Rock Island Argus., 1904-07-12
DAILY SHORT STORY
NV Chaneeable Lover.
(Original.l

~ say L Iihc NY AOfNA bSSN
when he is feminine. l suppose, TO be
strictly grammatical. l should say
when she is feminine" but there is
no word in the English language which
stands for "he or She We use he
at times to stand for both. Therefore
whether he is acting like a man or
woman | shall call him he
Sometimes Jack pays me comph-
ments, sometimes tells me the truth
if il is the truth-blurting it out sud
denly and grutfiy. He often criticlseS
my dress, at times approving of my
costume, at times decrying it. l was
dressed for a ball the other evening
and, suddenly looking up, saw Jack re-
garding me intently. As my gaze met
his an expression of admiration sud
denly lighted up his face.
You are very pretty. dear" he said.
I'm glad you like my costume" l
replied. Have you any suggestions" ?"
''It is perfect. You might take that
rose from over your right temple and
put il farther back. There; that will
do. 1t is n great Improvement"
l walked away from him, turning
my head, while he kept his eye fixed on
the rose.
Very pretty" he said. And your
train follows you gracefully. You are
sure to have plenty of attention this
evening. Your card VIII be filed be-
fore you have been In the ballroom ten
minutes. Then, when the fellows come
up and ask for a dance, you VIII toss
your head, hold out your card and note
their disappointment. 1t Will be de-
lightful''
If Jack would always talk 70 me like
this 1 would like him better. But he
doesn't. Sometimes he looks at me in n
most unsatisfactory way and says
what he looks.
You're dOwdy looking thing he
said To me the other day. THAT dress
hangs on you in wrinkles and makes
you appear as old as your grandmOth-
err"
well, 1 can't help it, 1 replied.
mime. B. has tried three times to fit
me and failed every time. She'll not
have another chance"
This is where Jack is feminine, when
he is prattling about dress. But some
times he talks to me about my good
and weak points. He is very change
able. i read him some verses lately that
had just written, and he was in ec-
stacies over them. l read them to him
again in a week, and he called them
rubbish.
Jacks only rival is Ernest Field. He
is very different from Jack, being al
ways manly. He rarely notices my
dress or compliments me, but when he
does l prize it far more than Jack 8
shifting opinions. 1 read him the
verses that Jack at first admired then
called rubbish. He listened respectful
ly till l got through. then said, Very
pretty" in bored Kind of a way.
"Shall we go for n walk
could have scratched out his eyes.
After that Jack called me Il fool to
waste my time dribbling over common
place sentimental rhymes. Occasional
| Iy he is very sensible. but l have no.
| ticed that l get the benefit of his good
sense after Ernest has raped me over
the knuckles. The next time 1 saw Err
nest told him that l was ashamed of
my poetic effusion and would not of
| fend again.
Your verses are much better than
| the average" he said, but only a gen.
| ius can avoid being commonplace in
verse"
Yesterday Ernest told me that he
would call this evening and would
have something very especial to say to
me. 1t quite took my breath away, for
l knew very we'll what that something
would be. How could l give up Jack?
When Ernest was announced l had
been ready and waiting for him half
an hour. 1t was the longest half hour
1 had ever known. Jack and l were
readlng-I was pretending to read-at
the time in the library. l looked up
| from my book, and Jack looked up at
| the same moment He knew what l
was waiting for, and l saw him shiver.
| There was a sharp ring at the bell, a
heavy step in the hall-it seemed as If
an undertaken had come to measure
me-and the maid came in to tell me
| that Mr. Field was in the drawing
room. gave Jack a half assuring
look and went to meet my fate, what
ever it might be, for was in a state
of indecision.
1 hoped Ernest would lead up to
what he had to say gradually, but he
didn't. He began by saying that bet
| ter understanding should exist between
| two people who had been so much to-
| gether. and he had called to do his part
/ in bringing that understanding about.
| That part was to tell me that he loved
me and wished me TO be his wife.
| Perhaps IT was the way he did it,
At any rate, 1 said after a short ST
| 10 l.,f- I nl
ready had a lover who was the only
one TO whom 1 could entirely give my
self. 1 was very sorry if he had con-
strued q friendliness on my part to
mean love. l had not Intentionally
| misled him.
The expression that came over his
| face was one Of terrible disappoint-
ment. 1t was surprising TO me after
his very methodical proposition. 1t
broke down my resolution.
" 81, ha lof 7