The Washington herald., 1906-11-18

or anything to make her forget it," broke
in the widow "Old age is just a bogie;
| 1t won't harm you II you don't notice it.
/ The woman who escapes it is the one
who is so busy getting the most out Of
| life that she hasn't time to observe
whether her hair IS getting gray or not,
or whether her wa.stline is increasing
or diminishing. She is the woman with an
unduenchable zest for life: and she is
/ Just as much a girl at sixty as at six
/ teen. She doesn't have to bear false wit
| ness to the size OF her foot, or the color
| of her nose, because men never think Of
/ questioning her age
They don't have to- broke in the
! bachelor. a woman's age is written
all over her. She may bant the signs
/ Of it of her figure, and massage the signs
/ of it of her face. and tint the signs of It
/ out of her hair; and after she is all
/ through. her very walk, her very voice.
| and the very tilt Of her hat will read like
/ calendars bearing the record OF her
/ years
| The widow glanced anxiously in the mir
/ ror and gave her lilac tOque a little side
/ wise push
/ "'Oh, it isn't the amount Of the tilt." ex
planned the bachelor. its the way you do
| it. At sixteen you wear ii boldly and un-
comprOmisingly straight back from the
! face; at twenty-six you turn il Jauntily
I'D at the side-like yours for instance;
at forty-six you pull II down over your
/ nose TO hide the wrinkles; and al sixty
you don't tilt it at ALL but wear it
straight across your forehead in nat res
/ ignation It's the natural evolution Of
/ your vanity
.'The diminution, you mean" sighed the
widow.
| 4 don't know" responded the bachelor
doubtfuHy. 81 never observed any diminu-
ton. On the contrary. the older a woman
gets the mere she fishes for compliments
and pines for proposals.
] Because she needs them" declared the
widow dramatically. 1t isn't vanity that
! makes her do that; it's fear. She's cling
| ing with the last remains Of her strength
to the straw of adulation in order to save
herself from the waters OF Obscurity. As
/ long as she can keep men telling her how
pretty she is and how well she dances and
how they admire her, they won't begin
! telling her how pretty she used 10 be and
how well she used 10 dance and how they
used TO admire her. That's the pathos
finished the widow. clasping her gloves
tragically in front Of her, of being
passe"
/ The bachelor shuddered.
I understand" he sighed solemnly.
she feels like a man does when he be
gins to dread that people viii ask him
why he never married and TO tell him
that he is looking young for his years. -
Yes" said the widow, and she would
never feel it at aIl-if it weren't for what
she notices about men.
What does she notice about us?" asked
the bachelor, rubbing his bald spot self
consciously.
First" said the widow, that you look
a. her critically and then that you look
al her indifferently. and then that you
look at her deferenually, or not at all
and then-what l noticed this morning.
Did you have two shocks this morn
ing?' asked the bachelor, gently.
The widow nodded solemnly.
Who shocked you-besides the girl
across the street?
''The boy around the corner He pro-
posed to me- responded the widow.
.'He-what?'' The bachelor got up sud
denly.
ASKED me TO marry him. Mr.. Travers. %
We'll. you surely didn't notice that"'
remarked the bachelor. indignantly.
Yes, 1 did" nodded the widow. And
I noticed something else"
What elsee'' The bachelor turned sud
denly and came over beside the widow.
Something explained the widow. ris-
ing and Strengthening cut her gloves
that made me shUdder with apprehen-
sion. When a woman notices It, Mr. Trav-
/ ers, it is time TO ring down the curtain or
youth and turn out the light on frivolity
FOR it is the magic sign that a girls nc
longer a girl"
Poor little widow" said the bachelor
Tell me about it,
Il noticed" went on the widow, that
the boy is ten years younger than am D
Well" said the bachelor encouraging
Iy. that's not so much
And 7 noticed continued the widow
that I let him go right on proposing"
Is that all?" asked the bachelor. less
p cheerfully.
NO. 1 noticed that listened to him.
THAT was unnecessary" remarked the
bachelor cOldly, but not-damaging."
And I noticed" finished the widow, be
ginning to draw on her gloves with a lit
, tie shiver, "that-I nearly accepted him"