The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-04-02
THE MAN WHO UNDERSTOOD WOMEN.
BY LEONARD MERRICK.


as the loss OF my freedom, my-my
Identity; am never Co be natural any
more! After leave here / am going to
go on suppreasing myself until the day
die. Sometimes l shall be able to
shut myself up and howl-that's all
I've got to look forward TO-"
What are you going TO dor" asked
Wendover, looking sympathetic, and
thinking pleasIrably that he mad found
q coed character to put into his book.
/ am going back" she said, "a shin
ing example OF the folly OF being dis
contented with district visiting and
church bazdarS! l go back failure
for Beckenhampton to moralize over.
My old school mistress has asked me
TO stay with her while l look round
you see, I've spent all my money,
and l must find = situation. II the
Beckenhampton parents don't regard
me as too immoral, It is Just possible
she may employ me in the school to
teach drawing'-unless l try to teach
1t! Then | suppose shall be called
revolutionary and dismissed" She
contemplated the shabby little salon
thoughtfully, and lit another cigarette.
From the B0ule' Mich to a boarding
school! It'll be a change! l wonder
II 1t Will be safe to smoke IL | keep
my bedroom window open wide?"
Yes. 1t would be as great change as
was conceivable. and Rhoda Searle
was the most interesting figure in the
house TO Wendover She was going to
England in months time-there was
no reason why she should not go at
once, save that she had enough money
to postpone the evil day-and during
this valedictory month, sho and he
talked OF their friendship" In the
tortuous streets or the Boulevard. she
introduced him to humble restaurants.
where the dinners were sometimes
amazingly good at the most ridiculous
prices. Together they made little ex-
cursions, and pretended to scrIbble or
sketch In the woods-looldng at each
ether, however most OF the time; and
and then at evening there was an inn
to be sought, and the moon would rise
sooner than the friends: and in the
pension, sentiment would constrain
their tones.
1t was all quito innocent. but to the
last degree unwise The ex-shop as
sistant still throve decorously i'm
Crouch End ON his allowance, and
Wendover should have seen that he
was acting unfairly toward Miss Searle.
To do him justice. he didn't see it
he had confided the story OF his mar
riaSe TO her, and it did not enter into
hi haN 81.
him seriously notwithstanding; his
experiences had given him no cause
to esteem himself dangerous; and the
lover who has never received fayors
Is, In practice, always modest, though
in aspirations he may be Juanesdue
The suitOr OF quick perceptions has
been made by other women, as every
body but the least sophisticated OF de-
butantes knows.
But If he did not dream that he
might trouble the peace OF Miss Searle.
he was perpetually conscious that he
had disturbed his own. A months
daily companlonship with a tempera-
ment, plus a fascinating face. would
be dangerous to- any man--to Wend-
over II was fatal. His thoughts turned
no longer to liaisons with duchesses;
his work, itself, was secondary to
Rhoda Searle. Silly fellow as he ap-
pears. tho emotions Weakened in him
were no less genuine than II he had
combined all the. noble qualities with
which he invested the heroes OF his
books. Remember, too, that most OF
us would appear silly in a description
which dealt only with our weakness
es. Wendover loved, and he cursed
the tic that prevented his asking the
girl to be his wife
lie had feared that the last evening
would be a melancholy one. but il
was gay-the greater part OF It was
gay, at any rate. AS soon as the
door slammed behind them he saw
that she had resolved TO keep the
thought OF the mOrrow's Journey in
the background, TO help him turn the
farewell into a fete Her laughing
| caution was unnecessary, her voice.
her eyes had given him the cue-the
journey was to be undertaken I'm the
distant future, life was delicious and
they were out TO enjoy themselves
He had proposed dining at Armenon-
vllle-it wasn't the Paris that she had
known, but champagne and fashion
seemed tho right thing tonight: and
no farce had ever sped so blithelv
before, never had onther girl been
such joyous company After dinner.
the Ambassadeurs! The programme?
They didn't listen TO much OF it. they
vera chnffcrfuy All fho ttr.o ~ 80
only when the lamps died out that he
heard a sigh. 20 was only when the
lamps died out that the morning train
and tho goodby. and the blank begin
ming Of the afterward, seemed to him
so horribly near
The little salon was dark when they
tho pension; everybody else
Wendover turned
~ she said &c
!