The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-27
THE FATAL GIFT
By Katharine MetCalf Roof

such ample abundance of color and material this? One so likely to read into mems minds ones feminine subtlety of perception Of course she was precisely the kind of thing the phillistine man would adnlre-the majority of men.
 Electra's room had been so Created" she ex- pressed it, that in spite of its disproportonate size disproportionae with reference the relative size of its key-note-t formed appropriate setting for her. For while in the matter of form and line Eec- tra, perhaps, did not compose we'll in her room, from the standpoint of color all was harmoniously, if somewhat carelessly, conceived. And she leaned back with slow variations of pose against the effective green cushions Emma and I-placed, it must be admitted close to the picture for the best crit ica1 estimate-1istened and admired, while Electra talked. Almost Immediately touched upon the dstasteful yet inevitable topic, for she had had what she termed "an experience that very afternoon with the manager of concert agency
 ,"What did he do?' asked Emma pleasurably awe struck. Poor Emma, never having suffered from the selentless imp1acable pursuit of in her simple life, loved to hear about it grown-up child loves
 fairytale without the faintest expectation of its coming true in her everyday life
 Electra trifed with her fan, half-bitter smile playing about her lips. "It not so much what he did,' she said at last "He did not really do any thing that could take hold of He just sat there and of devoured with his eyes all the time was talking. I could see that he was not hearing word I'said. And when simply forced the busi- side, he cut short the conversation with some excuse about another day Oh, they are all alike" she broke off, and, raising her hands pressed them against her eyes while she spoke. q can just see that look in his eyes now" Then she dropped her hands, smiled wistfully and, with what could not but feel assumed lighness, seemed to attempt to shake off the unpleasant recollection Then sud denly she broke again, vehemently leaning for ward. one hand lightly clenched upon her knee "Oh tired of being conspicuous. | ESQ tired of being continually stared at and followed on the street." 4E
 saw that had not realized before the practical disadvantages of being cast in the goddess mould in world of men. Electra leaned back after her little outburst with relaxation of utter weariness-weari ness, divned that of the spirit, for she was questionably vigorous and sound of body. eff you only knew how out 1 am with this sort of thing! If could only find one rnan-just one in the world''-Electra spoke with suppressed passion now-"who would forget that am a woman-who would take me impersonally, who would not speak ot my har, my eyes, or any other fact of my appearance, who would be rude to me want to be permitted to realize that have some thing else-brain a soul" Electra rose to her full height and that her figure had the same strong unwieldiness and lack of devating line as her ex- tremties.
 And for this attitude of men toward me which would give"-she paused searching for an adequate comparson-"Heaven only knows what to be free sfrom-women hate me. and conspre against my success"
 "If you get past this barbed-wire fence of jealousy you will no doubt to feel the dsad- vantage of your advantages suggested, consol- ingly.
 "Oh, my dear, don't know" she replied "The fate of the unusual woman-I speak frankly, I de- test affectation about such things-is . path of thorns. As say, women complicae their lives with @1a;~ +t-A a1Ge don't know which is the heaviest handicap"
 "Electra's tone was so utterly discouraged with the contemplation of this desperate alternative that I understood why she seemed to have no heart for further sociability-for, as she remained standing fe from my inferior height, that her act contained for such implication to depart as obtains in the usages of royalty, Emma, apparently accepting 1t as familiar cue started toward the door merely observing with insight, in reply to Electra's passionate outbreak, that of course one effect was the outcome of the other
 1 responded warmly to Emma's ardent questions concerning the effect produced upon me by Electras beauty, we mounted the stairs to her hall bed room. +
 "I suppose those two little that sit opposite you at table are crazy about her. speculated as Emma was helping me with my wraps
 Well, no," Emma replied, slowly They would be, of course-but she is utterly remote from them think they feel that, and she of course has utterly ignored their existence. They spend most of their time talking to that young French teacher next to me. Electra says she undoubtedly d clerk at the Bon Marche. Her are quite loud you probably noticed"
 The next time stepped in to Emma inquired at about Electra and her prospects. Emma re-. piled that while nothing tangible had materiazed as yet, Electra believed she had found at last man who she expressed it, was big enough to take her an artist, not woman.
 "One whose unusual perceptions will be of any practical advantage?" inquired "Coarse1y speak ing, is he in her line of business?"
 Yes" Emma replied, with some hesitation, The is the manager of opera company--in small way yet, travelling company, French and Italian opera-she would sing Carmen; but he seems to have actual genius for impresarioship." Then Emma outlined in phraseo1ogy that I could not but feel