The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1907-04-02

Nothing had delighted him SO much
when his first book appeared as some
reviewers reference to the authors
knowledge Of women" Wendover was
then six or SYSTEMATICALLY, and the
compliment uplifted him the more be-
cause he had long regretted violently
that he knew even less OF women than
do most young men. He yearned to
captiyate them, to pass lightly from
one love affair to another, to have the
right to call himself "blase" Alas! q
few dances in the small provincial town
that he left when he was eighteen had
comprised nearly all his sentimental
experiences; during his years of strug-
gle in London he had been so abomin-
ably hard up that lodging house keep
era and barmaids were almost the on
ly women he addressed, and as his
beverage was a "glass of bitter the
barmaids had been strictly CONNER
ciAl.
To be told that he understood wom-
en- enraptured him. Instinct" he
said to himself. Now and then a man
Is born who knows the feminine mind
intuitively." And in his next book
there was an abundance of his fanciful
psychology. Denied companionship
with women, he revealed in writing
about them, and drew from the pages
N which he posed as their delineator
something of the exultatiCn that he
would have derived from being their
lover. There were even pages after
which he felt stated with conquest. At
khaGn l. l.
mood so we'll as to parade the Park
and pretend to himself that tho sight
OF the most attractive of the women
bored him.
But as loneliness really cried with
In him pathetically, he had an adven-
tuFe, eliminating In marriage with
\ SHOP assistant who glanced at him
one evening in Oxford street After
marriage they found as little OF an
agreeable nature to say to each other
as might have been expected, 80 a
couple OF years later they separated,
and the ex-shop hand went to reside
with a widowed sister, who made up
ladies' own materials" at Crouch
End.
Gradually he came To- be accepted at
his own valuation, to be pronounced
one of the few gifted men from whom
the feminine soul held no secrets.
Then, when he was close on forty, q
q novel that he published hit the pop
ular taste, and he began to make a
very respectable income.
Now, for the first time, he had cp-
Dortunities for meeting the class of
women that he had been writing about.
and he found to his CONSERVATION. that
they failed to recognize him as An
aMnity after all. They were very
amiable but, like tho farmer with
the claret, they never got any for
raider" He perceived that his profun-
dities were thought tedious, and that
his attentions were thought raw. 1t
was sickening admission for an au-
Aority on women to make, but when
ne tried to flirt he felt-shy.
At last he decided that all the women
be knew were too frivolous to appeal
to a man of intellect, and that their
company wearled him unutterably.
But observe that he had mover yet
been really in love.
In the autumn OF his forty-seoond
year-yOu wouldn't have judged him
70 DO so much-he removed to Paris.
Some months afterHard, in the inter
ests Of q novel that he had begun. he
deserted his hotel in the Rue d'Antin
Tor a pension on the left bank. The
establishment, which was supported
chiefly by English and American girls
studying art, supplied the color" that
he needed for his earlier chapters.
and It was here that ho made the
acquaintance OF Miss Searle.
Miss Searle was about six-and-tven-
y, Bohemian and ambitious beyond
her talents. Such pensions abound in
girls who are more OF less Bohemian.
and ambitious beyond their talents.
but Rhoda Searle was noteworthy
her face stirred the imagination. she
had realized that she would never paint
and the free and easy intercourse OF
the quarter had wholly unified her
for the prim provincialism to which
sac must return in England.
My father was a parson." she told
Wendover once, as they smoked cigar
cites together after dinner. Il had
hard work 90 convince him that Eng
lish art schools weren't the best but
ne gave in At last and let me come
here IL was Paradisel My home was
Ia BreckenhamptOn. DO you know IL?
It's one OF the dreariest holes In the
kingdom. used 70 go over to stay
with him twice a year. I was very
fond Of my father, but ! can't tell you
how terrible those visits became 10
me. how had to suppress myself, and
bow the drab, stupid women and the
dull young men used TO stare at me
AS n we're strange animal. or
something improper; in places like
Breckenhampton they say Paris IN
the same kind Of voice that they say
hell 7 suppose I'm a Bohem
Instinct. fcr even now that -
7 should never make an artist my hor-
....r Lac ~. easarf. Hh.r fr.rr - -. 49,