Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-10
POLLY AND MAN By ..ssy
 HELEN ROWLAND

IND 1t ever occur to you, said Polly
 U regarding me from the, divan ''that you cannot catch a cat--or man, either-by running after him?' 7. I stood in the middle of Polly's den nursing scratched finger. Under, the divan crouched the big gray Maltese. glaring at me yindictively and glory. ing in the perfect consciousness that he had just slipped through my fingers. lodged between my legs and left me bleeding with resentment.
 "I thought" I remarked, slowly bind ing up the wound with my handkerchief. "that- in this strenuous age 1t, was the only way.", s~A e. ,..' .$.r. ,as...
 t'Only-what?" Polly held the sofa pillow she had been about to tuck under her head poised in mid-air. .@4ss2 >"
 Polly dropped the pillow and sat up perfectly straight. 3''.- :. Gould what, MT. Heavyfeather?"" she inquired jelly. ~.. ... .,.s--'
 Catch a cat-or--er" hesitated. X
 :'Well?' It was like the gentle, inn mutable falling of the ;thermometer.
 ttOr-er," began weakly. .@.-@ ~lr,''
 "Go on!" said Polly. @,..~@.-- / 3 / "Or a car," finished adroitly. s,s
 "Oh!" Polly picked up the scarlet sofa pillow and settled herself back in its folds like the heart of rose in it's petals q thought you were going to say a man." she said sweetly. "As a matter of fact" she went on, ito want to be chased and caught is 8 purely feminine desire Now, yTom,"1 indicating the cat with a nod of her head, lis entirely mas culine." r t. ".'
 His claws" remarked, rubbing the back of my hand, Fare feminine. The kind they use at the women's clubs, you know, ,~
 Feminine claws" said Polly, "gener- ally scratch you in the back. Tom, as you observe, always strikes right at your face. Besides, his brutality in woundtng the hand that attempts to caress him is exactly like a mans. The girl who is a little too fond, or a little too ten- der, or little too cordial, is the one who always pals on the man first and receives the rudest snubs. The wife who is too caressing cheapens her caresses and is the first one to find herself neglected. To chase man is to frighten him. as you frighten the cat, and to send him running to the uttermost parts of the earth, as Tom runs to the utterl>ost parts of the backyard when he is bored with our attentions. If 6 cat or a man wishes to know you, he will make his own advances. He doesn't need encour- agement. It is his prerogative to seek the introduction, not yours. Personally, you have completely lost your prestige with Tom,'" and Polly senta worsted ball rolling toward the, Maltese who sat quietly cleaning his paws on a rug in front of the fireplace. ,.a. .ss e.:
 'I wish," said, wistfully, "that had a bone to fling at him. M @+a::st
 What for?" said Polly.
 Because" said, moodily, If he is like man, the way to his heart must be through his stomach" '$ *,+S~ 7" <ts.zsF'
 "Poohl" said Polly. ''That is an old fallacy. Did any girl ever fascinate you by inviting you to pink teas or mak- ing you welch rabbits? You can, get a l good cook for four dollars 8 week. and | Tom can get all the bones he wants right out in the kitchen" and Polly picked up an end of the string from the wofsted ball and began pulling it gently toward | her. Besides, she went on, Ringing a bone at cat is like fiinging a girl at a man. It doesn't fascinate him. It frightens him. Tom will dodge bone just as you dodged the auburn-haired Downing girl" Al ... ....
 "I didn't" said T. ... -.
 "You liked her until she began rnak- ing you sofa pillows" asserted Polly. @
 tI like her now,' declared. e.... You used to call there every night until you found that she was always waiting for you in the drawing-room. :" r tI would call there every night now | (Polly looked up quickly) if I hadn't met"
 And you thought you were going to marry her." went on Polly. "until you 1 discovered that she thought so, too" l. -.I would--" I began $ ,2r' < Polly almost jerked the ball of worsted from under the nose of the cat. .. ..
 'T would like to know what you are pulling that string for" :' f Polly had recovered her equanimity, and was slowly winding the ball of 1 worsted toward her. The cat was watch , ing it, coy1y, but fascinated @~E i ''He won't run after it, said Polly ''if it is too easy to reach.' =~. 1 ''Oh, see,'' I remarked. He feels about it as 9 fellow does when he knows girl is sitting up in the drawing room waiting for him."
 Yes; or when she visits his sister, o1 drops in at his office for a chat, or asks him to so driving in her trap, or makes sofa pillows, or-' ,s.e..
 +Or, in fact, baits her hook and doesn't 1 hide it. Exactly" said Polly, that's why 1 often do this.'' | Do what?'
 Draw the string the other way" said Polly, as she watched the cat chasing the br1ght-colored worsted ball. Per haps you have noticed it." .-' | II haven't,'' l observed, coldly.