Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-04-30
THE GENTLE ART or JILTiNG.

e1Tis are yon doing?"
Paily Was standing behind big palm
and pcrping saucily through its leaves at
Abingdon Dare, who was dodging fool
isBly about lot of plants at the othsr
eHd al the conservatory.
'Dsn'ti' said Polly; don't interrupt
sif. Dare is just teaching me a new
ssmen
| 'It's tilt" said Abingdon. looking
even moro foolish than before; VERY
tatest thing in London. You play it on
lawn with lot of trees you know.
! And You we're teaching my faneee
| ksw to-iiit"
Il wanted TO know" said Polly.
And l Was iust explaining" said All
biBsdoR, coming out from behind The
FEants and laughing. that you could do
| it IN a conservatory"
| no doubt" / remarked sareasticaliy;
! "bat you needn't intrude any lopgef-n
He isn't intruding," said Polly; its
yeu."
oh, well deavyfeather!" said Abbing-
den with disgusting good nature; Il
guess I've had enough, Pm off. Awfully
ssrIy, Miss Lee"
| About what?" Polly's eyebrows
arehed themselves in beautiful astonish-
aent.
oh. well, that You're so very much
engaged
Everybody is said Polly reassurinsR
| ~: except Jack"
And now," said as Abingdon Dare's
cssttsils disappeared through the door,
4 will YOU please explain"
oh, vest" said Polly, spreading out
! her chiffon ruifles and sitting conposedly
on the edge of a huge jardiniere. Its
very easy, One Of you has TO follow the
sther through the trees, and the ore that
/ lsses the other first"
4 didn't ask You to explain the game"
corrected. Il asked you to explain
about Abingdon Dare"
Polly looked meditatiycly at the roses
in her band.
Oh. couldn't do that" she said, pull
| ing the petals of the largest rose. 1T
was so long ago. Besides" she went on,
CHANGING up brightly, "Abbingdons en-
gagged now and it would not do to rake
UP old
I'm not talking of the past ! re-
yearked.
oh, I'm so glad" said Polly, i'll a tone
OF eeiici, Then you'll let me tell you
aheut the game There's really great
srt in il. And it's ever so much fun,
once you know how. You see, YOU both
sf,rt perfectly fair"
In the game of jilt.'" exclaimed
"Never, Polly! Somebody is always on
the wrong side of the tree, OF in the
dark, or inexperienced, Or"
! Poor players" said Polly, should not
ne let into the game. That makes it UNI
interesting and inartistic. Nobody en-
| Joys an uneven game. It's only very
| silly woman, or a very shabby man who
chooses an unskilled partner and doesn't
give his or her opponent a perfectly fair
| show
And yet | remarked, rehectively.
| gazing at the trail of smoke from INV
eigaf, as it iloated out toward the bali
raum, where Abingdon Dare was waltz
ing with the auburn haired Downing
girl. there have been cases in which
brides have been left standing at the
altar waiting for grooms that never
came, and where grooms have been left
| Mideless right at the wedding party,
with the carriage paid for and the we'd
| ding cake on the stove"
That" said Polly, looking scornfullv
at the petals of the shattered rose, "is
not iilting. 1t is as much like lifting as
riding a broncho is like bringing Il
slooded horse under the wire first in
race. 1t is the work of the bungler, not
| sf the artist, And iilting is a fine art
1t is not necessary to break anybody's
| heart, OF to hurt anybody's pride. just
because You have discovered that it is
necessary to-cr--to--''
10 whatg"
We'll, TO put an end to an affair that
has grown a little too serious" said
Polly cautiously. IF you are subtle
and wise about it there are WAYS of
lifting that make the Tilted person feel
actually grateful, almost as though you
lad paid him or her 4 compliment, you
know; instead of that you had just
grown tired and wanted to call it Off
leaving "a girl at the altar, or deserving
aan at the last moment, is like way
mg your scalp in the air and setting
the town crier out To tell the neighbors
il is crldeness and rudeness and folly
all ia one. 1t is only in melodramas that
the leading lady filings the ring into her
lovers face or the leading man filings the
weeping maiden from him like an old
handkerchief. The artistic tilt goes
about with his scalps carefully concealed
seneatli his waistcoat"
Like the gentleman burglar with his
TOOLS | suggested.
yes, and the wise girl doesn't flaunt
her mittcns in the faces of her friends
Only a savage gloats over the spoils OF
battle"
But you are way at the end of the
game, Polly. And you were going to be-
GIN at the beginning"
oh, yes; l forgot" said Polly. chew
Ing rose leaf reficctively. "When
aan starts out with the intention of tilt
ing"
But ne never does I sighed
He often starts ont without any in.
tentions at all" said Polly, ''and that IS
exactly tho same thing. 1t is only fair.'
she went on. to give the girl to under
stand tiat it is Just play"
What. And end the play at the be
ginning Of the first actg That's inartis-