The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-10-06
A Woman S
Affair
BY F A. MlTc4EL

The wOmeO artists OF Berlin every
two yeors get up ball In which only
women are allowed Not single man
Is admitted a large number Of th,
women, however. don male attire. aud
II Is an imitation of mems attentions
to the fair sex ON the part OF these
female men that occasions the chir!
diversion Of the evening.
\ Now. ia Berlin lived young man
named Korstner-Herman Kerstner -
who was a scribbler. He wrote storie.
sitting In his window overlooking tue
garden at the back of the house. while
a girl painted pictures at another win.
dow at the back of another house on
the other end Of the same g1rien
Louisa Beninger painted for the love
OF art kerstuer wrote for bread and
butter.
Ii was just as natural for these two
to come into communicate ton as for the
grass to grow 1t was not long ber
fore system of telegraphy was es-
tabliShed between them. and the mes
sages that came over theawires were
those usual between lovers. Gladly
would the young man have gone to see
the fraulein, but she. not being permit
ted to meet any one of whom her par
ents did not approve. did not ask him.
One day the girl telegraphed that
she was going to the. artist women's
fete. She would not be allowed to
60 alone; her mother would go with
her.
An idea occurred to Herman. IF he
could 60 to the ball impersonating n
woman In mans dress he could clasp
his Louisa to him in the dance instead
Of looking at her from distance.
This he telegraphed her and observed
that after she received his message
she did great deal of thinking. Then
she got up and went away from the
window, and when she returned she
dropped something white on to the
ground below. The day was fading.
and as soon as 1t was dark Herman
went out Of door opening into the
garden, jumped over O. fence and. un-
der LOuisa's window, picked up a
ticket. Going back to his home he
looked at It by lamplight 1t read:
Admit Frauleln Louisa Meninger to the
artist womep's fete. s+ctTs
Herman's heart danced with delight.
He was ready to take any risk. There
were but few hairs on his face, and
his cheeks were red as two Jacquemi-
not roses His mouth was delicate.
and he wore a lady's No. kid glove.
Appropriating a costume of his sis
ter's, on the night of the ball he went
there in carriage and was admitted
on Fraulein Meninger's ticket Hav-
ing gained an entrance, the room was
free to him. He looked about him till
he saw her with her mother. then
went boldly up to her. So long as be
was supposed, to be woman the field
was perfectly clear to him. He and
Louisa ran away where they might be
free to talk together without being
overheard.
Now, IL Herman Kerstner had been
older or less in lOve-at any rate, had
had his wits about him-he would have
seen the impropriety Of thus going
where only women were expected. or.
having knowingly incurred the cOnse-
quences. he would have been every
moment on his guard. Instead of this.
he led the fraulein away to window
seat, pulled the curtains In front of
them and proceeded to make love with
out considering that il not seen he
might at least be heard. AS his ardor
waxed stronger his voice grew louder
IA couple of girls passing heard. lis
tened and, going to the manager of
the ball. told that man was present.
There is certain faculty peculiar
to women-the faculty of listening TO
two speakers at Once-that must have
been possessed to marked degree by
Fraulein Louisa. for she not only heard
Herman making love to her; but. her
eyes and ears being open. she was cog
infant that the two girls had gone oil
to inform on her lover. She threw up
the sash and by means of light shawl
she carried let him down from the win
dow. which was on the second story,
to the ground. Then she closed the
window and was walking unconcern-
,ediy across the floor. where she saw
the managers hurrying to the retreat
from which she and her lover had just
escaped.
Confident that. having been sitting in
the dark, she had not been seen and
realizing that there is safety in a bold
front. she followed In the wake of the
outraged managers, and when they
pulled aside the curtains. expecting to
find victim, or, rather. the victims.
and were disappointee. she Joined in
the babel Of inquiries as to what was
the matter.
The girls who had furnished the In
formation were firm in their belief
that they had heard lovemaking
which could have come only from a
man. Imitation lovemaking was com
mon in the bathrooms, and the mana
gers were convinced that the inform
ers had mistaken one of these cases
60, rnn,,ip, articla ~ w0c mnph