Evening journal., 1912-04-24
A RuffIe In
SunnerWeathe
BY SARAH l. BURTON

Mildred Blair for?"
Say whatY
"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
hster"
Il didn't say anything 1 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 fine fellow you were. and ex-
pected you to be popular with them
"Ill have all the more time to spend
with you"
But think of my disappointment al
your not being taken up by my
friends"
My dear sister. ! am nothing more
or less than your brother. You can't
nnmake me and make me over again
I'm 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 ! shall expect to take
her as / find her. and she will have t.
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 If your
friends don't like me neither you nor !
can help it,"
But you don't need TO say every
thing that is 10 your mind"
NO; 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 betwee.
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.
Il have just minute to spare. but
will spend that with you. There's q
matter about which l wish to speak "a
you. It's how 1 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.
''Yes, and l don't wish to see him
again"
whats the matter with him"
"Hes brute"
"HowI"
"A woman hater. That's the same
thing"
Indeed! How do you knOwT'
''He told me so himself"
"That'll make him unpopular, won
lt? I'm sorry. His sister was so anx
ious that we should like him."
"Too bad. isn't itf'
The news spread that Ned Worthing
ton. the only young man who had eve
visited the deserted (by the male sex
village of Sommerville was destined q
be a 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 declare,
that for Mrs. Watrous' sake they woul'
treat him with civility. Since Their
was no exact definition to the worI
civil this was unfortunate, becaus
what might mean civil to one nigh
be equivalent to attention or ever
more than attention to another How
ever. 1t was generally understood tina
so far as the gentleman himself wa
concerned he was TO be made to under
stand that he was tabooed.
The only trouble with this disposi
ton of the case was that he did no
appear to be conscious that ne was ia
booed It was summer time, and hi
principal occupation was sitting in
wicker chair on the piazza with a ru
under his feet smoking. And it mus
be confessed that to the girls VIII
passed he looked very handsome. BE
sides, he possessed that manly strengt
tempered by unconsciousness of it. an
Incidence that is liable to be especial
attractive in a man to women.
II was noticed by the girls that afte
MT Worthngton's arrival several q
their number seemed to find occasio
TO be constantly running in to Mrs
Watrous on various errands. He
opinion as to the trimming of a dres
was needed. OF she must be consulte
as to the management OF the town I
brary or some united charitable movI
ment OF course when in Mrs. WI
trous' house her brother must b
treated not only civilly. but affabll
How affably there was no one exceI
the family to bear witness. II was ne
long before Miss Blair was openly az
cused of making pretexts for going
Mrs. Watrous' for the express purpos
of slipping a moose over the head ,
the woman hater Then Miss Bla
whispered the same accusation again!
Miss Towne.
Mr. worthington finished his Wis
and sped away without realizing th'
he had been snubbed. The young h
dies who had snubbed him regretta
that more drastic measures had n
been taken to LET him understand h0
severely he was condemned. Mi'
Blair deserted the malcontents an
spoke so approSingly OF the culpr
that a suspicion was reused that ST
had caught him.
But the matter passed over as
summer storm when Mrs Watrous.
week after her brothers departur
announced that be bad been engage
TO be married before he had come
visit her. Then the heavens cleart
and the weather was calm again