The Washington herald., 1907-01-27
BY HELEN ROWLAND.

own pink toes. and ends it with a pas
sion for her husband or her children or
her pet cat or her poll parrot. And in
between those two there are all the other
courses in the love feast At three. she
is infatuated with the gardener or the
butler or her big brother; at sixteen, she
burns the incense of her soul before the
Decent photograph of a matinee idol, and
at twenty she Is down on her knees before
the altar of some commonplace man
whom she has draped in her own illu-
sions and covered with the flowers of her
Imagination. It's as natural for woman
to fall in love as it is for her to lie
about her age or 10 add on her fingers
or 10 get of d car backward. The only
difference between the sort OF woman you
describe and the ordinary everyday wo-
man is that the former doesn't know
when TO stop and the latter does know
when she has found the one all-satisfyinS
love, and is wise enough 10 settle down
TO a steady mental diet. There is Just
one right love which comes into every
girls life. 1t may be an art or it may
be a profession. but it's usually man.
And the great question every woman has
got to decide is not what is love, but
which is love-the right love"
''Wh-ew!" I exclaimed. with a low
whistle as Kitty leaned back, breath
lessly. and mechanically put out. her
hand for the chocolate box. Where on
earth did you learn all this? And if you
knew it, why don't you decide right
away
Because" interrupted Kitty, with
drawing her hand. with a wistful sigh
'it's so very difficult to choose. You've
got TO ask yourself so many questions
before you can be perfectly sure that
any man is the right man"
What questions, Kitty?" I inquired
gently.
oh. does your throat choke up so
tight that it hurts whenever you hear his
ring at the doorbeH?" began Kitty. count
ing on her fingers. And is it impossible
for you to tell him a lie? And would
you believe him absolutely even If you
knew he were lying? And is everything
he does perfectly right-even when it's
wrong? And would you give up flirting
and coffee for breakfast and stop curl
ing your hair and wearing corsets and
putting powder on your nose and adopt
common-sense shoes and become a vcEe-
tartan or q Buddhist if me asked you TO?
And could YOU love him if he didn't wear
"a standing collar, smoked "a pipe. lost his
front hair, wore a readv-made suit and
ate with his knife and"
stop. Stop" l cried. NO woman on
earth could love man that much. It's
like asking "a man il ne could love "a wo-
man if she had q cork leg and wore a
wig. and took out her teeth at night. and
played an accordion and talked through
her nose and"
Nevertheless" interrupted Kitty lean
ing her chin in her hand and gazing visit
fully into the fire, every woman does
love like that-at some time"
Which time. Kitty I asked. bend
ing over and trying 10 look into her eyes.
'Usuauy-the first" replied Kitty, very
softly.
.Oh. Who was your nrst?'' I inquired.
bluatly.
Election Of the fire that made her cheeks
so rosy, as she continued her contem-
plation Of the little blue and yellow
flames.
''That was SO very long ago she re-
piled. evasiveIy. after pause.
How long," 7 persisted.
Il was Just ten" said Kitty, bending
ever so that I could only see the top of
her pompadouT, and he was twenty-five
He scorued me-" she added They us
uaIly do
WAS it-your big brother" I inquired
cautiously
Kitty shook her head.
Then it was a matinee idol" 1 said
with conviction.
No" Kitty bent over and nervoUsly
poked the fire with the tOnEs.
Kitty" 1 said, taking the tongs from
her. and incidentally touching her fingers
with my own, Il was twenty-five when
you were ten"
"Oh. well" said Kitty, tossing her
head and leaning back in her chair, def
antly. what difference does il make2
That was only the first course at the love
feast"
Sometimes" said, meditativeIy.
blowing a ring from my cigarette and
staring into the fire. they serve the same
wine ut the beginning and at the end of
de dinner"
L think" said Kitty, rising sudden
| ". that mamma wants me-"
Perhaps she does" I agreed, taking
my hat and gloves, "but," ] added. men
tally. mot nalf so much as" Oh, well,
after all. Kitty has only just begun the
love feast-and there are all the other
/ courses in between.