The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1901-06-20
The Counter lrritant

nv hS. DONN-WESI was wOm-
Iv an with theories-not purposes;
but theories upon essentially femi-
nine topics. She reasoned out every
thing which puzzled her, and she
was more often right than wrong-as
is the way of women. She always held
that the theory of counter-irritants
was sound; and now. having convinced
herself that something was wrong
with her friend Betty Clinton, she de-
sired to set it right, for she loved to
unravel the tangled skeins of love af-
fairs.
"Have you seen Tom Renston late
ly?" she asked the girl, who was sit
ting with her in her pretty boudoir.
"Not very lately" replied her COM
panion, in tone of the most exagger-
ated indifference.
| "Ah! l thought so," unused Mrs.
Dunn-West, ''there has been a quar-
rel!"
Mrs. Dunn-West was one of the few
women who possess men friends.
That is to say, she had plenty of
friends, but not one of them would
have thought of making love to her;
and she had knack of learning wom-
ems troubles as well as mems. So,
putting the two together, she was q
useful member of society, for she
possessed large share of that valu-
able adjunct. discretion.
Poor Toni" sighed Mrs. Dunn
West. HE Is not a bad sort of fell
low"
The girls face became stony, but
she did not utter word.
"I hope he will marry soon," con-
tinued Mrs. Dunn-West. ~ was speak
ing to him about his future-I real
ly feel quite a motherly interest in
him, you know--and told him what
I thought. told him he should give
up futtering from blossom to blossom
for Tom is a shocking firt, my dear
Betty-and settle down into respect
able double harness"
"Your advice was very sound" said
Betty Clinton, icily, "and doubtless
Mr.. Renston will act upon it,"
Mrs. Dunn-West smiled into her
daintily scented handkerchief.
atom Renston," she thought, "you
will owe me something before I've fin
ished."
"And what do you think the conceit.
ed fellow said?" laughed the diplo.
matist.
i "rm sure I don't know" replied
Betty. II can't imagine he would say
anything very original OF brilliant"
"Oh, Tom is not either original OF
brilliant" said Mrs. Dunn-West. "But
he is simply delightfully."- conceited."
Miss Clinton felt annoyed. She felt
that it was her privilege to run down
Tom Renston, but she did not like to
hear others do it.
1 II never thought he was very con.
ceited," she said, frigidly.
!, "Oh, but he is, my dear" persisted
Mrs. Dunn-West. "Simply devoured
with It."
IF you think So" replied Betty. 81
wonder you think his remarks worth
repeating"
Mrs. Dunn-West again sought the
aid of her handkerchief to conceal q
smile. 't'~-t 'i3
"Things are going nicely" she
thought, "and Tom will be here pres
emily"
"It's just his conceit," she said
(which makes him amusing. If 70,
J knew him as well as / do, you would
have discovered that am right"
Miss Clinton bit her lips to suppress,
an incriminating outburst The ides
Of this woman claiming to know Ton
! Renston better than she did! 1t was
preposterous!
"In fact" added Mrs. Dunn-West
poor Tom has nothing except his con
ceit to carry him through"
II really don't agree with you," in
terposed Betty, hotly.
'No? Then what do you claim fol
Tom?" asked Mrs. Dunn-West.
Betty Clinton was furious with her
self for speaking with feeling, and
still more furious with Mrs. Dunn est
for having trapped her.
"Oh," she said, contemptuously, ~
claim nothing for Mr.. Renston. dc
not in the least wish to constitute
myself his champion"
| Naturally you DON'T" replied Mrs
Dunn-West; "of course I would be
10th to speak disparagingly of man
in whom you felt any interest"
II don't see why one should speak
disparagingly of anyone" said Miss
Clinton. trying to speak in a tone OF
indifference.
Certainly not" said Mrs. Dunn.
West. "And ] amlnot the one to speak
Ill of poor Tom Renston, in whom
/ x~n Y Sxn-
terest. Still II would interest me to
hear what other attributes, besides
conceit. you think he possesses. Not
brains. surely" i
Betty Chnton's face Aushed. Wai
there no escape from this subject, she
wonderedf But abe had seen enough
OF the world to know that studied