The Washington herald., 1908-03-22

ing nel DOncu OF NiOletS anu ncf ian viii
the other. as she passed out Of the the
ater and stepped into the waiting ham
som, lis that 1t always must end"
That's the trouble with anything nice. -
replied the Mere Man. tucking the robes
tenderly about her satin slippers. and
the nice part of anything troublesome" !"
he added more cheerfuily.
The Bachelor Girl glanced at him re-
proachfuny-
"A man never minds the ending of any
thing" she remarked, with a curl of her
red lips, even love. It's only the be-
ginning Of things that interests him-the
first kiss
And the honeymoon"
And the cream on the Jug
And the bubble in the champagne"
And the meat on the peach. Well. isn't
that all there is interesting about them
inquired the Mere Man defiantIy. as he
leaned back in his corner OF the cab
''The end Of the cream" he continued.
with a shrug of his shoulders. is skim
med milk; and the end of a cigar is a
butt and the end Of the champagne is
dregs: and the enc of the peach is a
stone; and the end OF love is a quar-
| rel Or
.'or matrimony." finished the Bachelor
Girl helpfully-
And a two-hy-four fiat and a collec-
tion OF bills. and mother-in-law, and
curl papers. and babies and a third OF the
clothes closet" appended the Mere Man
! cynically But woman never knows
when a thing ought 10 end. She doesn't
recognize the logical finish OF love. or
| youth, or a Irritation, or a quarrel, even
when II stands up and stares her in the
face. She never knows when nor where
to stop any;hing-not even talking.
But man." retorted the Bachelor
/ Girl vehemently. always knows just
when and where he is going to stop any
thing-before he begins. He winds the
alarm clock and sets il for the final hour
Of whatever he cOntemplates. from his
morning nap 10 loves young dream. and
she pulled a violet from her bouquet and
closed her little white teeth hard on its
innocent stem.
He knows enough rejoined the Mere
Man readily. ito set down his coffee cup
before he comes 10 the grounds. and TO
throw away his cigar before il burns his
/ lips. and 20 get out OF a love affair"
Before he gets too far in it, inter-
Tupted the Bachelor Girl sarcagtically.
Before loves young dream grows so
! old corrected the Mere Man. that Il
1 begins to get wrinkles and gray hair.
But a woman always insists on carry
/ ing the poor thing on. until IL has be-
come a nightmare She paints II in glow
! ing colOrs and doses IL with tonics and
cuddles and coddles IL. even after il has
begun TO hebb,e along on a crutch. She
hasn't the heart 10 say good-by 10 Il.
when it's quite dead even. but goes on
mourning over il, and keeping her I'm
gers in her ears so that she can't hear
the alarm clock nor the funeral bells,
until the man gets so nervous and bored
and disgusted that he-that lie"
Wakes her up by dashing cold water
| in her face" interpolated the Bachelor
Girl bitterly.
WHAT"
''Oh. begins TO break his engagements"
she explained. with a nonchalant wave
of her fan. "and to shorten his calls"
And 10 stay away altogether. when it
rains or there is the least excuse" put
in the Mere Man appreciatively.
And doesn't even notice IL. when she
firts with other men or wears new hat
or does her hair a different way"
And stops paying her compliments and
sending her violets
And loses the drift Of the converse
ton"
or interrupts i 70 look at his watch.
And begins 10 yawn at 9.3o' finished
the Bachelor Girl. When man thinks
il Is time for girl TO wake up from
! loves young dream he turns on a regular
! ice-water shower Of Indifference. and II
she doesn't open her eyes, it's be-
cause
Because she's woman" broke in the
Mere Man And a woman viii cling TO
- - -
versation. like a terrier 10 an old shoe
until it's dog-eared. Look at the way
you hang on TO an argument, for in
stance"
Me. Mr. Porter"
Any woman. corrected the Mere Man
hastily And string out a letter. and
stick TO an opinion. and try 20 make S6ur
youth last forever By patching It UP vi
rouge and sixteen year-old hats and
beauty lotions and false curIs. instead OF
settling down into nice comfortable old
ladies. with gray hair parted in the mid
die and peppermints in your pockets.
The Bachelor Girl looked contemptuous
You'd like US then" she remarked
ironically. wouldn't you? You'd find
Us interesting-just like skinned milk
and peach stones, and the butt of
cigar. If We try TO look like the be-
ginning. instead Of the END OF time it's
because We don't Ike that spray OF cold
water in our faces"
WHAT"
THAT faraway. respectful, and alto
gether indifferent sort OF glance you give
us. when the cream is of our Jug OF
youth and the powder Is on our faces.
Growing old means saying good-by to
you-'
And a woman always hates to say
good-by." declared the Mere Man. IF it's
only TO trouble or a casual caller She
fingers round the door of love, with the
man already on the outside, until he gets
cold shivers and feels like stamping his
feet; when II she would just realize that
everything is over the moment he takes
his hat and cane. and would give him A
cheerful handshake and help him on with
his overcoat and wish him gOdspeed as
though she meant Il. likely as not he'd
turn around and come right back again
Hanging onto dying love isn't going 10 re-
vive it; it's more likely to smother out
the little life left in it, Why can't a girl
be philosophical and take a chaps love
for what II Is worth and drop II when il
isn't worth anything"
fhat's all very nice and sensible and
logical and easy" returned the Bachelor
Girl cynically, II the alarm clock goes
off before you are married TO him; but
you can't hand a husband his hat and
stick and overcoat and
No. returned the Mere Man but you
can hand him Just what he hands you. a
little indifference and lot OF cold water
and the tag ends of your time You can
toll the moment the alarm clock has gone
of by the way he doesn't look at
you
BY the way he doesn't look at you"
corrected the Bachelor Girl. 'and comes /
in late and goes out early"
And foroets fhe date % l,;s u-a713,,. o /!