The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-27

more she of him the bigger and finer she finds him"
 He remains impersonal, then," assumed
 Emma nodded. "She says he is just brave true friend-what she has been looking for all these years, and had finally despaired finding among men,
 One afternoon not long after that, 1 went to large invitation musicale a widely known profes- sionai studio, and of the first sights that caught my eye-lndeed ones eye could scarcely escape be- ing caught by it-was the sumptuous figure of Flee tra in gold-colored velours moving languidy like stage queen among the guests. She did not reeox- nze me- Prentiss Johnson joined me- and as he knows everybody 1 supposed that he undoubtedly kfew Electra, and proved be correct in my supco- sition He followed her with his eyes as I spoke ap unanalyzable expression about his mouth.
 Extraordinary woman!" he ejacuIated, and won dered he were of the victims of E1ectras fatal spell, yet his expression somehow did not seem to bear out the theory. Extraordinary in size at least" he added
 There does seem to be a good deal of her" conceded Out at least it is all good material"
 Prentiss' expression became definitely recoa- nizable of distaste. "Too much One is eqr1- barrassed, overwhelmed She is like dinner given by one of our mtlti-milonaires-too rnaxnff- cent; too superative, too filling"
 But she is not really so large" o argued, mot actually taller than the average tall woman"
 That is true," Prentiss admitted "I wonder what it is about her that gives such feeling of-weiI plethora"
 Arthur Falsely, who is more sought after than any other man l know in musical and social circles, dropped into the conversation at that moment and, curiousy enough, repeated Prentss's non-committaI exclamation, Extraordinary womanr
 l"What is 1t about her? Why isn't she 1t? She isn't, you know, and never will be-" Prentiss de- cared.
 This prophetic blightng of Electra's prospects stunned into silence for the moment. Then I saw Falsely scrutinzing Electra with the eye of the diagnostcian, and felt that at last was to discover Electras failure to despite her obviously per feet equipment. But he only added another met aphor d "She is like an immense unHavored pound-cake." \ "Her perfection is her docn," suggested. Per haps that is the difcultyshe leaves nothing to ths imagination" | Paisley shook his head "She might rise above her perfections but she can't rise above her absolute lack of"
 Just then pianist, who had been making pfepafa- tions unheeded by us in the interest of psyeho- 1ogzing over Electra broke into the conversation with the opening crash of composition by one of the most advanced of the young Russians" that I was unable to discover just then what was in Paiselys ind the deficiency that Electra could not rise above. And after the stormy composition was concluded our host made his way through the crowd to bear off Falsely, offering to substitute sn intense-looking young vionist with S1av haif and Western accent. Indeed, I was obliged to leave without seeing either Falsely or Prentiss again. disappointed, for had wanted to discuss Eiee- tra further with then to solve, if might be, the curious problem of her self-frustrating beauty. x
 And so, after. all, it was through Emma. who had first presented her to my consciousness, tnat was able to trace Electra to her logical conclusion.
 Emma began almost the moment of my arrlval
 T was just thinking ot you was going 70 write aI+L I Lad hor fz nf1I6
 Electra has got her operatic positionr asked I knew that it was something about Electra n,arent one" (Em1na had not been addicted to such sententiousness before the days of Eiectra) Thens which head she eiueidated further. She is eusssed to MT. Smith, and has been given a position m bis opera company; She achieves her her first artistic cR. I saw that Emma who, you must have guessed, is conscientious soul again carefully rsprodhe ing the original text in this transcription Fl-
 "She must have loved him for himself I unused. flor his outer is certainly not irresistible" 1T could not but feel that the regal Electra was deserv ing of a more showy mate. /
 "Electra has an unusual amount of insight" said Emma. Soul-sight she calls it. She says that the that he is the only man who has loved her for her soul instead of for the mere beauty of her flesh"
 He certainly IS, Emma reasserted with ardent partisanshp.
 But could not help uneasily wondering where MT smith would put Electra. It was our problem of the Venus of Milo over again. Then my mind jumped with sympathetic congratulation to the thought of Electra's sister
 As walked past the half-open door of Electra's room saw her in attitude of what looked to be philosophic yet personal conversation with man whom inferred to be MT. Smith. As could only see one trousers leg absolute identification irn- possible. On the stairs stood the same colored maid who had passed me singing. Pippa-liEe, upon the stairs on her way to announce to Electra the presence of her lover She. was frankly and sym pathetically trying to catch glimpse of them through the crack of the door, and turned to me with display of white teeth.
 Seems kind O curyus such big lady and such a litt1 gentleman" she observed to me with the de- mocracy of the American boarding-house negro. I smiled non-committal response, feeling the seiee- tion of reply rather delicate matter But undis- couraged Pippa continued in the mental process com to all classes in such circumstances of trying to explain and account for the marriage. But hes the only gentleman come to her all the time