The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-05-13

She had been laughing and talking
every minute up to now. but now.
when the two cigars were well alight,
she suddenly grew quite grave, leaned
her elbows upon the table, rested her
chin upon her crossed hands, glanced
at her husband, and addressed the
visitor thus:
You won't mind my being very seri-
Gus indeed now-will you?-because-
as l said before-I have something
very serious that / want to talk to
you about-and L never could talk to
you alone until my husband came"
Jerry felt his fingers seeking the
cord of his monocle in species Of
qualm over the extreme earnestness
of her address, but before there was
any such a pause as demanded filling
by him she went on:
"You don't know how dreadfully I've
wanted to be alone with you ever
since l first met you. It's so Grazing
to have things to say that you can't
say unless you're positive that you
won't be interrupted-and you know,
although we've been together all day
long, still we've never been really like
this before
Jerry felt horribly uncomfortable
and didn't know what to say, so looked
at his patent-leather toes and shook
his head. He didn't know just why he
shook his head, but it seemed the
only safe thing to dare just then.
What l want to talk about" she
you and women like me have for one
another. know that you are just as at
tractive to women as am to men, and
l want to know whether the basis Of
that attraction is the same with you
as 1t is with me-"
She paused; her husband was look
ing at the forest; Jerry was grasping
the cord of his monocle with a
strength that he could feel insthe back
of his neck. Within his heart he felt
that the peacock blue hadn't been so
far wrong after all.
"Do you think you get my mean
ing?" she asked after moment.
81 don't think that l do," he an
swere, bluntly.
She laughed softly
Yes, you do, too. It's a species of
vanity-now, isn't it? We're naturally
attractive and we know it, and we
want every one else to know it, too
don't we? You wanted me to like you
the first instant that you saw me
didn't you? Why won't you own up?'
Her husband vas looking at her
now; he was SO large that the back
of his chair was tipped against the
wall and his legs bridged the width
of the balcony. Jerry, big as he was,
was a pigmy beside him. He wished
like thunder that he was off fishing.
Il can't at all admit any of that"
he asserted.
What nonsense! But If you won't
admit it, it's true, none the less. But
We'll go~on- a step further. Grant the
mutual attractiveness, and let's see
how much further the similitude ex-
tends. When you met me and were
attracted by me did you recognize the
fact right off. or did it dawn upon
you gradually? l saw that you were
epris at once. You see I'm honest"
Her husband was shaking the ash
from his cigar, and as he did so his
eyes encountered Jerry's. The latter
was beginning to feel decidedly i'll.
Il don't know that l thought any.
thing about it," he said, miserably.
"You don't expect me to believe
that, do you?" she asked, half smiling,
mot after the way that you acted
that first evening! Don't you know
that l saw that you were wild about
me from the first instant. A woman
always knows. And what l want to
know is-does a man know, too? Or
does the woman hide her heart better E?
Did you know that was specially in
terested in you before l told you so?"
Jerry felt his shirt-collar melting Git
wasn't warm day, ether. He
threaded the cord to his monocle up
and down through his fingers, re-
crossed his legs, and coughed
Really" he said at last really,
you must believe me when 1 say that
this is the first time that ] ever posed
as a psychological problem, and I
don't at all know how to play the
part"
She looked disappointed.
"You won't own up" she said, sha-
king her head; well, I've never yet
found the man that would. They're
all alike-men are-and my husband
is the only exception to the lot"
She rose as she spoke and, passing
behind her husband, threw her arms
about his neck and kissed him.
"Oughtn't you to go now?" she
asked, looking over his head at the
stunned, benumbed, and paralyzed
caller-"it's quite quarter of six, and
we've all to dress before dinner"
Jerry arose with the promptitude of
steel spring just loosed in its coiling.
I'm sorry not to have given salts
faction" he said, "but really"
She extended her hand.
'I don't bear you any ill.will," she
said, smiling.
Her husband quilted his seat and
gave the visitor another heart-crush-
ing, muscle-rending hand-clasp.
Then at last Jerry got out into the
corridor and breathed again.