The Washington herald., 1908-01-26

glancing up suspicioualy from his place
az her feet on the stairway.
I was thinking Of Billy Carmichaers,"
returned the Bachelor Girl nodding
across the potted palms at a fair-haired
youth. dancing with plain little thing
in gray. Hes goiug 20 marry for it,
she added eontemptously.
Worse crimes" declared the Mere
Man cheerfully. "have been committed in
the name of love"
That's what's so funny about it," re-
marked the Bachelor Girl Did you
ever commit any, Mr.. Porter" she in-
quired. leaning forward with sudden in
terest
well" acknowledged the Mere Man
ruefully I've written poetic valentines,
and overspent my allowance, and stayed
awake all night. and forgotten 90 eat my
dinner, and fought with my best friends,
and lied 10 my mother, and shaved of my
mustache and"
And grown it again" sconed the
Bachelor Girl with a ripping laugh, ''for
The next love"
How did you know it," murmured the
Mere Man admlringly.
"Oh" the Bachelor Girl tossed her head
nonchalantly, variety is the spice of
love And with a man. nothing but
matrimOny puts an end to the variety
Marriage is merely the black coffee that
he takes 10 settle him. after he has gone
through a whole sentimental table d'hote
from bread-and- butter. to pudding with
champagne sauce. And the greater the
number of love affairs he has had the
more willing he is 10 be settled
Poor CharmiChael' sighed the Mere
Man compassiOnateIy
she is a fright isn't sheT' agreed the
Bachelor Girl with a glance Of pity at
the girl in gray.
The Mere Man started
AS I was saying" he began.
And tie way she wears her hair is
positively frumpv and years too young"
AS I was saying" continued the Mere
Man hastily, more crimes have been
committed iu the name of love than In
the name of science and medicine and re-
ligion all put together. It's such good
excuse for doing what YOU want to do
and shouldn't T. like marrying the wrong
person or neglecting your business, or
dawding away your time. or flirting with
somebody you have no right
Nobody ever did those things for love,
Mr.. Porter interrupted the Bachelor
Girl. with an impatient flourish with her
gauZe fan Not for real love- anyhow,
she added less emphaticalIy.
"All love is real" protested the Mere
Man "at the time. The effect differs
only with the variety
And there are ffty-seven varieties
cried the Bachelor Girl, waving ner san
dramatically.
And each" agreed the Mere Man en-
fIuGiIgfirlf flT t'5E T.r+I
Of pickle"
What
We'll" explained the Mere Man.
there's the sweet and simple kind that
We get a taste Of before we are out OF
school; the kind that mauifests itself in
bad poetry and pipe dreams and carrying
about souvenirs in your left breast
pocket And then there's the tobasco
kind"
Il never heard Of that" remarked the
Bachelor Girl Wonderingly.
'Of course. YOU didn't" retortcd the
Mere Man hastily. And then there's the
chow-chow kind-like ours"
Like what Mr. POrter?"
oh like sugar, and pepper, and spice
all chopped together explained the Mere
Man That's the most fascinating va
riety. and the most dangerous But" ne
added hopelossly. "rou never can tell
what any sort Of love is going 70 make
you do"
mo" agreed the Bachelor Girl dryIy. .
There's the kind that makes n man
marry woman and keep her an the rest
of her life washing and cooking and sew
ing for nine children. and the kind that
makes him resist marrying her and
leave her to pay her own gas bill and
room rent because he w;,,its all his own
income for himself. and the kind that
drives him 10 drink. and the kind that re- /
claims him from il, and the kind that /
keeps him drudging at the Office 20 pay
for womans frCcks, and the kind that |
keeps him running around AZ her heels /
while his business goes 10 rack and ruin /
In short, love is the universal masculine 4
excuse for every lapse, or folly, OF crime 4
from going without a shave To breaking I
girls heart or breaking into bank /
And the most astounding part Of it IS" /
she finished. tanning herself furiously, /
that after a man has tried ffty-six va /
Tieties Of it he can still stand up with a 4
perfectly straight face and tell the nifty /
seventh girl that he never has really /
loved before!"
"Wel," protested the Mere Man shame /
lessly, ''he never has-in exactly the same
way. That's the beauty IN variety in /
love, or wine, or pickles. Your taste gets T.
educated 10 a finer appreciation; and /
each time that you discover a new brand |
YOU forget all the others and honestly
believe that at last You have discovered |
the real thing and you haye-only in a |
different form
And a different face" reiOined the
Bachelor Girl witheringIy. And after
a while you get so used to a variety that /
no particular brand and no particular /
woman will satisfy you; and the girl who
marTics you discovers that all the edge
has been worn off your sentiment, and /
that You make love simply out Of habit,
and talk in stock phrases. and use pet |
names from custom. and have taken her |
merely-as black coffee But love is quite |
a different thing 10 woman. It isn't
habit nor an excuse with her It is
something rare and fine and enobling; not /
"a rag 20 hang her follies on and
And vet sighed the Mere Man. cross
ing his knees and clasping his hands
thoughtfully around them, "there was
that woman out West who shot a man
for love"
The Bachelor Girl dropped her fan.
oh. that
And that other one who ran away
from her husband and children-for love"
But Mr.. Porter
And the one who stole money to buy
pretty clothes-for love"
But. don't you see"
And the hundreds and thousands. who
nag their husbands with jealousy and Sus-
picion, and watch them ike professional
detectives and cut them of from all COM
municdtion with their friends and fam
iAes, and make them read tracts and go
10 temperance lectures and eat health
tOOds-for love The funny thing about
love" he continued, twisting the Bache-
lnc Gins I'm thnnnL-tfulLr ..Ls H. In