Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-11-18
FAIR OR DARK

course he didn't, or you wouldn't look SO
cross and streaky this morning"
Lady Margaret, whose temper some
times matched her hair, was lolling in
her own particular armchair beside the
boudoir fire. Raising lackluster eyes
from the pages of the Morning Post, she
treated her sister Celia to CLASSY stare.
Gross and streaky!. she repeated
slowly. 'Well, suppose it takes fair
woman to look beaming and bloated by
ii o'clock in the morning"
Celia, on tiptoe before the fireplace,
smiled at her own pink and white re-
Election in the mirror.
'When a man does not propose" she
announced, apparently addressing the
coal box, "it is invariably the woman's
fault. Why did you manage so badly 2"
Silence.
Either" proceeded Celia, either you
snubbed him atrociously or you encour
aged him indecently. Which was it %
Still silence.
Celia, though delighted with her own
eloquence, felt she had missed the bulls
eve.
Twisting round on the fender stool she
faced her sister.
Margaret" in tragic whisper, MAR
garet, were you mad enough to laugh at
him?''
The Morning Post rustled impatiently.
"You think you know everything,
Celia, but you DON'T
"But l mean to-" replied the other sig
nifcantly, land good intentions count for
something. It's no use quibbling," she
went on, you did or said something to
gag Godfrey Pelham. What was it %
Lady Margaret gave mirthless laugh
"Oh, he proposed right enough" she
said
The blue china eyes opened wider.
Proposed, did he? Then why on
earth-?"
Then Lady Margaret dropped the
Morning Post.
Celia" she asked, 'you admire dark
men, don't your
The whilom inquisitor blushed.
Most awfully," she murmured, "but
what Of that?''
Nothing, only I don't; and last night
Good heavens!" gasped Celia, 81 be-
lieve you told him So"
Silence.
Margaret (sternly) Il give you up.
You tell that peacock of Godfrey that
you don't admire him and then weep
inside the Morning Post because he
didn't propose
ooh DEAR" moaned the culprit, "I only
said how queer it felt to find myself ac-
cepting him when I'd loathed dark men
all my life
"And, pray, what did he say" inquired
Celia with the air of the kind keeper to
the prize imbecile
''He-he jumped UP, turned blacker
than ever, and said since he was person
ally repugnant to me he would retract
his unfortunate proposal"
Him." said Celia in scornful pity, II
should think you and Sidney Rendle had
better marry each other
Sidney Rendle? Why?'
SWhy not? He's almost an albino;
fair enough to please even you, I mag
ine, and he loves dark women"
How do you know?'
''He told me 500
Told you SO! When? Last night?''
Yes; he was quite charming to me till
we went out to find a glowworm and
then-then l thought he was going to,
but-but@"
But he didn't" supplied Lady Mar
garet. Drying her eyes she sat up.
'When a man doesn't propose" she
quoted, sit is invariably the woman's
fault Why did you manage SO badly?'
1T was not my fault cried Celia.
Il neither snubbed nor encouraged him.
| didn't laugh at him nor censure his APP
pearance. 1t was he who said all of
sudden ana without any warning that he
had an aversion to fair women. Oh, it
was awful" ard Celia, too, produced her
handkerchief
"And what did you say?''
81? said it was pity he hadn't told
me SO before, and that I hated albinos
myself, and glowworms, and balls, and"
IF you please, my lady, Sir Godfrey
Pelham is in the drawing room and begs
you will see him for one moment
The maid addressed Lady Margaret,
who after a hasty interview with the
mirror glanced interrogatively at her
sister
Eyes, of course" cried Celia, $50 at
once, but don't forget to rave about his
Spanish profile" she called out as Mar
garet fitted down the stairs.
"a note fer you, my lady," said the
maid, re entering. and Celia, glancing at
the salyer, saw the we'll known hand
writing.
Fair lady she read, 'you interrupted
me last night il the middle of an impor-
tant sentence. misunderstanding is cost
iy, 50 | write to put one fact beyond it's
reach AS | tried to tell you, | always
felt an aversion to fair woman till I met
you. Since then I am Indifferent to all