The Washington herald., 1907-11-10
BY HELEN ROWLAND.


ing the latter carefully into shape. ARE
going out of fashion"
What do you mean2" inquired the
Mere Man. "Matrimony?"
Yes" agreed the Bachelor Girl. petu-
lantly. pointing her toe at the Persian
rug and tracing d design thereon. "and
manners and home-cooking and fattery
and flirting"
''Flattery and flirting exclaimed the
Mere Man. disgustedIy. aren't nice,'
you don't know" retorted the Bach
elor Girl. you've never tried either Of
them.
Have you?" The Mere Man turned
in his chair and gazed at the Bachelor
Girl so intently that she reddened.
They Went out of fashion," she de-
clared, ignoring the question and keeping
her eyes on the Persian rug, before you
were born
And the moment YOU were born"
ADDED the Mere Man. with conviction.
"What?' The Bachelor Girl glanced
up and stopped in the middle Of tracing
an imaginary circle with her violet kid
toe.
The moment" explained the Mere
Man. that an athletic girl and the tailor
made girl and the bachelor girl appeared
up the scene; the moment that the 'do-as-
l-please, 'carry-my- look
out-for-myselC' creatlire became the fash
ion; the moment that woman took of her
ruffies and pat ON a stiff shirt waist and
a whaleboned coat; the moment that girls
dropped their illusions and donned their
armor; the moment they laid down the
fan and took up the wheel and the type
writer. a man can't nirt," he finished
scornfully. with an animated coat of
mail His tender speeches and soulful
Slances and pretty compliments won [
penetrate a wooden image They fly right
OF without making an impression and
come back and hit him in the face"
The Bachelor Girl laughed.
That's because men have forgotten
how TO make tender speeches and paw
pretty compliments" she returned prompt-
IN. They're lost arts. The modern man
hasn't time 20 he subtle and delicate.
Even when he tries TO firt ne goes about
II IN hurried. bUsinessliSe manner. rust
as he would go about ordering a bill OF
goods or eating Il dinner or catching a
train. He makes love or an engagement
or an afternoon call as if he were making
time OF money. and does the polits. thing
AS If he were doing duty \ Irritation.
and the bachelor girl tossed her head 50
that the little curl over her ear shook
Indignantly. cant he dragged cut by
the wheels and put in motion like an
automobile. IL men only knew
They know too much already" inter
rupted the Nero Man emphatically
That's the trouble When women were
a delicious mystery a chap would imagine
all sorts of pretty things about them and
say those things as if he meant them
But nowadays we haven't an illusion left
How are we going TO tell a girl her cheek
is like a rose when she has the cheek 10
inform US in advance that she bought the
rose part at the corner drug store? How
are we going 20 tell her that her hair is
golden snare or 20 rave about the po-
ctry or her figure when she openly ac-
knOwledges that she got the gold and tho
snare from the smartcst hairdresser and
the poetry and most OF the figure from a
fashionable corset maker. You're nc
longer a fascinating riddle You're q
problem that has been solved. a book that
mas been read. and picture that has beer
painted"
Il beg your pardon. Mr.. Porter,
BY a dozen hands
IF you mean 10 be insulting"
An invention OF the dev--
What"
"Of modern ingenuity"
"Oh" The Bachelor Girl leaned bach
and crossed her violet slippers.
Besides. finished the Mere Man light
ing a cigarette and reclining indolently IL
his chair, what's the use Of flirting. any
how"
'User" The Bachelor Girl sat up an'
waved a scornful hand. 1T isn't useful
its beautiful, It's the poetry. the trim
ming the fringe round the edge of love
1t is TO life what lace and perfume ano
rufflcs are 10 "a woman, what the deCOra
tons are 10 the dinner. what the dressin,
Is 20 the salad Its the exquisite art %
exchanging delicate attentions withou
meaning anything of fencing withou
stabbing It's the sparkle in the cham
paSne. the flavor in the sauce. the dev
on the rose It's game without a pur
pose delightful way of passing time
But nowadays. and She leaned baCl
again with helpless little shrug. e.
man doesn't want 10 pass time that way
or any way. unless there is sOmethini
10 be gained unless he has an object o
q conquest in view. Unless
And a woman doesn't want to pas
time that way" broke in the Mere Man
Ticking the ashes from his cigarette con
temptuously, unless she has matrimOn
in view. The minute she finds out that
man is regarding her as a tempOrar
amusement she loses interest in him an
cools like June day after shower
But she wouldn't ind IT outE' declare
the Bachelor Girl trlumphantly. If yo
knew how 20 firt II you weren't so care
ful to let her know
You've got 20 be careful nowadays
you want to nirt." protested the Nler
Man. If YOU don't, you'll soon ind tina
the lady has been carefully making
husband or n butt OF you. You're eithe
bagged or disheG before you know il.
the old Bays. when girls were dear. in
nocent little things who believed all 70
said and took what you didn't say 70
granted, fellow could go on poetizin
Unfortunately. He could write love note
without the fear Of hearing them rea
IN the cold gray dawn OF the courtroom
or of seeing them copied in the mOrnin
papers. lie could rhapsodize over
girls dimples or her elbows without fee
ing that she was calculating his incon
or gathering material for the entertain
ment of the next chap. The trouble
that the modern girl has developed to
much sense
"Of course. she has" agreed the Bacl
elor Girl, hastily.
Too much sense Of humor" The Mel
Man leaned back and lazily blew a del
cate ring 1t gets on our nerves an
drives all the romance out OF US. If
should tell you this minute. for instanc
that you look like a Madonna you