The San Francisco call., 1904-11-20

On HE girl who firts is one of the
most trying creations that ever
disturbed the peace and tran
ouiIlity Of mankind. She is all
powerful for there is a subtle
something about her that is not only
absolutely irresistible but absolutely
irrepressible as well.
Every man likes a cOquette, but there
are hirts and 1irts. And there is a vast
difference between the two, let me as
sure you. The lassie fair who cannot
use her eyes, manipulate her fan and
smile a smile that means whole chap
ters has been deprived of a certain
part Of her finishing" education. In
fact there is something radically
wrong with the woman who has not
some instinct of the flirt in her. for it
is absolutely and entirely feminine.
There are scores Of girls who are
neither beautiful nor witty, but they
are natural born coQuettes, and as a
consequence are perfection in the aver
age mans eyes. The beautiful girl
generally banks on her face being her
fortune, but the cOQUette cultivates the
habit Of saying pretty, hattering
things, studying the trick Of amusing
half a dozen men at one and the same
time. and Of making EACH man think
he is the one that is being especially
favored.
Such a woman need not be called a
hirt in the popular usage Of the word.
but she is the most dangerous of her
kind. She weaves her spell quietly and
skiufuIy and has landed her game
fc1, r7r-rr hot l,o n hot
she is about. And so adroit has this
exceedingly modern girl become that
nine and ninety times he never realizes
that he has married a flirt, for she
keeps up the romance Of life and takes
care 10 see that the fire on the hearth
stone of love never grows gray and
dull, 10 finally die out.
This wholesome coquette is a radiant
being and she sheds her happiness and
sunshine wherever she goes. She
doesn't go about with a chip on her
shoulder, because il is part OF her game
10 win people over TO her side by being
Jolly and genial, and she soon discov-
cred that deeper and more subtle i'm
pressiOns could be made by tickling a
mans pride than by wOunding his van
ity. For woe be unto the unfortunate
who deliberately hurts a mans feel
ings. He Immediately erects a barrier
and crawls behind it to smart and burn
and grow more indignant every min
ute. and it takes an immense amount Of
battering to even so much as weaken
his defense in spots.
The most popular girl is the one who
is gracious at all times and all places,
for every one feels that her sweetness
has been shOwered upon them and that
the day is a little brighter in conse-
Quence. She has either discovered by
chance OF been endowed by Providence
that 1t is just as easy TO hand a cup Of
tea with smile and a bewitching lit
tie Im-sO- glad-tO-do-this nod as it is
TO assume a haUghtiness that is intend
ed TO snub. OF a truth, it's far easier,
for every one bows and succurnbs TO a
radiant, sunshiny smile, and crowd into
their shells just as fast as they can
when a sudden dash of cold hauteur is
seen coming their way.
This kind Of flirting is perfectly per-
Missile, but when il passes beyond a
certain boundary it is without the pale
of polite society. It is one thing TO lift
the eyelids and lower them quietly and
effectively, and quite another to give
glance for glance in cold, calculating
way. 1t is quite different to walk down
the street gracefully in a long skirt and
picture hat and TO attract attention for
ones sweetness than it is to mince
along IN ridiculous French heel stilts
displaying a bewildering array Of fluffy
fUn-huffs and perrneating the air with
the newest and strongest perfume ex-
tracts
The ordinary firt, so to speak is Just
about the most obnoxious thing on
earth-that is, of course, the girl who
makes il her chief business in life to at
tract the attention Of every one on the
street and who delights in chance ac-
quaintances. She may have been well
reared, but there is a spirit OF unrest
about her, and she excuses her follies
and foibles to herself and others by de-
claring in a vehement manner that she
won't be hampered by conventionali-
ties
on her way TO the matinee she talks
TO the man who happens to be just be-
hind her. and while she does not do it
at the tip-tOD Of her lungs he under
stands perfectly well that much Of IL is
for his benefit. Later on she lets her
ewes rove about from seat TO seat, and
when she discovers him at last she tries
q thousand little acts to attract his at
fentfon. and then demurely eyes him
over the top Of her programme. To all
outward appearances she is lassie OF
gentle voice and gentle actions, but
those dancing eyes, that follow so fiat
teringly and so persistently, are the key
10 her character. Outside the doors she
contrives TO drop her handkerchief, to
loosen her violets-in fact, to do any
little innocent thing to gain time, and
the man who would hesitate to walk