Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-08-28

think she had pinned various parts of
various gowns and hats together and had
produced fetching tout ensemble, and |
also observed that her gloves were white
and brand new. If | had relied upon
some oddly of her makeup to lend en-
couragement to my own eccentricity l
was disappointed.
Shall | change it," | asked.
Now she ought to have said Yes ~
promptly like a sensible woman She
didn't She fell back upon her old talla-
cious argument. feeling perhaps the
necessity of defending by precept what
she had failed To assert in practice, and
declared That one mad perfect right TO
dress as one pleased; that the color be-
came me we'll, ana that we really ought
to start. if We didn't wish TO miss the
overture
We walked, remember past the dimly
| lighted stores of Third avenue. | with my
overcoat collar turned up and she with
the tips of her glovcd fingers resting on
my arm. My ordeal began when, having
stored my high hat under the seat, | shed
my overcoat and sat down braVely at her
side.
had expected there would be a gen
eral murmur of Abs. as when a
rocket eXpludes high over the heads of
multitude, but nothing of the kind hap
pened. y young man who had placed
rectly in front Of me turned around to
| adjust it and stopped in the middle of the
| preceding To stare at my throat as
| though he had seen "A tarantula on my
| shirt bosom. Then he resumed face
| front and the girl at his side bent near
t. hear what he had to whisper. | knew
| il was coming. Her face gradually swept
around, then her handkerchief went to
her mouth and she coughed,
| tried to smile. but | knew | was be-
| ing spotted first by ones and twos and
then by dozens. The recognition of my
| humble presence now being universal
what most affected and embarrassed me
was that accorded by a military appear
ing man who sat directly across the aisle
| from myself.
lie wore a heavy brown mustache and
| goatee. and had those uncomfortably
| penetrating, persistent eyes which seem
never to realize the obligation of occa-
| sionally yielding the visual right of way
| to other eyes; keen, fearless eyes, that
| in their roamings seem to seek rather
| than to avoid, optical collisions. 1t was
never possible for me to look in this
mans direction that his pertinent gaze
| was not INod upon me, and when |
| turned away | was still aware that his
| scrutiny continued.
His studied air of silent scorn became
so calling that gradually my mental
state Necfed from EMBARRASSMENT TO VIM
| dictiveness: the worm of humiliation be-
| gan to turn; Miss Etta's conception Of
| the comprehensive public snob seemed to
me in my present self-inllicted attitude
| of public offender, not only logical, but
| just | became aggressive in spirit and
| incidentally, found il a relief one can
not feel like a fool and a devouring lion
| at the same time, however excellent
| fool one may remain.
| determined TO heard this subtle enemy
| of individual freedom, called :" Good
Taste" and fight it with its own weapons
| of disdain. If Miss Eta would permit
me | would take turn through the
lobby and into the smoking-room. Miss
Eta would; and | did.
Pugnacity of the most virulent brand
caused me to hold my chin at its highest
angle as l puffed slowly at a weed in the
smoking department., which in those days