The Washington herald., 1907-06-02


'T-what?' Kitty sat up straight and
gazed at me in CONSERVATION.
Dropped your fan l explained, and
lost the thread Of your conversation, and
tried 10 get IN the shadow and
Is that 'duttering.' Mr. Curtis?' Kitty
looked at me in a way 1 dont-well, a
way that disconcerts me, you know. But
I held my ground obstinately.
Its q habit" l explained. that all
women have-at the approach of some
men: and some women have at the aD-
proach OF all men. It's a sort of subtle
tribute to our fascinations and
Kitty dropped her fan again, and this
time it snapped in two. She bit her lips.
1T can be repaired, I said, soothingly,
examining the ivory bauble.
Never" cried Kitty. yehemently.
What
'The insult" she declared furiously,
which you have offered TOTO my sex,
Just as if I were an old maid.' she added,
with true feminine paradox.
Aren't old maids Of your sex?' I asked
in gentle surprise.
They're the only ones who 'lutter %
asserted Kitty. positively.
Not at ALL" I retorted I've known
plenty of widows who changed color and
their conversation at the mere entrance of
a man upon the scene; and dozens of de-
butantcs who became tcngue-tied or trem-
ulous the moment a descent-lo0king chap
appeared in the drawing-room. Even most
married women" I added lose their
poise and the point of their REMARKS at
sight Of the approach of q masculine
creature. It doesn't seem 20 be a matter
Of a woman's age or her condition,
huf-'
"Of the Importance she accords TO men.
broke ia Kitty. scathiuglv. There are in
dividlals of both sexes. she added with
eringly. VINO are too easily impressed
by the opposite sex
Not az ALL" I objected. Il never knew
e. schoolhoy so Insignificant and homey
ana inconsequenual that he didn't scoru
girls. And I never knew q bachelor so
lonely or neglected or utterly despised
that De didn't congratulate himself on
having escaped matrmouy and a woman,
ana [ never knew any man whose scheme
Of life a woman could interupt-eveu for
d moment. You see, to men, woman is ii
side-dish. a mere incident. while to- a
woman. man represents the whole emu OF
social existence. the piece de resistance,
the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and
the end She always takes him seri-
oUsIy-
oh. not always" Kitty looked at me
with "a significance that could not be mis-
understood and which spJrred me TO re-
rsuce
"Oh. we'll" I said, ficldng my cigarette
nonchalauty. did you ever know a man
who turned pink and dropped his gloves
and patted his back hair. and glanced I'm
the mirror to see IF his hat was ou
straight just because he saw a woman
coming down the street,"
"Of course" proceeded Kitty, ignoring
NV thrust there are plenty of women
who C~errate men and-aud look az them
through magnifying glasses
And who 'fUtter. I put in hastily
'at their mere presence.
But" she continued coIdIv they are
women who don't know them"
What
odd maids" returned Kitty. land
widows whose husbands have been dead
q long time and young girls who have uD
brothers 20 help them get q true per-
spgctive on the masculine creature. and
who have never gotten near enough to al
man 90 soc how really iasignidcant-"
And easy" I murmeTeG heIpfUlly
And human" went ON Kitty.
cor inhmau." I suggested.
Ard earthly and commonplace and per-
fectiv simple, and
'Ivhat a worm he can ue.' I finished.
tragieaLly.
"les." agreed Kitty somewhat too
promptly. "aud there are other women $50
abngrmalIy self-conscious and vain taa,
they can't Zoe their natural selves DO the
presence of any man."
It's aWfuIE fdtteriuE." I began on
Enthusiastically, TO think that we can be SO
asitatiuE-"
"Oh. it isn't the man that really sgi-
tafes the" retgrted Kitty.
NO" ] raiolneG promptly, IT'S the set
of their skirts. or the tilt ~ their hats.
or the curl of thsic hair, or the thought
Of whether there is any powder on their
noses or what they shall say 10 ba
sciuulldtl-g Or
Isn't this the seventh waltz" asked
Kitty suddenly. rising and looking earn
estIv at her programme. Il must go"
But" / continued imperturbahIy "au
the same they never worry about those
then they can TO more resist patting their
pompad-grs and changing their attitudes
and biting their lips than they can resist
@ man who makes love TO them, or straw
berry ice cream or the dark corner Of a
piazza"
This one is awfully dark, broke I'm
Kitty looking nervously around our end
Of the porch.
Perfectly impenetrable,' agreed
moving a few inches nearer her ON the
settee
And if this IS tie seventh waltz"
But IL isnt,' 7 declared without a
blush. It's only the sixth"
"Nr. Carter must be looking for me, -
persisted Kitty.
"Oh, no." I retorted, 'I just saw him
come out with the Tredway girl. Are YOU
going To fGtter again, EittyG' For
Kitty had sat down with a sudden eEcla-
nation and was nervously pulling the re-
mains Of her fan to shreds.
The idea she exclaimed Indignantly,
of accusing me of-0f anything like that
Only unpopular women 1utter'' Kitty
flung out the word scornfuiiy.
"They are unpopular because they do
futter," I contended, calmly lighting an
other cigarette.
Why" asked Kitty onsUnatcly.
"Recause-' I began. "Oh. Well" I
broke out, where's the excitement iu
chasing tame geese or hagging q pet
fawn that comes at your call Besides. q
man SHES AT Il woman who takes him too
seriously, and he is distinctly afraid of
ono who takes an mon seriously The
girl who piques his interest is the one
who has SO many interests Of her own
that she accepts him as casually as she