The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1909-05-06

tho mead with his cigar cutter.
She had been laughing and talking
every minute up to now, but now,
when the two cigars were we'll 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 said before-I have something
very serious that l want to talk to
you about-and never could talk to
you alone until my husband came"
Jerry felt his fingers seeking the
cord of his monocle in species of
quaim over the extreme earnestness
OF her address, but before there was
any such 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 | first met you. It's so Grazing
10 nave things to say that you can't
say unless you're positive that yo,.
won't be interrupted-an ". 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 1t seemed the
only safe thing to dare just then.
What want to talk about" she
went on. is the feeling that men like
you and women like me have for one
another. know that you are just as at
! tractive to women as I am to men, and
l want to know whether the basis OF
that attraction is the same with you
a. 1t is with me-"
She paused; her husband was look
Ing at the forest: Jerry was grasping
the cord OF his monocle with q
strength that he could feel in the back
Of his neck. Within his heart he felt
that the peacock blue hadn't been so
Tar wrong after all.
do you think you get my mean
ing?" she asked after a moment.
Il 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 II? We're naturally
attractive and we know it, and we
want e.ary one else 10 know it. too
don't We? You wanted me to like you
i the first instant that you saw me-
didn't you? Why won't :-on own up?"
Her husband Vas :,",Hing 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 of fishing.
Il can't at all admit any of that"
he asserted.
What nonsense! But if you won't
' admit 1t. it's true, none the less. But
we'll go on 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 of. or did it dawn upon
you gradually? 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 thought any.
! thing about it." he said. miserably.
''You don't expect me to believe
! that, do you?" she asked. half smiling,
I mot after the way that you acted
that first evening! Don't you know
that saw that you were wild about
me from the first instant A woman
always knows. And what I want to
know fs-does man know. too? Or
! does the woman hide her heart better ?
Did you know that l was specially in
/ terested in you before told you so?"
Jerry felt his shirt-collar melting ct
wasn't warm day. either. 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 l 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 vet
found the man that would. They're
i 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
a steel spring just loosed in its coiling
I'm sorry not to have given salts
faction" he said, "but really"
She extended her hand.
Il don't bar you any ill-will," she
said. smiling,