Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-12-06
Of
Veronica

There is one popularity about get
ting eXasperated at man." wrote the
girl at summer resort to her dear
est friend at home. ut is that you
think you never can be more eXas9er'
ated than on that special occasion
and then the very next time you get
exaspeTated you are astonished to lind
how much more so you can be!
Il don't know anything better calcu
lated to infuriate one than to see 6
perfectly nice man idiotically in the
tolls of another girl whose motive is
transparent to every woman in sight
though the men are blind and imbe
Gle in her presence,
when Veronica Bondy first appear
ed on tie hotel veranda and l hac
watched her ten seconds l sighed be
cause | knew what was ahead OF me
[ was to view the spectacle of every
man on the place trotting around III
her wake carrying things and asking
her anXiOusly if the hot sun didn1
make her head ache and couldn't the:
didn't she want to go and look at the
moon!
Never heless, I privately excepted
Arthur Daw from the list of lunatlcs
because-well, just because. And that
very night at a dance he said in the
middle of a waltz: Hasn't that new
girl, Miss Bondy, the most wonderful
oh in re innOPnnt
appeal!
ST think I exhibited great self-cOn-
troll Instead of telling Arthur that she
was a selfish cold blooded, designing
little mink with no sense and whose
motto in regard to wenankind was
No quarter!' | agreed with him. This
encouraged him to add that such a
girl, who was so helpless and con
fiding and trustful always brought out
the best in man, somehow. Where
upon l told him I'd like to sit down
and rest.
"Of course there is nothing else sc
9lentiful in the world as men; still,
didn't fancy letting Veronica Bondy
walk off with Arthur just to show me
that she could do it.
$50 when Veronica blockaded the
way as Arthur and I started out tt
walk three miles through the wood:
TO a farm house where they sell ap
pies, and said pathetically that she
was so lonesome and there was moth
ing to do, l promptly asked her t
come along. That three miles is most
ly climbing hills or coming dOWT
them, and part of the way the sand i:
deep. She had on delicate pumps anC
silk stockings and frilly dress-anC
was CARRIED in khaki and walkin:
boots.
"She hated to walk saw it in he
eyes-but she hated worse to let me
escape with Arthur for the whole aft
ernOOn. So she started. When Ar
thur walks he walks-and though h'
slowed down when | murmured tina
we were firing Miss Bondy he chafe(
under it, He dislikes sauNering
When We had stopped for the fourth
time so he could help Veronica re
move the sand from her absurd shoes
his lips WeGe setting in a straigh
line anG he looked to me for sympa
thy, but merely beamed.
When we started back it began tt
rain steadily. If there is anything
sOrT.er nd Wetter than the wood!
when il rOurs rain Id like to be in
formed Ut it. My hair curls NATURAL.
ard rain doesn't hurt khaki, so | didn'
care bit Veronica was indignant Sh'
complained dreadfully and somehow
cOnveyea the idea that the rain Wa
due solely to Arthur's carelessness
The mere her complexion ran off tn,
more she complained, and at the enc
of a nile her hair looked like seaweed
Her style demands fluffiness or colt
fure to appear well. At every hill sh
stOrmed. She said once that it mus
be nice TO be a great, husky, muscula
creature Ike me and be able to negC
tiate bad roads like an amazon, but a
for delicate, womanly person lik
herself il was different.
THAT Was when | blithely suggeste
to Arthur that he carry her She
have e. him, l truly believe, only h
Pretended not to hear me. She il
sis cd on clingng to his arm, however
and beirg dragged up the hill. Nov
man has got to be utterly hopelessl
in love with woman before he Ell
joys dragging her up hill when sh
is quite capable of walking by he
self. | think the sight of me amblin
merrily along as though l was goo
for another 25 miles added to his irr
tation.
When we were in sight of the h
tel ! turned around and smiled ha
ply at them. At that moment I a
precis ted to the utmost my curly ha
and the color the rain had brought [