The Washington herald., 1907-01-06


viciOUsly.
Are they?" I asked cautiously, trying
to regard the olive with a judicious air
Kitty has been "out" just two months,
and I, as her advisory counsel, have been
in and "out" Of hot water most of that
time.
THE kinder you are 10 them" remarked
Kitty, sOrrowfully, the worse they act
afterward.
"After-what?" l inquired suspiciously,
as I laid down my soup spoon and pre-
pared for the worst
"After-you finish" explained Kitty,
bending hurriedly over her soup and try
ing 10 look unconscious.
Whom have you finished?' I demanded.
severely.
Kitty dropped her spoon and looked up
50 quickly that if had been a jury she
would have got the limit of the sentence
I haven't finished anybody. Mr. Cur
It's, she protested. Indignantly. IT only
began it, lie finished it by accusing me
Of dreadful things, and refusing 10 speak
TO me. And after had taught him 10
dance, too, and-and
To firt?'' I suggested.
'Ne-e-es,' agreed Kitty, grudgingIy,
"and what he ought to say when a woman
expected it, and what he ought not to
say, and to shave of his ridiculous mus
tache, and"
What did you do it all for?" I asked
brutaHy.
Because e'-Kitty toyed with her soup
because he needed it, and-and I couldn't
help it. Mr.. Curtis"
"Of course you couldn't I declared.
promptly mo woman ever can help prac-
ucing on any man who comes her way.
It's an Unborn, ingrCwing instinct, an ir-
resistibie impulse. as incurable as kIepto-
mania. or drinking, or consumption. The
sight Of man to the average woman
IS Ike the sight of red rag to a bull, OF
a bird to a cat, or a rabbit to a hunting
dog. The minute she spies the game she
knows it's time for her-to play.
But that's just it!' interposed Kitty.
obstinately. Why didn't he know that it
was game and that I was just-play-
ing2'
1T wasn't his game" 7 suggested. ITS
the feminine game, in which woman holds
all the winning cards, and takes all the
tricks"
"oh, then. it's a trick" cried Kitty.
delightedly
ITS trick Of feminine vanity l de-
clared, coldly. which every woman PLAYS
from the time she is old enough to toddle.
and TO beguile her brothers and uncles
into bringing her lollipops until she is
too old 10 walk without a cane or
crutch. And the oftener she PLAYS II the
more she wants fa rlsv- TIL. r,,- .1---
she wins once. instead Of appeasing her
thirst for scalps and fattery, only in
spires her TO try to win again, until, like
the confirmed gambler, she gets the
habit
fully. WI
The habit" I repeated. looking hard
al Kitty, of smiling unnecessarily upon
tne hotel clerk sad the waiter"
II wasn't unnecessary" interrupted
Kitty, warmly. and I didn't
And, I proceeded, unmoved. ''upon
the bellboy and the postman and the mes
senger boy. and upon every male clerk
who measures out ribbons to her or
deals out sugar. or teas. or shoes. or dia-
moHdS- Have you ever" I continued. i'm
pressively, seen woman who could re-
sist Datting her hair and gIancing into
the mirror before going down to give the
butcher his order or who could look into
the eyes OF the shoe clerk and ask him
10 show her No. 6 slipper, or could face
a judge and jury with the honest trutb
about her age? I haven't
But pleaded Kitty. this man isn't
a bellboy, or a shoe clerk, or Jury. He
is
II doesn't matter" I interrupted, "who
ne IS nor what he is. nor how old he is.
nor how handsome nor ugly nor insignif
cant so long as he is a man, and can be
levied upon for woman's vanity tax. Each
one Of you goes through life with a mental
chariot whee! and a mad desire to tie
everything masculine to it, from the ash
man TO St Peter. But you're dreadfully
shocked, / added. sarcaStically when
a victim tries to cut loose. or insists IN
climbing up into the chariot beside Won -
'-Or on taking the rens." agreed Kitty
thoughtfuily. 'Oh. well, she exclaimed.
inconsequentially. jabbing her fowl with
her fork, its fascinating"
of course its fascinating" I remark
ed, severely. Its fascinating without a
warrant And, like doing anything else
without warrant. it's dangerous"
And delightful" added Kitty.
And silly 7 declared.
And wicked.
And risky"
And interesting"
And Malicious
"Oh how nice,' gurgIed Kitty. BE
sides, she added. cheerfully. its so
profitable. Isn't this fowl delicious?"
Delicious l agreed but what has
that got TO do with
4 smiled at the waiter" explained
Kitty. sweetly. Don't you suppose. she
went on, laying down her fork and re-
garding me almost seriously that every
woman discovers in her babyhood that
the only way to get what she wants in
this world is To focus the attention OF
every man she meets upon herself? Don't
You suppose she finds out, before she is
able to talk, that it is a masculine hand
, which holds the key TO the family pock-
etbook and TO the candy shop and the toy
shop and the buffers pantry and to love
and matrimony and a home and an in
come and her future?"
I glanced at Kitty, witheringly.
II thought" I replied, that in this
age women were past all that"
Oh said Kitty, returning 10 her fowl
again with a shrug of the shoulders,
they may be past depending on a hus-
band. But even the woman who wears
short skirts and short hair and earns her
own living and carries her own latch
key cant get past the Office boy, nor
eliminate her employer, nor ignore the