The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-01
The Confession Of Coquette.
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She was a laughing young dame. with
rowing eye and a smile seemed to invite
even when it repealed Irritation.
You ask me if married my first lover
she inquired, flashing out a rougish glance,
even while she regarded me with sort of
mock reproof
'What an absurd question. What woman
| ever marries her first love? except, perhaps,
some quiet, puny little thing, who felt her
self fortunate in getting one man even TO
notice her. No, indeed; I've had lots of
beaux and often thought my affections seri-
ously enlisted. I've concluded, however,
that they were only fancies.
But stay; there was one find it worth
telling you about. I was always very TO
mantle; was born that way and couldn't help
it. NV earliest girlish fancies pictured
some dark patrician, foreign gentleman, with
a proud air and prouder ancestry, and if he
had a strange past-wcll, nothing bad, you
know, but just mysterous-so much the
better.
"Fate wilcd that I should meet one who
typifed exactly my DREAM and of all ma
tlonalities destiny must make him Span
lard. l met him during Il stay in France.
He followed me to America don't think
ever enjoyed another mans society quite
as l did Don Anselmo's!
As lover he was idcal as man, charm
ing. He was the incarnation of knightly
honor attention. gallantry! He was on
every side sympathetic. There was also
deep note Of sentiment which at times an
moved me because l could never quite re
spond to it.
Il took him about a good deal socially
among my friends and we went often to the
theater, of which he was very fond. He
urged marriage and l finally engaged myself
to him.
Then l began to discover new phases and
many standings in his character. He began
to claim ownership and exact condolences re-
sardng every little movement on my part.
He wanted to probe my soul, to learn my
feelings toward every human being knew
in the world. l resented this and we had lots
of lovers quarrels. These were not 50 bad in
their way, since they afforded scope for the
many pleasant reconciliations that followed.
Finally his love developed to the point OF
wanting to read all my correspondence-see
every line received from man or woman!
drew the line there-a sharp one-aud Il seri-
o,,s ouarrel followed. He reasoned with me-
nleaded. tried to show me my duty and his
RIGHTS. l could see neither from his view
point.
The rift in our sky dcepened He hap
nened in one day while ! was reading letter
i'm which | was too deeply interested to no
rice his coming He demanded to know from
whom il was and what il contained. The let
tor was merely from girl friend and there
was nothing whatever in it Of real privacy.
but his autOcratic manner made me refuse
point blank to show it to him. He insisted;
continued to refuse. He tried to wrest the
letter from my hands resisted. evaded and
| held the letter behind my back. Then he lost
control aud became furious. Jealousy anH
. rage shone from his eyes. He lifted his right
hand and struck me on the left cheek.
For moment / stood speechess, CULVER
ing with Indignation. Then / broke the 81
Ience with an uugrily nervous laugh.
- thought once You had smitten my
/ heart [ said, but it remained for you TO
smite my cheek in order to make me see
my mistake have never loved yOu-I never
/ can love you-gO.
! He was on his knees in a moment, all pro
| test, penitence and prayers.
! 1t is no use, / continued. An American
! woman can never love the man who strikes
her. She cannot even respect him. Leave
| me-gO at once"
J He went, proudly erect, his head in the