Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-12-08


to be with her, because she possessed
the happy knack of educing his bright
est thoughts; she became his social
mentcr and the arbiter of his slowly
forming tastes. He really wondered
at himself, after an evening in her So
ciety, when he recalled the consumed
ly bright things he had said, and he
began to take no little pride in his
social and fashionable progress. For
he was everywhere voted success.
His wealth, his pristine freshness, his
total freedom from the too frequent
vulgarities of the newly rich, made
him everywhere welcome; he was put
up at two or three good clubs; start
ing with few valuable introduc-
tions from the Passavants, his circle
of acquaintance widened rapidly, and
not the least surprising feature of it
all to Stennis was the ease with which
he assumed his place among the elect
of New York society. 1t was as
though he had been to the manner
born.
So the winter passed, in high jinks
and perpetual holidays" and the
young spring found Wilfrid firmly
seated in the society saddle; fairly
launched on his career as one of the
jeunesse doree; popular alike with
men and with women; invited every
where, and apparently as happy as
the day is long.
True, thus far he had not-realized
any of his pet projects, except to lay
the keel of fine schooner-yacht-he
had been too busy socially-but there
was, as he told himself, plenty of
time.
Nor must it be inferred that the
glamour of these newer interests COM
pletely eclipsed the memory and
the influence of Eunice Trevecca.
Throughout that winter Wilfrid was
constant and even a regular visitor in
far-away old Greenwich.
To the girl he carried full accounts
of his social progress, sketchcd for
her his constcaly widening circle of
friends and acquaintances, and spread
his daily life before her like an open
page. Thus far there had been no
subteriuges, no secrets between them.
And if, as was to be expected, he
developed a little of the exquisite in
dress, and became a trif1e dandified in
manner, affecting or having acquired
the society drawl and new style of
hand-shake, which he unsuccessfully
endeavored to transplant to the arid
and awkward soil of Macdougal street,
to Eunice and her stepfather he was
the same old unaffected, generous
Wilfrid of former days. In only one
thing had he failed in perfect faith;
he had never told Miss Passavant of
his conditional betrothal to Eunice
Trevecca-never so much as men,
toned her name! Somehow Eunice
OWNED this. True, there were ex-
cuses for him, and it was partly her
! fault; by her own act Wilfrid had
been left foot-loose. Had it been
otherwise, the chances are that he
would have acquainted Clara Passa-
want with the true state of affairs
very early in their intimacy. Later it
became more difficult.
The faded old parlor and sitting
room ran riot in flowers, and many a
| Eunice But with woman's inconsis-
tency she wished with all her heart
that Wilfrid had shown himself more
masterful, refusing to let her put him
off, even for probationary year.
At first Wilt honestly tried to main
| tain the old lover-like relations, but
was so uniformly though good-natured-
ly repulsed that at length he gave up
trying. He little knew that poor
Eunice cried herself to sleep the first
| time he omitted to kiss her good-by.
Yet 1t was by her own wish and
mandate that matters between them
| took this course. Then came the fire.
quent mention of Clara Passavant,
| the beautiful the brilliant, and for
| the first time in her life Eunice was
horribly jealous. 1t was no longer
ChercheZ la femme, she felt, but La
| femme est trouvee!
And so you and this Miss Passa-
want are coming to be great friends?"
said Eunice one night as they sat to-
| gether, though not in the old familiar
way
II wish you could meet her!" he ex-
claimed enthusiastically; 81 feel sure
you would like each other"
What makes you imagine that?"
inquired Eunice demurely, threading
an obstinate needle with ostentatious
care.
ooh, because-well partly because
you are so unlike each other"
Don't be too sure!" said Eunice
vindictively. For my part, believe
we should scratch each others eyes
| cut!"
wifi looked at the usually gentle
Eunice in polite astonishment. Then
he laughed, for his social training had
already taught him thing or two.
"Oh. no, you wouldn't" he said
confidently. Women don't do things
in that way. If you were introduced
you would both take little steps, bend
ing forward in the latest mode: you
would approach each other smiling