The Wichita daily eagle., 1901-06-16
A LATTER-pAY LESSON.

| netic you may as well burn YOUR boats
| first as last. He had TO come 20 her
room four weeks ago; now he spoke Of
manicure as an art, and had his nails
| attended every. third day. OF course, il
1 was very weak of him-he admitted that,
| even 10 himself; but when a woman com
! bines the sharpest tongue with the most
bewitching eyes on earth. man usually
forgets many things that were better re-
membered.
1t was chilly in the street outside. In
! doors, in the familiar little room, there
were Russian viOlets and a fire. The
1 flames played reflections upon the white
/ furniture and the FURNISHED copper work.
and by the low table. Uttered with point
ed implements, the kettle murmured over
an iron lamp.
She sat a little straighter in her chair
/ He felt her fingers stiffen, and he heard
! the file drop onto the table with click.
How many times have I told you" she
said, that necessity and pleasure don't
amalgamate? Ten, was it not? Her voice
was delightfully."- cool.
He opened his eyes and looked up. ''You
are very hard on me-" he said, complain
iBgly.
The quaint clock on the mantelpiece
licked soOthingly; the kettle droned ike
a sleepy bee; the touch of her hands was
perfection. He was more than satisfied
to wait.
DO you know" she said at length.
that an aforementioned hand is Ike a
morass-one has to move so carefully.
once had client Then her thoughts
wandered, and she let her sentence drop
Her hair lay in a soft curve on her
forehead He opened his eyes again and
watched it. noting the ruddy shadow cast
upon it by the fire. You're quite impos-
sible," he said. quite. Different every
time I come. I don't call it fair, you
know; I don't, really"
MOP" She raised her eyelids swiftly.
"Oh well-you know what l mean"
This hand in the bowl, please" She
lifted the kettle and poured some water
into the gilt finger bowl.
Come, you know what mean
Water too hOt2"
Right, thanks! Only, say
She paused suddenly. DO you know
that you are making a great mistake"
she said; that you've got hold Of the
wrong thread, and are tangling it-tang-
ling 1t horribly?' The steam curled I'D in
vapor-her fingers rested lightly on his
wrist, holding it in place. You need a
little truth; everybody dOes-at times
She was watching him again with her
direct, searching glance. Il imagined il
on Thursday. I knew il when these flow
ers came today" She touched the ring
lets with her disengaged hand.
Yet you haven't thrown them away?"
NO. Beautiful things are too few.
Besides, it wasn't their fauir-was it:''
4 thought a womans action always
had double meaning?"
Only when her nature has two sides
l think the hand is ready" She STOPPED
to pick up a towel. He tried 10 see her
face, but it was obstinately bent There
was the faint sound of a chair being
pushed back. When she looked up he
was standing by the table.
His glance rested On her curiorsly
Something in the 1.-THE reliance of her
figure stung him to speech. You are
for the last four weeks. You've worked
yourself into my life; you've made it
your own. 1 can force you to take
share"
She watched him critically I'm not
afraid she said: please don't think that
I am. You know I can always ring
He took out his handkerchief and wiped
his hand, still wet from the water. 81
simply want TO be candid he said.
indeed" Her persistent smile goaded
him.
4 don't know what you think, but
there's something you've got TO under
stand. You've got to know that I love
you-that you are the only woman
She came a step nearer TO him. II
wouldn't" she said, very quietly, Il re
ally wouldn t-if 1 were you"
For an instant he looked at her inquir-
ingly. Then he laughed. Come, he
said, 'slife's not long enough for this"
I'm 2S.' she said, slowly. In twenty
eight years one learns a few facts"
And has time 70 learn few more"
She walked to the mantelpiece and rest
ed her arm against the ledge; her fingers
wandering among the photographs, paus-
ing for a moment on a silver frame with
closed doors. DO you believe in para
bic and example2' she asked.
Il believe you were carved out of
wood" he said.
She smiled.
'Well. all wood was once alive-and had
green leaves"
'Meaning?''
oh nothing. The world has consid.
cradle hardening power-thats ALL"
But there comes an hour when every
body must relax"
Everybody isn't tempted. without
temptation strength is merely negative"
But you can't get away from human !
nature"
mo; that's it." She smiled again. TITS
too obvious to be enticing.
BY your creed she said, every wo- |
man is inevitably a fool. Whether she /
be one at the beginning Of the chapter /
or az the end is just temperament-and |
chance. AS a matter OF fact, most wo- /
men 90 TO pieces on the same rock; they !
all believe that for them. individually. I
the theories OF eternity will be turned /
upside down. It's very feminine, but it's 4
a fact Now, have friend. Won't /
you sit DOWN?
Thanks, no." lie felt IT, at ease. He |
was learning that anticipation is too frail /
a bubble for touch.
'Weu have a friend. Forgive me for
talking of myself, won't you2 We are 1
all so egotistical at times. This friend I
is Just IS. the simplest girl on earth L"
(fIer sentences were abrupt and her eyes
still narrowed. were extraordinarily
bright1 she writes me such child let
ters-all white and sweet; and she lives
In an old house in Cornwall. down by
he sea. The most wonderful place IN Gre
alton, but 100 miles behind today.
She stopped, and he moved uRcomforta-
bly,. Then he pulled himself up. IN
1eedr' he said. indeed
You begin TO follow Three months
ago this child got enga ged.
Really His tone was perfectly life
polite
YES. an excellent match deduce. for
she never says so. She Thapsodies SC
personally. Speaks of him as just Jack
Absurd, isn't it,?
He laughed constrainealy- Not very
striking name. certainly
NO. Don't fdget with those knives.
No. it's not striking. She looked atten-
lively AZ her nails where the freight
.aueht thslr polish "0ne could hardly
,au II distinguished. could onef
He felt that the scent q The yiolets was
.ouev-hst overpowerinE He walked 70
he window you rather puzzle me-"
BE- said. His voice was very low.
Really We'll. there are always explain
atoms. You see. make study 81 these
.hsnEs ? used TO eead my little fr1=Ld 8