The Banner-Democrat., 1901-09-14

my age a woman does not give five
o'clock flirtations. 1t is not even a
caller. / am sure 1t Is my little friend
Rosamond, the charming girl spoke
Of"
II shall fee, then"
"Do you not wish even to see herT
"Never! Or, If you insist, l shall go
into this little ante-room and look at
her through the crack of the door. That
is the only concession / shall make"
and the young man stepped quickly
into the next room as the opposite
door opened to admit the visitor;
through the slit Andrew could make
out the graceful silhouette of young
girl.
How do you do Mrs. Harmon?"
said the girl, as she entered the room.
"I have brought back the little books
on the orphan asylum that you lent
mamma. May stay moment with
your
| She continued to keep her back to-
ward Andrew, and he, now beginning
to get tired Of the game, had about con-
cluded that she must be frightfully
ugly.
"Sit down here, dear. beside me-"
| and Mrs. Harmon easily contrived to
place the girl just opposite the small
room; and the young man, approaching
his eye to the crack. was struck by the
pretty face he beheld.
| "Well, Rosamond, what are you do
ing nowadays? Are you going out
much?"
mo, very little. I had a card for
Mrs. Laton's tea this afternoon, but
wrote her l was i'll. You will not be-
tray me. will you?" and she laughed
merry laugh that set Andrews heart
to vibrating.
| "Do you not care for such affairs"
asked Mrs. Harmon.
"Sure. Mrs. Harmon. you do not
think it would be amusing to spend an
hour or two watching Mrs. Laton's
firtations. with no one to talk to. but
the insipid women and stupid men of
| her set?"
"You are severe, my child"
Severe? Well, with a woman like
Mrs. Laton do not think one can be
| too much so."
Instinctively Mrs. Harmon raised
her eyes to the door that concealed
Andrew. and. under pretext of arrang-
ing the portiere, she crossed the room,
and. as she rearranged the drapery,
whispered to her nephew:
Its nearly five-you'll be late for
your tea"
But her warning was unheeded; An
drew did not bulge. AS for the girl by
the fire, she was still full Of her idea.
"DO you know Mrs. LaSon. Mrs. Har-
mon" she asked.
"Yes, yes" the old lady fastened to
reply, and to turn the conversation she
] went on. "But you are wrong to de-
clare that all men are stupid. There
are some who are quite sensible"
| Sensible? Well, don't know them.
do not mean that they are all stupid.
but they think themselves SO superior
that they are wearisome. They are
vain. insufferable bores, with their
blase airs and their ideas that they are
irresistible because they can flirt with
Mrs. Laton. who has bleached hair,
smears paint on her face as If 1t were
| a palette, and whose brains are good
for nothing but to devise outrageous
| gowns"
| Again Mrs. Harmon cast an uneasy
| glance toward the little room, in which
Andrew was fast waxing angry. He
would have liked to strangle this girl,
| whose superb health and triumphant
beauty irritated him.
"And when will you get married, my
dear" suggested Mrs. Harmon, again
throwing herself into the breach.
II shall never marry"
| Indeed? Why notY'
"Why not" repeated Rosamond,
shadow of melancholy coming over her
face that Andrew admired in spite Of
himself. because l am a little fool
| who cannot do as the rest do. would
wish to love my husband and to have
him love me- ! would wish to marry
man whom / should single from
| among the rest for his goodness and
| intelligence. / would wish to have a
confidence in him, and above all to be
proud of him."
AS the girl spoke she had become
| animated with a gentle exaltation.
| which was not without its effect on
the young man behind the door.
"weIl, Rosamond." said Mrs. Har-
mon, "why do you not realize your
| dream?"
Because there are no young men
nowadays who care to look for girl
who pleases them. Marriage for them
is matter of business. nothing more.
and the woman herself does not count.
They marry when they have lost their
money, and the little heart they pos
sessed has been frittered away on some
Mrs. Laton or another"
Again Mrs. Harmon arose, and pre-
tending she had an order to give, ex-
cused herself and FASTENED to her
nephew. =. -
well, aunt, she mas given Us nice
dressing down, eh? For q charming
girl l would back her against the
| world"
Hurry. Andrew; it is late, and you
have almost missed your tea"
MY tear he repeated. Bother my
tea! Is there nothing else In the world
but my tea? Now, you must find an
excuse to bring me into the room and
I'll show that young shrew whether
all men are fools. oh, she need have
no fear. shall not try to marry her,
for l still have all my hair. q little
money and a heart still intact"
| Mrs. Harmon could not restrain
smile n the yeuns mans vsxation, and