The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-13
MRS. LowENsTEIN's TALENT.

side, the man $, and the take IS all or
the other side. the woman's.
For myself, / viii never sacrifice ny
right 10 soar, unfettered through the
boundless sky, in order to bring com
parative freedom TO any Gagged canary.
At this minute there are, TO be pre-
| else. no less than five canaries bent upon
caging me. There is Ethel Phipson- There
| is Lily Cartwright. There is Janet Fair
| banks. There is Nellie Dampier- There
IS Jessie Raymond. AL are pretty and
| charming
4 wrote the above in my common
place book one day last year.
l met Ethel Phipson today in the train
coming down from London
"Oh, Mr.. Vaneson," she said. II wish
! you'd come in TO dinner. Can you come
| tomorrow"
with pleasure
I'm so glad you can come" she an
| swered Mrs Lowenstein is going to
tell our characters Won't it be fun
Is she palmist, then2" I inquired
No She laughs at palmistry as hum
burg. She calls herself phrenophysiog-
onmist."
The next day I duly went tc fulfill my
| engagement An excellent dinner and hall
a bottle of the celebrated claret put me
| in my best vein. l sat with Ethel on d
| sofa and billed with her most agreeab bly,
/ through the bars. Then my hostess said:
Now Mrs. Lowenstein. will you tel,
our characters. as you promised to do?'
Certainly / will" said that lady brisk
! ~. She contemplated me in silence for I.
minute or more. Then she said, with quite
| startling suddenness:
/ You're wanting in nose"
The remark annoyed me-in the first
| place, because it was unduly personal;
| in the second because it conveyed a
| totally unmerited reflection upon my
| facial appearance.
Pray, what dc you deduce from that?'
1 inquired. with chill politeness.
"A loving disposition" she answered.
You have a great weakness for the fair
sex
THAT is very interesting" observed.
ut will avail you nothing" she an
swered. You will never marry
More and more interesting" I ex-
claimed. DO you deduce that also. may
l ask, from my want of nose?''
NO, not entirely. But-well, in point
of fact, / will not tell you my reasons
now. 1t would be inconsiderate. BY and
! by, perhaps. l can whisper them to you
privately"
Secrets, eh?" laughed Mr.. Phipson.
Yes" said Mrs. Lowenstein, rising
from her Chippendale chair. Occasions
now and then arise. you see, when one
forms impressions which one feels it
would be unfair and unkind to make
public. That is one"
"Oh, please don't mind met 1 cried.
nettled by her tone. Pray speak out
unreservedly."
Not now-another time, perhaps" she
answered.
Ethel, dear said Mrs. Phipson, will
you play us something?"
Ethel sat down at the piano and struck
up a sonata Under cover thereof i'm
mediately approached and tackled Mrs.
Lowenstein.
Now" I said this is a capital op-
portunity. VIII you tell me why you
formed the impression of me that
should never marry? AS a matter of fact,
you are right; but L am interested to
know how you arrived at that conclu-
sion"
THE truth is you are deficient in those
qualities by which our sex is attracted.
You are not the sort of a man. in short,
with whom any girl would contemplate
matrimony"
THAT is very sad. was not aware
that I was so repulsive."
"Repulsive?" she replied. Come now.
l never said nor suggested that. On the
contrary, girls like you very much. They
find you companiOnable, interesting and
a pleasant, as well as a safe subject to
fiirt with. But"
You mean they regard me as a species
Of tame cat?' 1 interposed, ironically.
Tame cat is not the expression I
should have used" she answered. But
since you put it INTO my mouth. it will
serve to convey my meaning Girls like
you too well en- bon amateur You arc
the amusing and entertaining friend of
them all, and that is why you Will never
be the accepted lover of any one of them"
I am glad to hear it," 1 said. with
dignity, for. as l told you, l never do
mean to marry. and I should be sorry
to disturb any girls peace of mind
Make yourself quite easy" she an
swered. confidently. You never will
IF [ wanted a wife" I said. Il need
go no further than this drawing room
to obtain one
1t was truly but rashly spoken in the
irritation of the moment.
DO You mean Ethel or ANY," in
qured Mrs. Lowenstein. superciliously.
This was downright insulting. Amy,
Ethers sister. was a kid Of a schoolgirl,
just rising "A.
Ethel. of course" I retorted.
She gave little incredulous laugh.
You think she would not accept me?'
demanded
1T is not matter of thinking; I know
it." she said with superior cocksure-
ness too rilins tor words.
I'VE viii see 1 said.
What. You will ask her? Surely it
would be unfair on Ethel to do that.
merely for the purpose OF settling this
comparatively immateriai point
AS she is certain to refuse" re-
torted. sarcastically, no harm will be
TO be sure" she said. Yes. That
is quite true.
The woman drove me quite mad; so
mad that did ask Ethel that very
night.
Ethel replied: "oh. Mr. vaneson.
plea se-please. don't l like you ever so
much as a friend. but not in that way.
Oh no. ! do hope you will never men
ton the subject again.
So Ethel actually refused meme.
What can have been her reason2 Some
one must have got at her for. in her
heart. she must have loved me It could /
not have been otherwise
left the Phlps0n's house. laughing to
myself savagely.
Next day which was Tuesday. pro- /
posed 70 Lily Cartwright.
Lily said. "Oh. Mr. Faneson L please ,
say no more. This is quite impc ssihle /
I Ike and esteem yoU as friend. but : 1
can never marry you-nevei
on the Thursday I proposed 10 Janet /
Fairbanks.
Janet said. oh no, no, 7 should Ike /
you TO be my brother. but
on the Friday I asked Nellie DamsFier. 1
You surprise and pain me, Mr.. Vane- I
son" said Nellie 7 car never be. 4
Please say no more
II said no more Net
on the Saturday ] asked Jessie Ray /,
mond 70 marry me. Jeiiie said.
oh. NFr. Eauesen. I-I-you have taken
me by surprise, but-but-I do love you
dearly. an6-yss- Z VIII