The San Francisco call., 1905-03-05

YOU VIII thllk me dh oSS SS~-
did not, and / am.
II ,vsnt 10 talk to you some more
about that thing. I thought, as 1 stooo
by the creek, Of our literature. has II
occurred 10 you that no American au-
thor has ever written a genuine all
round love scene2 They are eltnel
thin or. sensual, almost invariably the
former. The soul and passion or the
older races they have never developed
Il a woman writer breaks out wildly
sometimes. she merely voices the lack
we all feel in this section or the worlo
in life as well as in literature. Tnat
expRains why 1 have tried to care Tor
eight clever and interesting men ana
turned away chilled.
You must love an Englishman,
said Give, smiling. II you nouce'
good many American women do. An
Englishwoman never marries an
American. II goes to prove what
said q little while ago; leisure is need
ed. for development; consequently the
women of America have developed lar
more rapidly than the men,.
Don't imagine for a moment that
an disparaging my own country, SAID
Helena hurriedly; I am the best
American in the world wouldn't be
ANYTHING else: and 1 like and admire
our men for their cleverness. and pluck
and wonderful go-aheadness- But l
VIII confide TO you something that /
bsve never told q living SOUL have
such a contempt for the Anglomaniac
that / have q horror Of being taken for
one. 1t is this: something English in
me has survived through five genera
TONS I was brought up in a library
Of English literature; perhaps that fos-
tered il AS long as 1 merely read ana
studied, I lived in Imagination among
English scenes and people-the people
Of your history and those created by
your authors and poets. Something in
me responded TO every line that read;
felt at home; singularly enough
much more so than when / finally VS.
ited England Until a few years ago
could not force myself TO read Ameri-
can nterature-With the sole exception
OF Bret Harte- II is so cold, so slight,
so forbidding- II is the piano OF let
ters. Now, Of course, I appreciate the
mentality in it and the delicate art, the
light rapid sketches Of passing phases.
And it seems 10 me that before We
produce a Shakespeare or Byron we
shall have 10 relapse into barbarism,
and emerge and develop by slow and
sure stages TO the condition Of Eng
land when she produced her great men.
We have gone ahead too fast TO ever
become great from our present begin
ningsi We are all brilliant shadows and
no depths"
You disprove q great deal that yau
say"
b, Helena bent forward, pressing her
chin hard into the palm Of her hand.
She had forgotten that she was a beau
tiful woman, but even so she was
graceful
IF we Californians have a stronger
fiber and richer blood in US than other
Americans, she replied, 1t is because
ave are cruder, savager, close TO nature.
/ do things that no Eastern girl in the
same social position would even think
of doing. much less dare; but, on the
other hand, I have a better chance Of
getting what / want out Of life, for 1
80 straight for il, undeterred by any
traditions or scruples- And have
more TO give"
2. She paused and Give filed and lit
another pipeful of tobacco.
You take great satisfaction out Of
that pipe" she said pettishly.
1t is my only safeguard"
She laughed and he could see her
flush.
4 suppose that English something
in me which has survived was what
sprang so instantly to you-recogni-
ton"
You have been in England. and you
have met many Englishmen."
4 have liked some Of them tremen-
douslX, although 1 never would admit
il, and always bullyragged them; that
mixture Of subtlety and brutality is
very attractive But II was not the
sameLnOt by any means"
You force me to repeat that you
take very great risks"
s.'eNo, no." she said plaintively. "How
could !? I am not what you imagine
me. But I must stay here and talk to
you"
They talked on until the night turned
gray, drifting no more toward person
sIities. Then Give looked at his watch.
DO you know what time il is?'
I do not in the least care"
1t is three o'clock And I can see
that you are tired. Come!"
She rose and he jerked her shawl
across her chest and threw one end
over her shoulder. What silly child
you are to come out with that bare
neck. Aren't you chilled?"
She smiled up al him as gratefully
as II unused 10 the tender care of man.
They went down the mountain with
OFT conversation; II was very dark and
steep misstep might have sent one
or both headlong.
The house was without lights; even
the lanterns in the corridors had burn
ed out. AS they entered the court a
man rose from a long chair, yawning
and stretching himself. 1t was Charley
Rollins.
MY GOD. Helena," he exclaimed,
this is going too far. You know that
all Of US who know you swear by you,
but you can't do this sort Of thing
with such women as Mrs. Volney and
Harriet Lord in the house. Sitting up
all night under q tree in full view of
I'll Del Monte is one thing, but the
middle Of a forest, where you have
never taken q man in the daytime be-
4. fore-for heavens sake, my dear child,
have a care"
He ended rather feebly, for Helena
had brought down her foot and thrown
pack her head with flashing eyes. II
shall do exactly what choose TO do"
she cried And 1 hope Amy Volney
and Harriet Lord have their heads out
Of their doors this minute. What bust
ness is it OF yours. 1 should like to
know2 How dare you take me to task2
Take Mr. Give over to the dining
room and give him some brandy, then
60 home; or stay all night if you
choose; there are two empty rooms at
The corner. Goodnight, Mr.. Give"
And without taking further notice OF
Rollins she crossed over to the oppo-
site corridor and disappeared.