The Cairo bulletin., 1907-10-23
THE
SUSCEPTIBLE
AGE,
by Margaret Clarey.


the Inevitable IN the life OF every
I girl beginning usually at the age OF
10 and lasting according to the tenn
permanent and surroundings OF the
! damsel. Maldie was a boarding
school miss. therefore she had the
disease in an aggravated form. for
II was nourished by contact with a
dozen or more girls of like nature,
and by surreptitious reading OF nov
| els whose price was usually a quar-
| ter, minus 5 cents.
! Thank goodness, VAS just emery
Ing from the susceptible age myself,
and therefore felt called upon to
give good advice to Maidie. The
fever had not lasted long with me,
as my practical. everyday sort Of a
4 Lature forbade 1t.
So. when Harry Bordeux came to
Miss Fothergills Select School for
! Young Ladies TO take a position as
instructor OF foreign languages. 1t
was Maidie and not myself that fell
| violently In love with him. Still.
"
there was no hope for me, for Maidie
was as pretty as rare painting,
while | was OF the hopelessly plain
sort. But | will adm that Harry
Bordeux was man to enslave the
hearts of any number Of school girls.
Maidie Immediately christened him
| Apollo, and indeed I doubt IL Apollo
that beauteous god himself, was any
handsomer than Monsieur Bordeux
Maidie began to take an unwont-
cd interest in her French and Ger
man which formerly she had neglect
ed shamefully. She also began to
write love poems which would have
caused Tennyson to turn over in his
grave. and strangest of all, she could
not be induced to drink more than
two ice cream sodas day, or to
devour more than a half pound Of
caramels at one sitting, where for
merly her appetite for these school
girl commodities had been of the
haps not worse than dozen other
OF smitten damsels, and even our
severe Miss Fothergill seemed to take
more than passing and necessary
interest in her handsome assistant.
And | was obliged to watch this
beau-ideal firt with my poor Maidie
In a superior. contemptuous manner
that made me fairly burn with rage.
One day as | came suddenly back
into the sehool-room In search Of
lost history book. where Maidie had
fingered to obtain help on some
French verbs. interrupted little
tete-a-tete that made me resolve TO
deliver il little heart-to-heart talk TO
Maidie when should find her alone.
Well. | suppose Harry Bordeux
would have hardly been real man
Ii he had not seized the opportunity
to kiss a girl so pretty as Maidie,
when chance offered.
But my carefully prepared little
lecture was never delivered. for that
very night the crash came. We had
prayers in the parior that evening.
after which Miss Fothergill arose
with strange pallor on her severe
face. and suspicious tremble in her
cold voice, Young ladies, she began
"Mr. Bordeux has resigned his po-
sition here Miss Garyey will hear
your French and German tomorrow,
She opened her lips again as though
there were something more she wish
ed o say but closed them as though |
she dared not trust herself to speak
further.
That night Madie did not come to !
my room as usual to say goodnight. |
but slipped a letter under my door.
upon the envelope of which were |
written these words: Read this.
Miss FothergilI dropped it. and
picked it up My idol Is shattered.
The letter was in Mr.. Harry Bor-
deux's beautiful handwriting. and
read as follows:
My Dear Miss Fothergill:
| am leaving you tonight, and
wish to express my regrets at quit
ting your service, but became rath-
er bored with the dulness of 1t all.
Your young ladies are amusing. but |
rather tiresome in their persistent
hero worship. have helped my
self TO the hundred dollars saw
You place in your desk today. and
ad ise you to be little more careful
of your cash in the future.
| an returning to my wife and
children In England and 1t will be
useless to try and follow me. Very
sincerely,
HARRY BORDEUX.
Maidie Is now a regular ice cream
soda fiend, and disdains not the i've
uouud chocolate box.