The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1912-06-20
A Ruffle In
|SurnmerWeaher
By SARAH |. BURTON

THAT you preferred your own sex
to ours; that you had no use for girls
and that you had no expectation of
ever marrying. In short, you gave her
the impression that you are a woman
hater"
IL didn't say anything l didn't mean
or that I'm ashamed Of"
"You have been very unwise. Before
you came to visit us | told all the girls
what q fine fellow you were, and ex-
pected you to be popular with them"
I'll have all the more time to spend
with you"
But think Of my disappointment at
your not being taken up by my
friends"
My dear sister. l am nothing more
or less than your brother. You can't
unmake me and make me over again.
Pm not one to dote upon women.
wasn't born so. I'm very fond Of you,
as you know, and if l am ever married
perhaps shall be fond Of my wife.
But in her case l shall expect to take
her as find her, and she will have to
so take me. Marriage Is a great risk
that many. persons are chary about
taking. There are splendid men and
women who have such dread OF max
ing that jump in the dark that they die
old bachelors and old maids. Ii your
friends don't like me neither you nor ]
can help it."
"But you don't need to say every
thing that is In your mind"
mo; don't. But we are not all born
with the same faults. One of mine is
occasionally telling the truth"
The day after this dialogue another
occurred on the same subject between
two other persons. Miss Blair, to
whom the Objectionable remarks had
been made, was sitting on her porch
doing fancy work when Miss Edith
Towne came along.
Come up" said Miss Blair.
81 have just minute to spare, but
will spend that with you. There's
matter about which l wish to speak to
you. It's how l shall cut my new
summer silk"
Miss Towne came up and seated her
self.
Have you seen Mrs. Watrous' broth
err" she asked of Miss Blair.
Eyes, and l don't wish to see him
again"
whats the matter with himT
"He's a brute"
"HowT
"a woman halter. That's the same
thing"
Indeed! How do you known
HE told me so himself"
"Thatll make him unpopular, won't
It? I'm sorry. His sister was so anx-
ious that we should like him."
"Too bad, isn't it,"
The news spread that Ned Worthing-
ton, the only young man who had ever
visited the deserted (by the male sex)
village of Sommerville was destined to
be q disappointment to all the girls,
each and every one of whom had look
ed forward to the possibility of catch
ing him. The young ladies declared
that for Mrs. Watrous' sake they would
treat him with civility. Since there
was no exact definition to the word
civil this was unfortunate, because
what might mean civil to one might
be equivalent to attention or even
more than attention to another. How
ever, it was generally understood that
SO far as the gentleman himself was
concerned he was to be made to under
stand that he was tabooed.
The only trouble with this DISPOSE
ton Of the case was that he did not
appear to be conscious that he was ia
booed. 1t was summer time, and his
principal occupation was sitting in q
wicker chair on the piazza with a rug
under his feet smoking. And it must
be confessed that to the girls who
passed he looked very handsome. Be
sides, he possessed that manly strength
tempered by Inconsistencies of 1t, and
Incidence that is liable to be especially
| attractive In a man to women.
1t was noticed by the girls that after
Mr.. Worthington's arrival several of
oSShOo W hho SNSoSAOi'
to be constantly running in to Mrs.
Watrous on various errands. Her
opinion as to the trimming Of dress
was needed, or she must be consulted
as to the management of the town Ii.
brary or some united charitable move
ment OF course when in Mrs. Wa.
trous' house her brother must be
treated not only civilly, but afably
How affably there was no one except
the family to bear witness. 1t was mol
long before Miss Blair was openly &C
cused Of making pretexts for going tc
Mrs. Watrous' for the express purpose
| of slipping a moose over the head OF
the woman hater. Then Miss Blafl
whispered the same accusation against
Miss Towne.
Mr.. Worthington finished his visit
and sped away without realizing that
he had been snubbed The young la
dies who had snubbed him regretted
that more drastic measures had MOI
been taken to let him understand how
severely he was condemned. Mis-
Blair deserted the malcontents and
spoke so approvingly Of the culpri
that a suspicion was reused that sh'
had caught him.
| Rut the matter paSsed over as