The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-07-07

cided that he would move on the next
day. His SCARED heart had made him a
woman-hater, SO he told himself. and the more
attractive woman was the more Objectionable
she was in his eyes. Miss Radford was attrac-
tive, pulchritudinally. She was not ravishingly
beautiful but she certainly was good Looking
handsome rather than pretty. He soon discov-
cred, however, that her attractvcness only
skin deep for she was unpleasantly aggressive
and self-conhdent in all matters that came up
for discussion. She decided every question con-
hdently arbitrarily; there no room left for
argument when she had spoken; her statements
were positive, never mere expressions of opinion.
And Drake was much relieved There no
need OF hating woman who was so disagree
ably self-assertive; the contrary, her uncon-
scious bid for unpopularity was rather ptiiul
1t marked her for permanent spinsterhood, in
spite OF her pleasing face and figure
Drake did not know just how or why he came
to this boarding house. He had no definite plan
when he left the Potter farm, Lizzie's scornfu
words still ringing in his ears; he merely desired
to get away from the place where his bruised
heart, not to mention his pride, had received
another jolt-an absolutely inexplicable jolt
Was not he. Walter Drake, a personable young
man of good habits, amiable disposition great
wealth and excellent social position' Was he
not Catch from every point of view? And
yet he seemed to be considered matrimonial
impossbility even by poor country girl. What
was the trouble?
The emotional and unreasoning capriciousness
OF women seemed to him the only plausible ex-
plantation. They did not know what they wanted;
they were vain and insincere but they should
no longer feed their vanity upon his discontinue
and at his expense; he would have nothing more
to do with them.
Thus reasoning, he stepped off the train at
Brookdale and remained there-just why he
could not have explained 1t was pretty little
place. with excellent trout-hshing for diversion,
but he did not discover that until later He just
stopped there, possibly because he found the
train upon which he riding slow, dirty, jerky
and generally uncomfortable. Anyhow, he left
the train at Brookdale and shortly thereafter
he was filled with poignant regret that he had
done SO, for he found the hotel gastronomically
impossible. The following day, however, he dis
covered very pleasant room in boarding
i proved satisfactory. Thus it happened that
ne found himself sitting opposite Miss Jane Rad
ford at dinner.
Miss Radford's smile of nature to make
determined woman-hater who saw nothing but
deceit and vanity in fascinating femininty, anx-
ious to escape, and Drake uneasy for a short
time after h's introduction Then some refer
ence was made to airships. and Frank Conner,
sitting next to Drake. remarked that it would
not be long before aeroplanes would cross the
Atlantic.
"Impossible!" declared Miss Radford.
Connor subsidized, but Drake suggested that
they were already doing what had been con-
sidered impossible" only a short time before
But they will never cross the Atlantic as
serted Miss Radford with an air Of hnality.
That's absurd"
1t seemed to Drake that there was room for
argument here. True, as yet it was impossible
to carry, sufficient gasoline and other supplies
for anything like so long journey. but il was
possible that that difficulty might be overcome
Miss Radford would not argue the question,
however; she merely settled 1t arbitrarily.
Miss Radford not fascinating Drake de-
cided, except when she was silent
Smplified spelling, little later. was disposed
of with the same positiveness; it was sacrilege
to tamper with language.
Drake alone disputed this live language
was always changing. he said. Words acquired
new shades of meaning from usage, and the
general tendency of spelling was and had been
toward simnlifca tiou This n ,uas tbat 49,,