were
well or Ill, 1t was inevitable that their
conversation should recur again and
again with increasing sharpness to the
topic which they had most at heart
equally whether 1t were well or Ill.
There was ball that night, and the
Testers went. Lady Lester was queer,
distrait, sharp, but distinctly looking
|
and conscious that she was by no
means in her most attractive form. Nor
did any special success attend her en-
trance to raise her spirits. Pretty,
pennlless girls with sharp tongues are
mere drug in the London bathrooms.
George Anderson was, of course, faith
full, and she danced several dances with
him. 1T is better than sitting out all
the evening"" she said defiantly when
Lady Lester demonstrated.
Lord Wimberley> took her from
George for his usual one dance.
"That seems nice young man." he
said in his kind, friendly, unlover-like
way. mot we'll off, Is he? 1t is a
pity he hasn't some clever woman to
push him along"
"Why, what could woman dor de
manded Alice, surprised and interest
ed
"Oh, lots of things. Women can
push and ask when men can't. They
are sure to be treated politely even
when they are refused, and very often
they get what they want simply be
cause 1t Is difficult to refuse a woman
Besides, they can stick to the subject
Don't you remember that the unjust
Judge gave way to the importunate
widow solely to get rid of her, where
MS he would have ordered a man tC
be thrown out. Well, now, what Mr.
Anderson wants is that woman
should find out some comfortable bertl
vacant and never rest until she has
. pushed him into It,"
But how does woman beglnT
said Alice, with deepening interest, fol
there was something fascinating In the