The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-19
FRIvoLE AND AmARYLlIs.

FRlVOLE AND AMARYLlIS.
q am going to the Astor library this
/ very minute, and the next time Mr..
/ Van Schaik comes 10 see me he Will not
| go away and tell that horrid dowdy,
] Nell Denham, that I am a pretty little
! featherhead.' Oh. deari Oh. deari If
/ he had only said il to any one else in
| the world but 10 that girl. who still
wears four finland ties and big sleeves.
as Noah's family did when it came out
| Of the ark, and doesn't know this year
! style Of sailor hat from last years."
And so she hied herself of to the Astor
/ library.
/ Amaryliis was looking very sad when
| Grivole arrived. She didn't have Frivole' 5
| rose and cream complexion or Frivole' S
merry laugh. But Frivole didn't appreci-
ate her blessings that morning. The first
thing she did was 10 begin TO sob.
''Frivole, dear, what is it?'
oh, nothing, only 1 wish-I wish I
could have a little wrinkle in my fore
head like YOU, and then people would
say l thought sometimes"
Amaryllis rang for tea.
I'm SO discouraged, Amaryllis." And
she rolled her handkerchief into a ball
and dabbed each eye.
I want TO be sensible and serious,
and 7 don't know how. I want to be
clever and improve my mind. I want
appealing misery the silver teapot had
scarcely reflected before.
Amaryllis looked Mortified.
Mr.. Van Schajk, the awfully clever
one, who writes books and is a lawyer
and is going 10 congress and all that. you
know-wen, ne called once IN awhile, and
he said I was a feather-head. Oh, what
a dreadful wordr'
And you wish to please this gifted
creature?" said AmarylHs. dropping a
lump of sugar into Frivole's tea Sup
pose you read some. Take up a course
OF history. Dolly Madison is a fad just
now. Read up Dolly and the war Of
1872. War makes good small talk these
days. and If he is going to congress
1T sounds very hard" faltered the
ambitious one, but I'll try"
That's right, dear Now I'll confide
in you. Frivole, I want to be frivo-
lous"
"Oh, Amaryllisl"
I'm tired of being learned. I want to
know how to be attractive and pleasant
when people are tired as we'll as when
they are fresh and ready to listen and
argue. 1 want to be like you. Now,
tell me how You never weary people
or tax their intellects or upset their
nerves. You amuse them, and refresh
them"
'Oh, talk nonsense and wear pretty
dresses, and when the atmosphere is sad
just curl your hair all Overt I think
you are awfully foolish, though. 1 don't
know much about anything else but
Mamma always said a hirt was born
fiirt, and I think you would not be
half so nice If you were frivolous, ANA
ryllis.'
So they parted.
It was fragrant and softly gloomy in
the lamplighted music room, and Fri
vole, looking rather white and anxious,
sat bolt upright on the piano stool.
All day she had been studying liter
ature' and improving her mind" Kings
and queens were to her as so many pup
pets Paganism and civilization were
mere words TO play with. She was well
up in literature. 1t was a novel posi-
ton for Frivole, and when Mr.. Van
Schaik was ushered in he was surprised
She didn't run into the hall to meet
him with some absurd welcome which he
heard, misunderstood and analysed as
charming. She didn't laugh and shake
her hand vigorously and then sit down
with a cloud of frills around her and
chatter to him.
Alas, she did nothing of the kind He
awoke her from a scene of carnage when
he entered, and she raised two brilliant
eyes and a flushed face from her book.
advanced with intense suffering depicted
on every feature and, wringing his hand,
said:
"Oh. Mr.. Van Schaik. how glad I am
to see youi Wasn't it perfectly dreadful
about poor Mary, Queen of Scots?"
1t was very Unkind of him, but Mr..
Van Schaik went away to the mount
aims next day. He declared that his
nerves were completely shaken up.
Amaryllis shook the silver tea bell an
ing tears to caress her pink cheeks.
We'll, it's a consolation anyhow, Am
aryllis, to know that you were not
success"
Thanks" said Amaryllis.
What did they say when you tried
to be like me?'
''Well. I don't ike to seem rude. Fri
vole dear. but the family wouldn't listen.
They simply abscOnded. The girls all
said turned into Dodo. You remember
Dodo in the book, who talked about her
baby as a landed proprietor and wished
she could be a Christian martyr, SO that
her fingers would curl Up ike bacon
when they burned her at the stakei
Then my laugh-you know you laugh
all the time Frivole-wen, my laugh
scared Bob so that he knocked over a
case which father brought from Egypt,
and they all concluded that l was hys-
tericsl and had better take vaca-
ton"
Poor Amaryllisl TIL go with you II
my gray frock comes home"
And what did Mr.. Van Schaik say
after you tried to open the converse
tion2"
Say? Why. he almost tainted, and
well-I don't think he appreciates clever, /
cultured women. It ali depends on what
one is used to. I suppose
And then they drank some more tea