Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-10
WAS A REAL MEAN MAN

The young man had been registered at
the fashionable mountain resort for all of
eighteen minutes when. after Installing his
traps in his room and Kidding himself of
the dust OF travel, he stroIled out onto the
broad piazza.
There were fourteen beautiful young
things on the piazza.
They all pretended that they didn't see
the trousered new arrival.
However. they all did see him.
The mazarine-eyed one nearest to him ac-
cidentally dropped the book she had been
reading upside-down since his appearance
on the piazza. Waiting for mere fraction
of a second to see If the young woman in
tended to pick the book up, and perceiving
that. far from having any such intention.
she was simply regarding him with an ex-
pectant smile, the young man executed a
graceful stoop and CALAMITY handed her
the volume.
Thus was the ice pdActured
They conversed. That is to say, she con-
versed.
Yes" she said, although he really had
not asked her, this is Ruslkin am reading.
and it's just grand Some folks that I've
met here say that they don't like 1t, but,
really, can't understand their taste. That
blondined woman with the matronly figure
down at the far end of the piazza-don't for
worlds look at her or she'll think we're
talking about her-said only this morning.
at breakfast. that she considered Ruskin a
most frightful bore-just fancy!"
When. after a moment, the young man did
look toward the end of the piazza indicated
he saw very lovely young woman with
cleaning, natural golden hair and a stun
ming figure.
But, mercy on usr' went the beauti-
full young thing who had accidentally
dropped the book, shes SO busy flirting
with air Of the boobies of boys around the
hotel--her husband only gets over on Fri
days and stays over Sunday, you know
that, dear me! I really don't see how she
finds time to read anything. l declare!
That girl over there by the window-the
one with the black hair and the CHASTITY
conplexion-doesn't arsenic make the skin
Write like that, by the way?-pretends
that she goes in awfully hard for reading,
that she came here with SO often that I
should think 1t would take up all Of her
time, don't you?
'Oh, no, really. there's not much fun
UP here that I've been able to find, although
to hear that girl over there psrpe.ually
giggling-the one with the slight squint
and the black bow in her hair. leaning
against the rail-to hear her you'd think 1t
the livelieSt and most entertaining place
on earth, indeed you would! Oh. my. yes
she's giggling like that from morning till
night. l suppose it's her idea that inces-
SAINT giggling makes her appear young and
anybody see that she's not a day under
twenty-eight.
''Oh, that stout woman with the crows
feet under her eyes. you mean?" inquired
the sweet young thing, indicating by
nod a swagger-looking woman who was
leaning against one of the piazza posts.
although the young man had made no in
quiry whatever with respect to her. I'm
sure l don't know anything about her eX-
cept that every time one passes her room
one is almost knocked down by the smell
of Turkish cigarette smoke. and she pre-
tends that her husband Is abroad on a
secret mission for the government.
Goodness me, the number of things she
does drink through straws. and they don't
look one bit like lemonades. either and
her face does get so red, too, and SIZE
laughs so that everybody on the pavilion
looks at her. All Of the married women
were frightfully angry at her little while
ago-on account of their husbands, you
know, the poor, jealous things-but she
doesn't seem to mind them a Bit
The above is the merest sketch of what
the lovely young creature with the maza-
rine-blue eyes told the young man who
had been registered at the hotel for all OF
eighteen minutes After she had covered
in detail, all of the thirteen other beau
teous creatures on the piazza, and many of
the beauteous guests that the young man
hadn't clapped an eye upon, she prepared
to carry him off in triumph hitched to her
chariot, in the full and envious gaze of the
other thirteen.
Il so love golf, don't your! she asked the
young man. ''They have such lovely links
here, and there's real cute English pro-
fessional-he's such bear, though-playing
over there now with the hotel clerk, and
it's really treat to watch his stroke. 1
am going over to the links to watch him
for a while, and, If you are interested In
golf, why
Thanks replied the young man. with
the meanest and commonest grin ever worn
by a human being. II should like to watch
the English chaps play. but I've got to
drive over to the station in fifteen or TWEEN
ty minutes to meet my wife and children.
They're coming up here from Washington
to meet me, you see.'