Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-06-07
HIS EXPERIMENT.

down on her thOughtfully, but there was
a hint Of amusement in the twist Of his
mouth.
NO, thank YOU ne corrected, with
gentle gravity.
Babette blt her lips in helpless, 81
lent anger. She felt that she had APP
peared ike a ruffied canary before whose
bars be had passed n teasing finger. and
her vanity was on fire, scorching her
intolerabiy.
lie had asked her gravely and With
out worship, to marry him, and she. hail
ing a chance TO be revengefaI for
thousand tiny wounds, had drawn her
self up like Il novel heroine. with Ups
and eyes following the printed Jigec.1o2S
of romance, and had refused Aia @-;A
chilly hauteur.
Gray's glance, keen, quiet. not 13o2~
ing, had shattered the soap bubble ssa1r
of the moment, ami reduced asg from
queen Of fiction 10 q Petu4aE. zs5t-G E-Et
caught in the act OF posing, Ee c214@
have SoOthed her in a second ty 8 -22c1
of ardor, hint of pleading; b1t be 1-.y
argued a little, In grave, rsa2Sol& o.e EzsA-
ion, and asked her If she would na- be-
ter reconsider her answer She qulveEvd
under her anger. and the know ledge tA2.
it was small and petty doubled tAe ex-
ASPIRATION. Her No" stood for what.
in lower civilization, would have been
a blow.
They sat silent for a little while, she
with an inward tumult that showed it.
self in proud rigidity; he outwardly i'm
passive, though the mocking look had left
his face.
"Wel, l have failed" he began slow
ly. Perhaps it was my fault. perhaps
yours; or it may be that the thing itself
is impossible"
Babette did not betray a flicker of in
terest, but he went on
II think | could have made you fail in
love with my love of you, but | vowed |
wouldn't. | wanted you to care for me
myself, as n man, or not at all. | want
ed you to like me first aud then love me
but l seem to have failed in both"
She started to speak, then checked her.
self, and began working a nervous finger
into ting hole in the silk pillow she
leaned on.
I'm not man who can spend his life
on his knees, ministering to woman's
love of admiration. If | had won you
in that attitude, you would have been
unhappy when | went back to my nor
NAL position. You would have loved the
posture, not the man himself. | wanted
our relation to be an honest one from the
start, | thought you were broad enough
compliment than alteration, Babette."
You don't love me-not in the least"
she broke out. you're cold and critical,
and--oh, l." She stopped abruptly.
Yes, you hate me-" he said, a little
bitterly. IF it were for what l am. |
shouldn't have a word to say. But it is
just for my attitude toward yOu-that is
all you think of. This everlasting fem
mime vanityr
Babette's self-control was in tatters
but She drew it desperately around her
His face changed as he looked at her,
and he came and stood beside her chair.
My dearest girl, ] know I've hurt
YOU brutally thousand times" he said;
but you have hurt me more. | did
want you to understand the real value
of things, to prove yourself above the
little personal standpoint that most girls
take And vet. all the time''-he bent
down till his forehead almost touched
her hair-"I wanted to go down on my
knees just like any other fool.'
1t was nearly two years before Ba-
bette saw Gray again. Change and
chance took him completely away from
her outer life. Then one night she found
herself trembling with the knowledge
that she was not two feet from him, in
the crowded audience of an amateur
play. He was directly in front of her
sitting with his elbow on the back of his
chair and talking to Mrs. Collier IA pref
ty, affected little widow, delcately fem
mime.
ITS just my gown" she was saying
Isn't it triumph Why. if you saw
it on wax lady III a shop window, your
pulse would act in exactly the same
way"
but you didn't have it on last night, -
he argued. The chairs were so close to-
gether that Babette could hear every
word. Nor the night before, nor every
time I've seen you. Besides, never
have time to look at your gowns. You
send me away before I'm half through
with your
The curtain is going up" interposed
Mrs. Collier.
DO l have to look at the stage?" he
asked, in a forlorn whisper.
Babette, under pretense of draft,
changed her seat, and fixed her eyes ON
the stage, dimly conscious that some
thing was going on there. When. later,
Gray recognized her and came across TO
shake hands, she met him with frank
cordality.
1T is good of you to speak to me at
an he said, dropping down beside her
Her eyes questioned him.
surely you haven't forgotten how
took it on myself TO read YOU lecture
back in our buried pastF he explained.
II wake up and blush over il in the
night even yet. / was very rude and
very prggish. remember. What a sol
emn Chump you must have thought met
ut was about being broad-minded."
said Babette slowly; "about seeing things
as they really were. and not just as they
affected one personally"
I'm afraid SO, he admitted. Il made
war on women in general and you in
particular. and wanted you TO give up
all Your most adorable traits Wasn't
greent"
What if | had taken you seriously,
had gone to work and made myself over
to fit your standards?" she asked, with
laugh.
Then l suppose Ia have been to
blame for the spelling OF a very charm
ing person." he answered. I'm 50 glad
you didn't. It's your blessed little femi-
ninitieS that make you what you are"
What are we?' Her voice E.aS heavy
with something he did not try to under
stand.
"A thing TO be braided and ieweled
and kissed. he laughed THE one re-
deemlnS feature of an ugly, stupid
What has changed You so?" she
asbed. Her face was smiling, but she
kent her eyes from him.
oh. time, and common sense. and ex-