Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-11-10
MY CHANGEABLE LOVER
GOriginaLl

|
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 Ike a man or a
woman l shall call him he"
Sometimes Jack pays me compn-
ments, sometimes tells me the truth
If 1t is the truth-blurting it out sud
denly and gruttiy He often criticlses
my dress, at times approving of my
costume, at times decrying ii. l was
dressed for a ball the other evening
and, suddenly looking up, saw Jack re
garding me tntently. 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"
1T Is perfect. You might take that
rose from over your right temple and
put 1t farther back There; that will
| do. 1t is a great Improvement"
1 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 Will be filed be-
! fore you have been In the ballroom ten
| minutes. Then, when the fellows come
up and ask for dance, you will toss
| your head, hold out your card and note
their disappointment. 1t will be de-
| lightful"
If Jack would always talk to me like
| this | would like him better But he
! doesn't Sometimes he looks at me In
most unsatisfactory way and says
what he looks.
You're a 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-
er"
well, l can't help it, | replied
Nine. 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. read him some verses lately that
l had just written and he was in &c
stacies over them. l read them to him
again In a week. and he called them
rubbish
Jacks only rivaIis Ernest Field He
is very different from Jack, being al
In a,1rr ~
dress or compliments me, but when be !
does | prize it far more than Jack !
shifting opinions. | read him the |
verses that Jack at first admired, then |
called rubbish. He listened respectful !
ly TIL got through, then said Very |
pretty" in a bored kind of a way. |
shall we go for n walkT"
| could have scratched out his eyes. |
After that Jack called me fool to !
waste my time dribbling over common |
place sentimental rhymes. Occasional !
ly he is very sensible, but | have no |
ticed that l get the benefit of his good
sense after Ernest has raped me over
the knuckles The next time | saw Err
nest told him that | was ASHAMED of |
my poetic efHusion and would not Of
fend again.
Your verses are much tbetter 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
knew very well what that something |
would be. How could give up JackI
When Ernest was announced | had |
been ready and waiting for him half
an hour. 1t was. the longest half hour
l had ever known. Jack and | were
reading-I was pretending to read-at
the time In the library. | looked up |
from my book. and Jack looked up at |
the same moment He knew what |
was waiting for and l sGw him shiver-
There was a sharp ring AT the bell, Il
heavy step In the hall-it' seemed as II
an undertHker had come to measure
the maid came lin TO tell me
that Mr.. Field was In the drawing
room. l gave Jack a half assuring |
look and went to meet my fate, what
ever 1t might be, for Twas in state
Of indecfion
l hoped Ernest would lead. up to
what he had to say gradually, but he
didn't. He began by saying that a 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 hetloved
me and wished me to be his wife.
Perhaps II was the way he did it,
At aRy rate I said after n short 81
lence that he was too late; that I al
ready had a lpver who was the only !
one to whom r. could entirely give my
self | was very sorry II he had con
strued a friandllness on my part to
mean love. l had not Intentionally
nisled him
The expression that came over his
face was one of terIable disappoint-
nent 1t was surprising to me after
1is very methOdical proposition 1t |
1roke down my resolution.
81 only wish," he sad, that / were
n his place God grant that he may |
make you happy, as you deserve"
Ernest" said in q comforting tone
and reaching for his hand, my lover |
has "a fault whiclE may after all kill |
my affection for him. He IS very |
Do ypu wish to see him?
Look Epointed TO my reflection in a
mirror
"JaQuelinew he exclaimed, radiant,
and took me ir his arms.
EIiIZA l.. WHITCOMB.
sifted PearIA.
Some years ago the sultan of Sulu
earned that the! pearl fishermen We're
Gaping big PROFITS. He supplied his
evenue collcctocs with sieves and or
Tered that all pelrls found near Sulu