Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-05-24
AN EXCEPTIONAL WOMAN.

The hors d Oeuvre-a novel mixture Of
sayory fish, such as anchovy and red her.
ring, with olives, gherkins, beet root etc.
had come and gone. The soup, a con-
somme of delicious flavor, had had it's
day, and now the fish was before them
And still she had not spoken,
Justin Crawford ventured to survey
her stealthily. with relieved curiosity.
she was a slim, pale woman, with fea-
lures refined to the point of thinness
medltatlVe gray eyes, and hair whose I'M
dulatlons shone prettily in the soft glow
of the shaded lights.
she must have caught my NAME" he
said to himself, with subdued gratifica-
tlon. She is probably a domestic wom-
an, and domestic women are often de-
Hclously ignorant" He almost thought
ne might venture a remark.
ne red mullet is good tonight. Do
OFF, 'e'i'i'u9 me
mo. Tel me-" And she looked up
with all the simple Difference of woman
of the old regime.
Mortimer Collins novels" he said.
lie was so fond of it. and he made all
as a reward"
Il have not read his books she said.
indeed. l seldom read novels"
rms, he said to himself, lis a wom-
an III thousand" His spirits rose and
ne WaEed timOrously confidential
Neither do l." he said. "And vet peo-
PIE are always asking me what novels |
IKE best | don't like any, | prefer a
DOCK with no conversation in il. The
eternal chitchat in the average novel is
10 me intensely wearisome | like some
| thing Notwithstanding one can
smoke with. Lambs and Stevenson
read Bacon?"
II think-we got him at school"
Ihere was an agreeable dubiety in her
| soft gray eyes
so did we. It's such a shame to call
| ms things essays. They were achieve
ments, and | like essays best"
| Perhaps she was listening, but she did
! not answer, and there was a far-awav
| look in her tranquil eyes.
| You do not care for too much con-
vefSatlon, he said insinuatingly.
| 1t depends" she said. Il think peo-
| PIE. are, too fond of talking nowadays.
1t is all because the magazines say CON
versation is a lost art, and people try to
| prove 1t IS mistake. We need inter-
ludes of silence to breed our fancy in
How delightfulr'- and he felt almost
gay. She would not quote my essay on
| silence, so casually did she know she
was talking to the author"
II agree with YOU" he said aloud.
| The only conversation thoroughly ap-
preelate is that of children"
| her face Lit up at once. Are they
not deliciousT' she said
Now. he thought, for the customary
anecdote.' Aloud: Il am sure you are
| q mother"
7 have two ehildren-a little boy and
a girl
the differing infections in her voice.
| She flushed family and her eyes fell
He is my little boy" she said in low
tone. land that is all about it"
de was at once content How could
he dream of this exceptional woman Civ
! ing way to the customary anecdote?
Across the table vivaciouS lady with
carefully curied hair and judiciously
| tinted complexion whispered to the man
beside her: Look at Justin Crawford
] never saw him talk so much beforer'
When the sweets came she partook of
| them with lively greed that rather Iii
verted Mr. Crawford. Il am sure" he
| said. ''you like both sugar and milk in
your tea
"Of course"
How delightfully."- usual" And h.
sighed with content. Il am sorry [ shall
not see you upstairs afterward. l do
like woman who takes both sugar ard
| milk. Its so much less trouble"
Are you not coming up afterward -
She seemed urprised-disappointed
The scared look caue back to his
| short sighted eyes fer little. II
have a standing engagement at my club
Immediately after dinler" he said.
Come up tonight And the gray
eyes looked soft persuasion at him.
Il SHALL he began magnanimouSly
Then. his courage failing him. he added,
| for ten minutes.
Shortly afterward tht-e was tho
usual rustic of skirts. the agreeable pat
ter on the stairs, the echo of a feminine
lougb and presently the distant rumble
of the piano
When he went upstairs he found his
late companion lying on curved chair
at the half-open window. he went over
beside her and peered out into the dark.