Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1905-01-21


book face downward beside her.
faint, skcptical smile visible about her
mouth.
'llow do You 90 about it, was the
question that her eyes asked of the ra
diant landscape. ITS all very wei to
say that woman. if she have not a
hump upon her back. may marry whom
sh" will. but how would she go about
IT."
In" scratching Of match broke the
summer stiffness. and her mcditationS
were suddenly prccipitated from the
general to the concrete. She glanced
| where Il mans form hullcd in one of
the huge wicker CHAIRS With his hand
forming Il screen he was lighting a
fresh cigar seemingly obliviouS to ev-
erythlng in life except that and the
Engineering Journal, which lay in his
lap.
He was her brothers. best friend.
and she had known him for wears, not
with much satisfaction, ii must be con
fcSScd, since he was nOtoriouSlv Il
mans man." living in mans world
and regarding the rustic of feminine
skirts with something of the same feel
ing that he did the h,mming of Il mos
quito.
But he was good to look upon-So
/ good that n sudden quick resentment
shot through her heart Mt his ndIffcr-
ence. 1t assumed the likeness of a per
1 iIf # ;,,. IL
sex 1t would serve him right if some
/ girl would just make up her mind to
marry him and do it, too. before he
| knew what he was about
Meanwhile he had tossed away the
match and picked up the journal again
as impertulbnhIy as if he were alone
pair of half indignant eyes watching
him with combination of piquc and
! amusement.
! 1t certainly would serve him right,
| her thoughts ran on. if some lady
would Just wind him round and raurd
her finger, make him fetch and carry
ut her beck and call reduce him to n
! perfect muSh of sentiment Something
In her steady gaze caused him to move
uncasily. then look up
Ibid You speak"
He had the pcrfunctory manner Of a
| person who knows he must keep guard
over himself or he will be guilty of
some rcmi%SnrsS \ heroic resolution
to do his duty was visible in his face.
NO" she drawlcd Il didn't speak.
But if YOU don't mind very much |
think | will. I'd like to ask You. for
| instance. if you have ever had a la
| dies day"
"A ladies' day" he repeated help
lesSly. shaking off his eyeglasses with
characteristic movement. while his
| tormentor watched him as If he had
| been some sort of n specimen that she
had impalcd upon pin. Then light
dawncd upon him.
You mean such as they have mt the
| clubs day when the place is given
up to your sex and other matters go
to the wall? Well. no. don't know
that l ever have had"
Don't YOU think it Is timr?" she
ventured
'PoSSibly," he admitted, but he still
held the Journal in IL way that suS-
! geStcd well nigh uncOnQuerablc de
sire to return to it. She stretched out
her hand, Reluctantly he handed it
| over
did ii ever occur to yOu." she asked
blandly, "that the creature who tempt
I ed Adam so successfully. who Is ut
the bottom of everything. as it We're
must be as-aS intricate as your old
| engineering prohlcmSE'
Il have always considered Adam
wcak-vcry weak was his evasive an
swer MEN aren't like that nova
! days"
At these boastful words resolution
that had been taking form in her mind
| became full fcdgcd She was inspired
| with the sense of Il mission. Her
neglected sex should find an avengcr
! in her.
You think you wouldn't have eaten
Of the apple. them
There was Il new note in her voice
! 1t was at the same time challenge
| and an appeal.
| AS if 1t We're something absolutely
new it came to his mind that girls were
delicate, helpless creatures. and Il wave
of tenderness for the sex swept over
him. Still he was very positive that he
wouldn't have eaten the apple, and
| something in the soft, babyish, yet de
| pendent way in which she looked at
him caused him to explain at great
length why.
HAS talked fifteen minutes by the
clock" she was thinking in high glec,
but outwardly she was all deferentlal,
! honey sweet attention.
! I'm sure he wouldn't have yielded
If he'd been like YOU" was her earnest
| comment when he finished speaking
| and at the words he was conscious of
/ pleasant cxpanSivenesS, a caresslng
| sense of satisfaction as delightful az 1t
was unusual. 1t was as if he were
| growing taller, broader and more Sc
verely strong before her very eyes.
"GO back to your reading. I'm not
going to bother YOU another minute"
! She jumped up and, laying her hand on
his arm, finished ingenuOusly: You
don't mind my bOthering you, do you?
A girl gets so tired Of woman talk! A
chat like this is like plunge in cold
stream" And she vanished into tho
house and scurried to her room, where
she threw n kiss to her image in the
mirror with the remark "YOu'rc doing