Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-10-08
1t is TO Flirt.
(Orlglnai.l

10 do so told him this story:
when l was young man one win
ter l caught the roller skate craze.
went to rink, put on II pair of skates,
started out on the floor nnd-sat down
l got up and. shutting to the rail In
closing the rink. grasped II and started
TO go around, clinglng to 1t. hadn't
gone far before I met young girl
who had ono hand on that same rail.
would rather have met herd OF cat
tie OH precipicc. Either must lenve
the rail to her. taking my chance of
going on the back of my head, or for
ever surrender my self respect. l kept
my self respect nnd surrendered the
rail-
Il was repaid by n nod of thanks
from the girl, accompanied by very
sweet smile. AZ soon rs she had pass
ed grasped the rail and drew sigh
of relief. Presently ] saw the same
girl coming again. She skated better
than l, who WAS on the rollers for the
first time, and thought-lndeed, /
hopcd-she would this time return my
sacrifice by giving way to me. She
did not. AS she approached saw
faint trace Of amusement ON her fnce,
especially In her eyes; then when with
in few feet of me she cast them
down rs II much panied to accept
from me what was due TO her sex.
Again my gallantry prevailed, and
moved to what was to me imminent
danger and ngnin won mute thanks,
! conveyed BY the eyes and lips. l con-
sidered them ample recompcnse even
for so great sacrifice.
well, every few minutes the girl
would come round. meet me, and
would get out of her way. l was
gradually getting n triilc used to my
skates, but did not drop any OF my
woebegone expression Mt being obliged
to trust myself to them.
| BY and by l began TO think that the
girl Ind become familiar enough with
her skates to trust herself on the rink
mt least for the few moments ncces-
snry to our passing-but she showed
no disposition to do so, though at our
meetings her gratitude found more at
tractive expression. Indeed, / WINS he
ginning to take positive pleasure In
my sacrifices when they were inter-
rupted.
The girl was approaching me for the
seventh or eighth time when n young
man sknted up to her and said in
surprised tone:
why, Miss Kitty. what are you do
ing hanging on to the rnil-you, one OF
the beat skaters In the rlnk?'
The girl laughed, flung me look full
of merriment and, loosing her hold,
sailed out on to the fioor like n bird
Never Inns an inability to do any
thing troubled me so much ms not to
have been able to make n similar dis
| plny OF my own craftsmanship. The
| girl dnrtcd hither and thithcr grace
fully, while wns still clinging to the
rail. Then the young man who had
| spoken to her caught her hand, md
together they skinned the surface like
pair OF swallows. She seemed to
take malicious pleasure In fitting by
me. at times some OF her ribbons fiut-
tering in my face, just TO show me
how independent she was OF that rail-
to which 1 was chained. Once when
sho passed me. collecting nil my nerve,
let 90 and took few independent
strokes. My feet flew into tho air. and
with tho thud that followed was min.
gled smothercd laugh from my tor
mentor rs she whisked away.
"The next evening WINS ut the sknt-
Ing rink. and the next and the next.
1t WINS not until the fourth evening
that / saw again the girl who had
fooled me. When did she was skat-
ing with the young fellow who had be-
Az she passed me abe did not notice
me any more than IL I were worm
OF the dust, but looked up into the
face of her attendant with an ex-
precision OF admiration and devotion.
passed her purposely n number OF
times during the evening-for 1 could
now skate indiferently- hoping TO Sc
cure come slight recognition, but sho
paid no attention to mo till she passed
me just before leaving tho rink, and
then all got wns an amused smile.
81 think by this little incident have
conveyed to you one meaning mt least
of the word 'fllrt.' When the girl first
saw me and had just chung to tho
rail. she took to 1t herself on purpose
to force me to let go. Then she kept
up her pretense for the. purpose of
bothering me. But her real object
was to attract my attention, to put
herself In my way. 70 charm me as q
snake would charm n blrd-in other
words. to filrt. Do you seeT"
'Yes. see. But when man
plays that same game with woman
what do you call him-a fllrtf"
Certainly not There is no word 10
our Language to express what you
mean. 1t Is the woman only who
Hirts"
"And you took no part IN this little
episode you have describedf"
"None Wbatnyern