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

said W1lfrid dlfnuently. NhaI
would you adviser"
"The very thing, my boy; engage
the most expensive designer and the
most famous builder and your repu-
tation is made. An excellent notion
-ah!"
Really, my dear" said the lawyer
in narrating this little Chesterfieldian
episode to Clara, 81 begin to have
hopes of young Stennis; he Is most
tractable and receptive to-ah-sen-
sible IDEAS"
So it came about that the rather
blase Clara anticipated with no little
interest her first meeting with the
new man.
Stennis had never before owned
visiting-card or donned a dresscoat,
but when he stepped forward to greet
her, in response to her fathers intro
duction, as he entered the drawing
room, she decided in one sweeping
glance that he was irreproachable at
least in costume and manners. even
If the latter were trifle nervous. AT
the proper moment he offered his arm
to take her in to dinner. lnwardly
he was greatly perturbed, for he real
lied that he was on view; but Clara
Passavant excelled in social tact, and,
taking a liking to him from the start,
before the soup was removed he was
chatting with her completely at his
ease. The dinner passed off quite sue
cessfully on the whole, for by dint of
keeping a careful watch on what the
others did he was able to avoid any
glaring blunders, albeit rather be-
wildered at the multiplicity of glasses,
and wondering at the possible correct
uses of the different styles and sizes
of knives and forks and spoons. But
he committed no solecisms; he took
wine sparingly; his little errors might
even have been ascribed to some
what different geographical environ
ment by those not cognizant of his
social pedigree.
He will dol" thought Clara Pas
savant, and put forth all her mature
powers to fascinate and dazzle her
fathers guest-in which aim she COM
pletely succeeded, for there is nothing
more dangerous to a young mans
peace of mind than a beautiful, we'll
gowned, and well-mannered woman of
the world in full evening attire. And
Clara was all of these things. More
over, she could be engagingly gracious
when she chose-and from this night
on she did choose.
She found Wilfrid quickly and even
cleverly responsive to the touch-and-
go topics of current conversation and
remarkably well-informed as to gen.
eral knowledge. In truth, he was a
better-educated man than her father.
so far as wide and desultory reading
was concerned; he had been nick
named the walking encyclopaedia in
the old days of Office and boarding
house life. Yet his mental bill-of-fare
was like "picked-up" dinner-it con-
tanned a little of everything. But if
he had only known it in those early
days as he came to know it later, So
cially this was rather in his favor
than otherwise. Society, with cap
ital prefix, prefers to be amused
rather than instructed, and barely
tolerates the man who knows enough
to see it's blunders and not enough
to keep still about them.
When Clara happened to broach the
subject of music at their third or
fourth meeting she found she had
touched the dominant chord of Will
frid's 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 a
dollar admission) and some others of
which she had never even heard, and
he laughingly confessed to the pos
session of a tenor voice.
But you know what the great Won
Bulow said about tenors, Miss Pas
savant?"
mo; tell me, please; something
spiteful, am sure"
Judge for yourself; he said that a
tenor was disease"
Clara laughed. THAT recalls Her
vey's-was it Hervey's ?-clever gen
eraliZation Of the human race" she
said. You know he divided us up
into men, women, and curates."
That was certainly rather severe
|
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
true woman would be content with
such simple motive as that; it must
| be something far more complex"
For instance?" she asked, with
one of her challenging glances which
dared him to do his best or say his
worst
81 think they dress to please them
selves first; secondly. to please the
men; and, thirdly, to make other
women envious"
For shame!" was the laughing re-
tort, tapping him with her fan; time
1,