The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1905-01-27
ADECIDED
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FREDERICK GORDON
w HY should woman ever be ex-
w pected to say Eyes" or MOI"

IA II SnOulQ a woman ever De eX-
w pected to say Eyes" or MOI"
So thought Claude, as she sat one
morning at her writing-table, with her
chair tilted back and frown of vexa-
tion on her pretty face 1t was too
bad! For Jack had asked her the
made her promise to send an answer
the next day. Why had he not insist
ed on a reply at the time? Then it
would have been settled by now, one
way or the other.
"Of course, 1 should have refused
him." she said to herself, Sbut it
would have been so much easier to say
than to write' All the same, she
could not help remembering how nice
Jack had been on the occasion, and
she felt that she might almost have
been tempted to say EYES," when he
put his hands gently on her shoulders,
and looking closely into her eyes, had
asked the question. If he had only
drawn her to him and had dared to
kiss her-well, she did not know what
she might not have said. Perhaps it
was just as we'll he, didn't! She was
still free!
But this horrid letter had to be
written. OF course, it must be mol"
At the same time, how was she to put
it? Must she write formal letter and
give her reasons? That would be to
say the least, unpleasant, and besides
she would not like to hurt him; and
then she was not quite clear about the
reasons Perhaps a postcard with the
single word "No" on it would be best!
But servants are given to read post
cards, and she would have to sign her
name, or at least put her initials. That
would not do; it must be letter.
So Claude began:
"[My Dear Jack],-I'm sure this is
the last letter l shall ever write to you,
because I'm going to say Mo-! l see
that I've begun it all wrong, but this
is my last sheet of paper. So, please,
don't read the words in brackets-I
should have commenced Dear Captain
Vane.'
II suppose that, just like man, you
want reasons for, my answer. You
used to say that women never had any
reasons for what they did, only ex-
= cuses. You added that this was one
of their chief attractions. Now, must
be most unattractive, for I've heaps Of
reasons, and never an excuse First
of all. didn't like you lat first at
least]-you mustn't read the words in
brackets That was when you used to
show me no particular attention, and
everyone else was rushing to fetch and
carry for me. didn't like that, but I'm
not sure that actually hated you for
it. l dare say my pride Tor conceit]
was hurt. Recollect the words in
brackets are invisible!
" Then somehow or other got to
feel that should like to do something
for you. Wasn't it ridiculous? But
you would never accept any favors.
Even one night at ball, when you
asked me for dance and gave you my
programme (which l purposely felt
blank 1-'ware the brackets-you only
! wrote down your name for miserable
square. Girls don't like that, and I've
not forgotten it. The same night you
i took me to the carriage, though can't
imagine why you did it. l had re-
I fused a lot Of dances and had sat out
several, thing which all pretty girls
i enjoy. But suppose I can't be pretty
as didn't enjoy it a bit I had seen
that you, too, had not been dancing II
wasn't the least angry. only a little
sorryl. But you kept looking lat mel
y so unhappily, that felt inclined to
forgive you for not dancing with the
II other girls. It must have been such
/ m act Of self-denial, and I adore un-
n eelflshness in men.
afterwards when I was stepping
RI into the carriage somehow or other
managed to let one Of my gloves fall.
You saw, it at once, and instead Of at
tending properly to me, you picked it
\ up, and made such grave bow as you
50 handed it to me saying: I think
you've dropped glove lit wasn't even
II your glove']. OF course my glove had
dropped, and any other man would
have waited till had driven away be-