The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1905-03-23
When Woman Reads Woman.

promised. I was angry at first. Then hurt
terribly hurt. But l thought Il over
and concluded I must have said some
thing that displeased you the last night
| you were at the studio There should be
no misunderstandings between friends.
30 am Just writing, Jack, to ask you II
your Daily Food disagreed with you and
what's the remedy.
Jack laughed.
Il suppose you wonder what she
means by that last sentence?" he
asked.
"Of course. I'm just devoured by
curiosity" -
Jack did not notice the sarcasm
lurking in her words.
"lt was joke of Tom Darling's," i"
he explained. "You see, Dixie is
such a nice little thing, and once a
fellow at one of her parties quoted
that thing about
"a creature not too bright and good
For human natures daily food
"Tom started calling Dixie Daily
Food after that, and when any Of us
had a falling out with he: she used
to say our food didn't agree with
us"
Edith tossed the last letter con-
temptuousIy into the drawer upon
the heap of ties, collars, invitations,
favors, bills, cigars and matches.
"You must be obtuse not to know
love letters when you see them," she
said.
"0h, no. You're mistaken" an
swered Jack eagerly. "Wait and III
read you the last one she wrote"
From the wardrobe he extracted
an old blue coat, one not inchded in
the honeymoon outfit. From the
breast pocket, after some fumbling,
he drew letter.
"Listen to this" he said:
Dear Jack-I have Just returned from
the south and learn OF your approach
marriage. l know you are very happy. I
am sure you will be in your new life,
and wish you and your wife to be every
blessing heaven can give. Your loyal old
chum DIXIE.
"Now, Edith, that looks like love,
doesn't iti"
Edith shook her head wisely. She
took up her brush and began dress
ing her long blond hair.
at takes woman to read wo-
mans heart" she said. "Poor
Dixiew
She smiled at her own beautiful
face in the glass as she heaved
sigh for the girl who had lost Jack.
Jack returned to his mirror,
spending more time than, usual in
adjusting his collar and ytiesr Edith's
words seemed to have torn veil
from his eyes. He wished she had
not. 1t seemed to him like invad-
ing a sanctuary. What blind fool
he had been! How many times by
his careless words must he have
wounded Dixie's heart!
Yet how careful he had been never
to disturb the serene course of their
camaraderie. Many time had he
been tempted to steal kisses from
Dixie's tenderly curved lips, but he
had always refrained, because he
felt that it would not please her.
81 like my friends to be friends
and not play at being lovers" she
had said once to Tom Darling when
he had made feeble feint at flirta-
ton. Jack remembered how once,
when the red wine at studio dinner
a daux with Dixie had warmed him
to sentimentalism, he had said:
"We might get married, Dixie"
He had not been sufficiently seri-
Gus in his mood at the time to pay
much attention to her jesting reply,
but he now recalled that she had not
answered directly. She had looked
at him curiously, he remembered
now, but her merry answer had come
quickly enough after that:
"Oh, three days would put an end
to the romance" she had said.
Was Edith right? Did Dixie love
him? How crisscross everything
went in this world! He wished
Edith had not read those letters.
He wished he had not been so care
ess in leaving them about.
1t was too late now-too late for |
more than regret.
"'Your loyal chum, Dixie,'" the
words repeated themselves in his
brain. He had not been SO loyal to
her. Would she have left his letters
about where he who finds may read?