The Washington herald., 1907-04-15
BUR AND BACHELOR
BY TROY ALLISON.

Jarvis selected a comfortable-looking
rock. lit his pipe, and leaned against the
chestnut tree.
This is the loneliest spot in the neigh
borhood," he said. after meditstive
puff ITS my favorite place to come
alone and think
The woman raised her eyebrows quiz
zicalIy.
so sorry If I disturb YOU" TRANQUILITY.
he Is favored by the gods, It's useless
to cater to his pessimism-a woman more
or less doesn't increase his misery to any
great extent. II was too far for me TO
come alone. you sre.'
"Oh. / don't mind you, Don't take
It 20 heart" He fitted his back more
comfortably to the tree trunk and fixed
his eyes upon the blue ridge of noun
tains that circled around the valley be
meath them. Il get on well enough with
women-tf they leave me out of the pink
tea business, and don't expect raptures-
I've passed the TapJur0us age.
She had put some chestnut burs on
the rock in front of her and was pound
ing them with a small stone. She left of
long enough to look him over refiectvely.
"One might reasonably wonder if you
had ever been young enough TO rhapso-
dize-its hard TO associate you with the
idea" She put a plump chestnut between
her teeth and crushed it with obvious
pleasure. 1T would really be worth ones
while TO spend some effort trying to make
tFFFf I I'D -
have partially outgrGWn that stage-mOst
women Of thirty have-but il would be
rather amusing to my blase mind TO see
you struggling through a proposal
His month In the mountains had given
him a good coat of tan, but she saw "a
swarthy flush rise TO his face.
You are all alike he grumbled; 'al-
ways wanting compliments and wanting a
man TO act the fool generally. I've only
known you a month. and was fool enough
TO think I had found a woman who didn't
care for them"
There is no such woman IN existence,
dear man" She pounded open another
bur. onergetically. You needn't ever let
one fool you that way. Now as for me-
/ have kept you thinking me sensible for
a whole month"; let you talk about the
isthmian conditions and the trust prob
Iems-I even natter myself that / con
versed intelligently enough upon the sub
ject to hold your attenuon-but as for
/ compliments. I just love 'em.'
Jarvis turned his gaze from the noun
tain back 10 her animated face.
Il should have thought you would have
:
in unconscious tribute
That does very welcoming from a
woman-hating bachelor-but It might be
/ improved upon. For instance, the long
/ ago sounds d bit doubtful"
"There the woman speaks again. he
grumbled. she can't bear the idea Of
/ any ones even approximating her age.
| Now / know you have been a widow sew
en- years yet YOU would probably be
/ pleased If refused TO believe you were
a day over eighteen.
She gave a little irrepressible gurgIe of
amusement
I'VE don't marry quite so young In our
part of the country; but even so. it's bet
ter than reaching the forlorn state you
have achieved"
1t is rather an achievement" he said,
complacently. when all ones relatives
and friends seem afflicted with a mania
for matchmaking"
Then you should not be so-fasclnat-
ing" she said. with impudent sarcasm.
lie sat erect. bracing both hands on
the ground beside him
so what?" he shouted In a mirth that
set the rocks echoing.
She beat open another bur, nonchalant!y.
"Oh, welI-you are rather good d-looking.
YOU know If your manners were HI
tie better. you might be-er-a tiny bit
fascinating. I am not speaking about
your achievements" hastily, merely your
potentialities.'
"Say, are you trying the compliment
racket on me2' ne demanded suspiciously.
No. indeedF' A man Of more expert
ence in reading the female expression
would have detected too great show of
innocence in her ewes. Il never referred
to your looks at all; In fact, I don t
know that I should call you exactly
gOod-looking. just strong and muscular
looking"
This time the flush on his face had A
tinge Of qualification I'm it,
That's all the looks a man has any
business caring for he agreed. and felt
a sneaking desire to tell her that he had
been the star man on the football team
at college. and that there was not man
at the club now who could bruise him
with Il boxing glove.
You see, we are an more or less alike
men and women She contemplated him
from the corner Of her eye. Now ] have
q special weakness for being told that my
hair has tinge of red In II, and you
Ike 10 be called-strong. She again
gave a little guTgle OF merriment
You ought TO have been named Deli
lah." he said. in disgust there was the
very essence of treaehery in the way you
rounded me IN then
She climbed up the rocks TO reach a
limb that hung heavy with large burs
She broke them off gingerly. throwing
them one by one at his feet
They remind me OF old bachelors. %
she said. holding large prickly one