The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1904-02-26
POLLY AND MAN
By
HELEN ROWLAND

regarding me from the dlVan,
':tnar you cannot catch a cat-Or a man,
either-by running after him?"
stood in the middle of Polly's den,
nursing a scratched finger. Under the
divan crouched the big gray Maltese,
glaring at me vindictively 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.
Il thought" | remarked, slowly bind
ing up the wound with my handkerchief,
that in this strenuous age it was the
only way"
"Only-what?" Polly held the sofa
pillow she had been about to tuck under
her head poised in mid-air.
Polly dropped the pillow and sat up
perfectly straight.
Gould what, Mr.. Heavyfeather?" she
inquired icily.
Catch a cat-or-er." | hesitated.
''Well?" 1t was like the gentle. i'm
mutable falling of the thermometer.
''Or-er," began weakly.
GO on" said Polly.
"Or car" finished adroitly.
pillow and settled herself back in its
folds like the heart of rose in its petals
Il thought you were going to say a
man." she said sweetly. LAS a matter
of fact" she went on, Ito want to be
chased and caught is purely feminine
desire Now, Tom" indicating the cat
with a nod of her head, lis entirely mas
culine"
His claws remarked. rubbing the
back of my hand, "are 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 brutalityi in wounding
the hand that attempts to caress him
is exactly like a man s. The girl who
is little too fond, or 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 a 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 uttermOSt
parts of the backyard when he is bored
with our attentions. If cat or man
wishes to know you, he will make his
own advances He doesn't need encour-
agement. 1t is his prerogative to seek
the introduction, not yours. Personally,
you have completely lost your prestige
with Tom" and Polly sent worsted bail
<bn oil VII SQf
quietly cleaning his paws on rug in
front of the fireplace.
Il wish," l said, wistfully, that had
q bone to fling at him.,
What for?" said Polly.
Because | said, moodily, eff he is
like a man, the way to his heart must be
through his stomach.
.'Pooh!" said Polly. THAT is an old
faIlacy. Did any girl ever fascinate
YOU by inviting you TO pink teas or max
ing YOU welch rabbits? You can get
good cook for four dollars 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 worsted
ball and began pulling it gently toward
her Besides she went on, ''finging
a DOno dI d cat ID llhe o. Siii a. d
man. It doesn't fascinate him, 1t
frightens him. Tom will dodge bone
lust as you lodged the authenticated
Downing girl
4 didn't" said l.
You liked her until she began max
ing you sofa pillows asserted Polly.
Il like her now," declared.
You used to call there every night
until you found that she was always
waiting for you in the drawing-roOn.
Il would call there every night now
(Polly looked up quickly) if l hadn't
met"
"And you thought you were going to
marry her." vent on Polly, until you
discovered that she thought SO, too"
Il would" began.
Polly almost jerked the ball of worsted
from under the nose of the cat
81 would like to know what yoa are
pulling that string for"
FOLLY had recovered her equanimity,
and was slowly winding the ball of
worsted toward her. The cat was watch
ing it, coyly, but fascinated.
..He won't run after it," said Polly,
eff it is too easy to reach
"Oh, | see," l remarked. "He feels
about it as fellow does when he knows
girl is sitting up in the drawing-room
waiting for him."