The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-01-30
WHAT HAPPENED.
Copyright, 1902, by w. R. Hearst.)

.....
Copyright, 1902, by w. r. Hearst.)
Once upon a time there was a place OF
unrest, otherwise known as a summer
resort hotel. On the long and broad
piazza of that hotel sat all day the old
ladies, gossiping like a Greek chorus
about all the things that were going on.
On the beach n in he woods and
fields were various little children and
their mothers and nurses, too busy hay
ing and watching their own good times
to know or care whether anything was
going on or not. And everywhere were
the girls, longing for something to hap
pen. But with only a few old men and
half grown youths for fate to work
with, what could happen?
July Waned toward August. The pref
ty firt had no adequate use for her
fine eyes; the intellectual girl had no
one to theorize with, the mischief maker
had to spin her own plots in the air, and
the crowd Of average girls had nothing
to do but wait. The spirit Of unrest
was also waiting.
Suddenly a man a%ppeared-a tall,
handsome, most promising man; an in
nocent looking, wild-eyed Englishman
OF 80 or more. with a solemn and soulful
face. The old ladies'. remembered that
this was his second appearance; a few
before he had come with his
mother and sister and refused to sully
his flial devotion by looking at any 9TH
er woman. They noted that this time
he came alone, and one Of them who
had met him before drew him out on
the first evening. She was q knowing
old woman of the world and she drew
him out far. To her he confided the fact
that he had hitherto devoted himself
too exclusively to business and had seen
TOO little nf 1ifo. thof ha Juo pnur ra.
solved to com out Of his shell and see
what the world vas made of. He had
never cared much for women-no, but
perhaps he had done the sex injustice.
Obviously women were a part OF the
world.
So the knowing old lady introduced
him to all the girls, and all the old
ladies paused in their embroidery and
looked over their spectacle rims to see
what would happen.
Then the spirit or unrest grew bold-
er. The intellectual girl told the mis-
chief maker it was a pity to let him
fall an easy prey to the little f1irt, who
was always so sure of running down
every nan within reach of her eyes.
And the mischief-naker set at work
with her wits M her charms and drew
the average girls into her plots and
warded him off from the little tiirt from
morn till deWy eve. And the little flirt,
divining he plots, gazed pathetically
at her stolen prey across the storms
and chasms OF circumstance. And still
the maj was impartially polite to all,
and nothing happened.
AT last, one fine day, q new arrival
appeared with her maid and many well
filled trunks. She also had been there
before, and she vas the fascinating
Mrs. So-and-so, whose numerous do
1ngs had for some years kept a certain
southern city in a state of ferment. The
mischief-maker welcomed her back
with joy and sat, as usual, at her feet.
You must Join u.s. she said; "it's q
shame that that silly little firt should
think h can capture every man who
turns up, isn't it?"
yes, 1ndeed-a shame" said Mrs.
S~o-and-so.
You must help us thwart her-we
can rely on you, then?" said the mis-
chief-maker.
of course, my dear girl; your bat
ties are mine,' said Mrs. ~So-and-so.
And so events began rapidly to hap
pen, and the old ladies on the piazza
had something to talk about. The
mans wide eyes looked puzzled at first
then illuminated, and he conflded to
the old lady, his friend, a suspicion tina,
there might be even more In life thar
ne had hitherto imagined. There were
WdlhS AZ LIE WOODS, moonlight musings
on the beach, while the waves rolled ir
cozy conversations in hooks under the
rocks. And there were little teas in
Mrs. Sa-and-so's daintily nnade-ove1
sitting room-teas with rum In then
n with high-balls at a side table;
teas to which,the girls were invited b.
turns. And there were even midnight
suppers, to which the girls were not in
vited-but hushi let US leave the ole
ladies to talk about those!
And the man was a changed being
Like a mechanical toy suddenly wounc
up, he circled joyously around his en-.
li%ghtener. His austerity relaxed, he
bent, he grew festive to the point Of
dizziness; he darkened, he maddened
he fell head over heels at Mrs. So-and.
SOS feet.
Well" said the mischief-maker
haughtily.
But, my dear, I did it only to pleas,
you" said Mrs. So~-and-so.
And the OLD ladies on the porch re.
marked: What chance have girl
against a married woman in a gam,
like that!"--By Harriet Monroe.
u ILEEA No. A. N.Y. IAF AItHL