Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1904-04-01
ABOUT A GIRL
WE DIDN'T GET

nhNWlf uuoNl Ant ntAN VI hhHuhNA7
chief, and a housewifely expression
that she always dons on such occa-
pions. Suddenly she glanced up.
"Lookl Qulckl Out Of the window,
Jack. No. the other way. There she
goes"
"By Jove, what a pretty grill" ex-
claimed. who is she9"
"But you were looking the wrong
way. said Polly. "and that wasn't the
girl meant"
Il was looking at the girl across
the street,"I said, "and she was quite
the prettiest girl have ever seen
except one" / added, dutlfuliy
Polly set the kettle down with a
thump that Jared the teacups.
"Its always that way" she said,
resignedly. "The girl across the
street, like the girl he didn't get al
ways Is a mans ideal. If he never
morries, he carries her image about
in his heart, or her photograph about
In his pocket, and uses it for a stand
ard with which to compare all the
other women he may meet. If he
does marry somebody else she be
comes a sweet memory that rises
every time his wife burns the biscuits
or forgets to take her hair out Of curl
papers. why is it?" and Polly tilted
her little nose upward until she look
ed almost dignihed, that the mere
fact that a girl doesn't want to marry
a man makes him wild to get herT
"Polly,7 said 1, 'do you remember
when you were a very little girl how
you used to lie awake nights trying
to catch Santa Claus? Do you reeol-
iect how the jam on the top shelf was
always the kind you liked best. Did
you never long to see the other side
of the moon, or eat what wasn't good
for you, or play with the naughty
little girl whom you we're forbidden
to speak to? It's human nature. The
illusive, the unattalnable, the thing
we cannot get always has been the
thing we want"
Polly pushed back a little curl that
will get into her eyes, and began cut
ting lemon, meditatiely.
"Yes," she agreed, "but it's differ
ent with a woman. She always feels
a sort Of resentment toward the man
who won't fall in love with her while
a man rather respects a woman for re-
fusing him and admires her for snub-
blng him. The longer she remains on
the other side of the street"
THAT is it." 1 broke in, 1.-The longer
she remains on the other side Of the
street But l have observed that It
Is generally very easy to cross over
yourself, and then"
"And then she is no longer the girl
across the street?' broke in Polly,
waving half a lemon triumphly
'Then she loses her illusion, her at
traction. It is as if you had turned
the limelight off of the leading lady
in the play Her Titan hair becomes
red; you observe that her nose turns
up at the end; her diamonds are only
paste, and her figure is nothing more
nor less than the result Of wearing 9
Htraightfront corset. The stock mar
ket falls, and you are glad to sell oui
your interest in the girl at the very
lowest figure. The very fact that SHE
has succumbed to your entreatles On
your fascinations, the very fact tha
she loves you, or Is willing to fir
with you"
Polly will you put down that lem
on. 1t is taking the color out Of mi
already"
Polly subsidized
"Let me ask YOU" I went on, seri
ously, "why, If you girls know all this
do you so often cross the street your
selvesT'
what do you mean?" said Polly
you send US sofa pillows" l re
torted.
Polly WINGED
"And necktie cases." went on
"and invite us to violet teas"
''Air Heavyfeather." said Polly
will you kindly pass the sugarr'
passed.
Polly took two humps with the dis
nifty Of a tragedy queen
ut is evident" she remarked In
tone like the trickling of ice waite
'that your charms have made you
victim Of feminine attentions. But,
she continued, there are girls an
girls. The kind to whom you hav
reference never were like the girl o
the other side Of the street. The
never gave you nor any other man a
opportunity to observe them from
distance"
l blew the smoke Of my cigarett
rehectiyely. It is always amusing {
hear Polly talk sensibly, because
wel-beeause her pompadour is fun
and her nose is retrousse-and in ths
nonsensical apron-well--
yes" / began slowly; NOW ths
you come to mention It. there wa
once a girl"
Il didn't ask for particulars NJ
Heavyfeather."
The most beautiful girl eve
knew"
'"Wm you have some more tea, NJ
Heayyfeather?"
'The cleverest-"
"One lump. or twoT
"The girl with the greatest amor
Of common sense"
''LemOnY
"And she was the girl asross-"
81 don't want to knoW!.
''The girl across"
81 won't listenw
"The girl across"
Polly rose In righteous wrath.
''The girl across the table"
L.L L. I-naLIa L..L-hI.l ..a.-.-Il.-