The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-09-07

From tha Kansas Civ STAR.

NAAis' NiAt ''N'
ing his pipe tenderly on the piazza
the head II rufned young person pro
ceeding across the lawn, goes IA tlirt.'
The widow leaned forward I'm The
hammock to gaze interestedly after the
DIT OF pink and blue felnininity.
DID she tell yo0 So" she inquired,
The bachelor looked embarrassed.
Well" he replied reluctantly, as he
picked up his pipe and carefully meas
ured his ~favorite mixture into the bowl,
she admitted it. Why"
Because" said the widow, gently
starting the hammock swaying by
touching the piazza railing With the
Zip of her toe. IF she did. she is not a
flirt. a real tlirt doesn't go around
with n label tacked to her. The girl
who is dangerous eve hangs out Il
signal"
"Humph!" remarked the bachelor.
She doesn't have to. An e~ighteen-inch
waist II French heels and a curl
over N ear arc danger sign enough
They aren't any sign at ALL" re-
torted the widow. You can't detect
a real flirt by her waist line or her
front hair any mere than you can de-
tect a real artist by his soft tie and his
back hair. Genius is born, not made,
Mr.. TraNers-and so is a flirt. The
Lorelei didn't wear a corset. did she
NN Wv Y III Jas lllC
marrying g when she met Marc An
tony and turned the Roman empire
topsy-turvy-just for fun"
DO you mean to tell me-" demanded
the bachelor, sitting up straight in his
teamer chair and confronting the
widow with an accusing glance, that
the moment a girl finds out that she
can mesmerize a mar she is so con-
science stricken that she wants to put
on boomers and a health waist and
blacken her teeth:"
The widow laughed INC flung a pink
"Oh. dear, MOI" She murmured.
What an idea! I only meant that the
hlrt may be born for starched shirt
waists or for accordion plated ruffles.
She may be born with a tapering waist
line and a straight front figure. or a
weak eyes and a weak chin, or with
dimples and naturally curly hair. 1t
isn't her ability to wear her frocks and
Marcel her pompadour hat makes a
woman dangerous or attractive or pop
uiar, but a quality within-the quality
that enables her at 6 years old to
wheedle lollipops out of her uncles and
cousins and g~randfathers and at 60 to
hold a solon where everybody wants
to go"
will you kindly" said the bachelor.
as he pulled at his pipe and lovingly
caressed the brown bowl, define "a
flirt?"
"How can l." protested the widow
plainly. define anything so indefinite?
"A firt is any woman who possesses the
secret power of fascination and eNer-
cises 1T upon every man with whom
she comes in contact. regardless of
consequences. She is not the woman
who considers her acts as means to-
ward an end. II all women looked at
men merely as the short cut to a home
and a weekly income, half the spice
would be lost in life. The flirt flirts
for the pure love of flirting. 1t is
entirely owing to her tina men now
seek their wives hgurativeIy on Bonded
knee. instead of with a club, as they
did in he days of the cave dwellers.
She has turned courtship into a pas
time instead of a business, aud trans
formed matrimony from a duty into a
privilege. She may do a great harm
once in a while. but she does a greater
good. She is a real benefactor to the
world, for she teaches men how to
make love-
And makc= them CYNICAL" inter-
rupted the bachelor.
And amuses Them"
And spoils them for some other
woman"
And gives them something to think
about
And destroys their faith.
And their conceit. Why" and the
widow sat up and waved her fan dra-
matically, Its the nirts who have
tranformed all the prigs into men, all
the green and salad youth into respon-
sible beings, all the conceited
young puppies into endurable escorts.
Suppose the first girl you ever made
love to had taken YOU seriously. What
would you have been?" she finished
challengingly.
MARRIED." cried the bachelor i, n do
cisive tone.
TIE widow looked at him refectively
for a moment.
WHO was the first woman you ever
suddenly.
The bachelor WINGED.
Oh" he replied evasively, She's not
half so important as the last woman"
Tel me about her." demanded the
widow.
We'll, she wore a pink gingham
apron and she was just thirteen and
the way she tied her s%unbonnet under
her chin and shook back her curls-"
THAT will do" interrupted the
widow. 81 might have known YOU
began early. Those who begin early
never marry till late"
ut isn't too late yet declared the
bachelor, leaning forward and looking
into the widows eyes as he started the
hammock swaying.
You We mad a beautiful training"
reflected the widow, ignoring his last
You ought to be VERY gate
full to all of the girls who wasted time
on you in the %endeavor to-to-'
Get a ~husband?' suggested the
The widow looked at him with with
corn.
TO amuse themselves. then, he cor
hastily.
.M'O cOmpIetn yo11r o1,,a,-
make you endurable Mr.
Travers!" announced the widow So.
verely. The poor tlirt." she went on
neditatively. leaning her cheek on her
hand. "They afford the world lie
greatest joy, it's favorite pastime its
spice, it's impetus. They Introduce the
role in the tragedy of life. tho
romance in the story of everyday ex-
silence. They spend their youth train
lng men to be good husbands-for othar
women. They put the rufles IN life
frills on society, the oil on the
wheels of love-and all they get js-S
Everything they want.' broke in
bachelor. !"
"Calumny," corrected the widow
'calumny and ingratitude-and nine
out of ten a worthlocc h,u