The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1905-02-03
POLLY AND MAN.


Did it ever occur to you.' said
Polly, regarding me from the divan,
that you cannot catch Gator a
man, either-by running after him?'
/ stood in the middle of Polly's den,
nursing scratched finger. Under the
divan crouched the big gray Maltese,
glazing at me vindictively and glory
ing in the perfect consciousness that
he had just slipped through my fin
gers, lodged between my legs and left
me bleeding with resentment.
II thought" / remarked, slowly
binding up the wound with my hand
kerchief, that in this strenuous a&e
1t was the only way"
"Only-what?" Polly held the sofa
pillow she had been about to tuck
under her head poised in mid-air.
''The only way a girl could, you
know" l explained boldly.
Polly dropped the sofa pillow ahd
sat up perfectly straight.
Gould what, Mr.. Heavyfeather?"
she inquired icily.
Catch a cat-or-er," hestitated.
"Well?" 1t was like the gentle, i'm
mutable falling of the thermometer
"Or-er," l began weakly.
go on!" isad Polly.
"Or a car" | finished adroitly.
"Oh!" Polly picked up the scarlet
sofa pillow and settled herself in it's
folds like the heart of rose in its
petals. Il though you were going to
say man." she said sweetly. "As
a matter of fact" she went on, ito
want to be chased and caught is n
purely feminine desire. Now, Tom, !"
indicating the cat with nod of the
head, is entirely masculine
His claws" remarked, rubbing the
back of my hand, "are feminine. The
kind they use at the women's clubs,
you know"
feminine claws" said Polly, gen
orally scratch you in the back. Tom,
as you observe, always strikes right
out for your face. Besides, his brutal
ity in wounding the hand that at
tempts to caress him is exactly like
mans. The girl who is little too
fond, or little too tender. or little
too cordial, is the one who always
pals on man first and receives the
rudest snubs. The wife who is too
caressing cheapens her caresses and is
the first one to find herself neglected.
To chase a man is to brighten him, as
you frightened the cat, and to send
him running to the uttermost parts
re tho 40 ,-tb Tom r.11nc RI tho Iittor
most parts of the backyard, when he is
bored with our attentions. If a cat or
a man wishes to know you, he will
make his own advances. He doesn't
need encouragement. 1t is his pre-
negative to seek the introduction, not
yours. Personally, you have complete
ly lost your prestige with Tom" and
Polly sent a worsted ball rolling to-
ward the Maltese, who sat quietly
cleaning his paws on the rug in front
of the fireplace.
Il WISH" | said wistfully, that l
had bone to fling at him."
What for?" said Polly.
Because l said, moodily. eff he is
like man, the way to his heart must
be through his stomach"
''Poohl" said Polly. THAT is an
old fallacy. Did any girl ever fasci-
nate you by inviting you to pink teas
or making you welsh rabbits? You
can get good cook for 81 week, and
Tom can get all the bones he wants
right out in the kitchen" and Polly
picked up an end CT the string from
the worsted ball and began pulling it
gently toward her. Besides" she
went on, .'flingipg bone at cat is
like finging girl at a man. 1t doesn't
fascinate him. 1t frightens him.
Tom will dodge a bone, just as you
lodged the authenticated Downing
girl"
Il didn't" said |.
"You liked her until abe began max
ing you sofa pillows" asserted Polly.
II like her now" I declared.
"You used to call there every night
until you found that she was always
waiting for you in the drawing room"
81 would call there every night now,
(Polly looked up quickly if l hadn't
met"
"And you thought you were going
to marry her." went on Polly, until
YOU discovered that she thought SO,
too"
81 would" began.
Polly almost jerked the ball of