Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-03-31
TEDDY

Of her own Morris chair. The little room
was delightfully."- white and still; cool,
TOO. for it CHANGED to be one of those dim
DAYS that sometimes intervene in a Sue
ccssion of hot ones. She lay there star
ING at the gentle stir of the Swiss win
dow curtain and thinking.
Teddy had gone She had so looked
forward to the time, but now that 1t had
actually come she did not feel the relief
she had expected to feel. For three years
she had seen him daily. In the first
place. the way 10 his work took him past
her house. and then he was always run
ming in of an evening to play game OF
chess with her father or sing song with
her. or. perhaps. just to tell a bit of story
that he thought would amuse them all.
She had thought sometimes that she had
rather he had stayed away, especially
when there was another visitor Or new
book that claimed her attention. And,
again. when it stormed and no one came,
and her father yawned and her mother
looked at the clock, Teddy came like an
angel. bringing his own welcome At
such times she was particularly nee TO
him, and sent him away feeling that
! heaven came very close down 20 mortal
/ sometimes. lie adored her, she knew,
and knew also 1t was no boyish emotion
| to wear itself 0r' after time. One had
ONLY to look a. 1cddy's firm mouth and
! Jaw to sec that he could be desperately
! in earnest.
| At first it had somewhat amused her,
/ for she believed that such marked de-
votion could be of only limited duration.
| Somehow, she had not much faith III the
| LOYALTY of the masculine heart or IN her
own. for that matter. She had had few
| fancies. but they had come to nothing.
She had never seriously cared for any
one. and she wondered sometimes if She
ever would. She was past the age when
most girls marry, and still the right man
had not come; that intangible, ideal crea
ton whom she waited and vaguely OK
pected. She had told Teddy about him
and watched with amusement while he
savagely chcwcd his lip. Teddy was jeal-
Gus OF the ideal man and of every other.
Coveting her so passionatcly himself, he
believed all masculinity did likewise. lie
had heard tales of her heatiess little
WAYS and he had tasted her indifference
and sarcasm. which scorched him like fire.
| But there were times when she smiled
into his eyes. all kindness and heavenly
sweetness and then me forgot everything
! except that she was dear with exquisite
! dcarness, and so forgetting, he let his
/ hope soar.
Anita understood Teddy far better
! than he understood her or she under
/ stood herself. She felt sometimes that
/ she might have liked him better had she
/ known him less thoroughly. Perhaps if
! she had seen him less often, perhaps if
/ he had secrets from her she would have
! found him more interesting. But he had
/ laid his heart bare to her, telling the
! worst with the best ingeniously. She
/ even knew the color Of his neckties before
/ he bought them; he brought samples from
/ his tailor to get her Judgment upon them
! before he ordered his clothes, and once lie
! had discarded hat for which he had a
! peculiar fondness simply because she had
/ playfUlly offered some slight objection
/ TO it, He had no mother or sister and
| she was his only woman friend besides
/ the aunt he lived with, who, however
/ was so much given to charitable enter
! prises that she had no time for her fam
/ ily She always gave him her opinion
with something of the same condescensioi
that star might stoop to light candle
and set him peg lower i'll her estimation
! because of il.
III Teddy was sensible" she said once
! The would notice that little Ethel Mains
/ who is so madly in love with his smil,
and red checks, She is just the girl foi
him, mamma. I'm going to speak to hin
about her"
She spoke to Teddy about Eethel Main.
and was answered by a hurt, ama2ct
look that eilectually turned the dampel
upon her admonitorness. Then, with 1
dignity she had not believed him capabl,
| OF, Teddy had risen and walked to tn,
other end of the vcranda. remaining Their,
so long staring at the moon that She hal
feared he had become petritied, She die
not mention Ethel Mains again and sh,
gave up trying to bring this girl or tn,
other to his notice.
1t occurred to her that summer tina
she was getting very tired Of Teddy
And when he told her suddenly that h,
had accepted position ciseWh mere sh,
was really glad.
AT least he can't get home often" she
said "Of course. / a write to him.
rather like to write letters. and his Aun
Sue isn't given to epistolary effort. Per
haps absence will bring him to his senses
| trust so. I'm sure I've tried faithfully
to show him that | really can't marry
him ever But he's so--pcrverse."
1t strikes me. Anita. that you're cX
trcmely light-hearted about my goius
away" Teddy had remarked. modify
one evening when they were discussing hi:
plans
why, it's going to be so nice for YOU
don't You know. to bc earning 50 much
money ana being in a big lively place
besides. OF course I'm glad for YOU"
Anita said. little contritcly.
The money consideration Is the only
one that's taking me away" Teddy
sighed gloomiIy> Il want to get lot
together and then, perhaps he re-
lapsed into silence
Anita had an idea that Teddy thought
, her merccuarv. or at least fond to yani+ :.