Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1910-07-01

.rant and put forth all her mature
covers TO fascinate and dazzle her
otber's guest-in which aim she COM
letelv succeeded, for there is nothing
more dangerous to young mans
Doace Of mind than beautiful, we'll
ovnad and well-mannered woman of
no world in full evening attire. And
rlsra was all Of these things. More
bver she could be engagingly gracious
hen she chOse-and from this night
bn she did choose.
She found Wilfrid quickly and even
rleverly responsive to the touch-and-
ro toDics of current conversation and
Remarkably well-informed as to gen.
pral knowledge. In truth, he was
hetter-educated man than her father,
ko far as wide and desultory reading
Mas concerned he had been nick
named the walking encyclopedias" in
the old days of Office and boarding
house life. Yet his mental bill-of-fare
was like a "picked-up" dinner--it con-
tained little of everything. But il
Ehe had only known it In those early
days as he came to know it later, So
cially this was rather in his favor
ita prefix, prefers to be amused
| rather than instructed, and barely
tolerates the man who knows enough
| to see its blunders and not enough
tn lyrpD ctil1 n hOiIt them
When Clara happened to breach the
subject OF music at their third or
fourth meeting she found she had
touched the dominant chord of Will
frids nature; being no mean execu-
tant herself, they at once met on com
mon ground. She found that he had
seen most Of the modern operas (at
dollar admission) and some others OF
| which she had never even heard, and
be laughingly confessed to the pos
session of tenor voice.
But you know what the great Won
Buow said about tenors, Miss Pas
savant?"
No; tell me, please; something
splteful, am sure"
Judge for yourself; he said that
tenor was a diseased"
Clara laughed. THAT recalls Her
yey's-was it Hervey' s?-clever gen
eraIization of the human race" she
SAID You know he divided us up
into men, women, and curates."
That was certainly rather severe
on the gentlemen of the CLOTH" com
mented Stennis, unless he had in
mind the old saying about the last
not being the least"
Upon another occasion they were
discussing the feminine passion for
fine clothes.
Women dress to please them
selves valiantly asserted Clara,
championing her sex.
Are you sure?" said Stennis. mo
rue woman would be content with
such simple motive as that: IT must
De something far more complex"
TOT lRstance?" she asked, with
one OF her challenging glances which
uaIeu MIN to do his best or say his
worst
think they dress to please them
seIVes hrst; secondly. to please the
nehi and, thirdly, to make other
women envious."
-. VI shame!" was the laughing re-
0rl' tapping him with her fan. "time
enough to be cynical when Won get ia
Ue as old as papa"
such little verbal passages at arms
% 'hese-and there were many of
,ueNl as time passed, for upon Stennis
was conferred the freedom of the
soose IN Park avenue after that initial
rn alei-serVed to put them more and
t-' oie at their ease and to cement their
a ti.tnushlp. The rather shop-worn So
s, Nv! woman of eight or ten seasons
t'o,ered new sensation; in match
Us WIS with Stennis she was sure to
IKE responsive fire In him every
AoIs nor was 1t certain that in SO
DIS ner own wings were not in
ana ee' OF being singed she certainly.
bi,, peInaps unwittingly, revealed t.
rOo.. 0I'ener than to others a softer.
~ ~oSanly side of her nature.
70 otennis' part he ever delighted
nv ~ with her, because she possessed
o.. t happy knack of educing his bright
NO. thoughts; she became his social
foYn n'of and the arbiter of his slowly
a., lling tastes. He really wondered
c,o. 4.nself, after an evening in her So
" ~ wnen he recalled the consumed
isht things he had said, and he
soe esn to take no little pride in his
be and fashionable progress. For
II, vas everywhere voted a success.
toto, "saith, his pristine freshness, his
vr,~. tleedom from the too frequent
btns sarl'ies Of the newly rich. made
IN everywhere welcome; he was put
inc Two or three good clubs; start
tior. WIN few valuable introduc-
Of from the Passavants, his circle
not ~ widened rapidly, and
all 10 &c least surprising feature of it
no o'ennis was the ease with which
Of assumed assumed his place among the elect
tbom.," York society. 1t was as
born. hau oeen to the manner
and me winter passed. in high jinks