Omaha daily bee., 1915-03-29
Maid and the Cynic
BY ANN Isle.

There was once q girl who thought
that honesty was indeed the best policy.
She didn't tell the truth from any high
motives. When telling it would have
been of no advantage TO her, she kept
silent BUT she made q lot of capital out
OF the fact that when she did talk she
told facts.
Everyone said "Genevieve is so honest.
She actually plays fair with all her
friends. She is one Of the few girls who
knows how charming truth is. She is
! sweet and sane and honest"
That is almost everyone said this. There
was a cynic who smiled and murmured
something about a frontal attack being
unexpected to the masculine heart which
was reasonably well prepared for an
amouscade.
And Genevieve hearing this sought out
the cynie and told him with great play Of
honesty that he had guessed it and that
she was honest because It paid--but that
he was the first man. who had suspected
that she was using her honesty as a
weapon. And she added that she would
like to be friends with a man clever
enough to read design into what passed
for simple honesty.
SO the cynic agreed to be friends with
Genevieve-but no more. For he assured
her that the only type of womanhood that
could have charm for him was the elusive
and mysterious. But in a charmless re-
lstion where simple friendship and no
more was expected or given. he would be
glad TO know Genevieve.
And they entered upon the friendship.
And Genevieve babbled to him Of how
nice Harold and Richard and Thomas
were TO her. and even as Thomas and
! Richard and Harold, he was pleased 70
hear of his friends popularity and asked
her out but occasionally and saw her but
once or twice a month. since there were
| plenty of other men to keep her amused
and to save her from the loneliness and
ennui and boredom. which no true friend
Of the feminine sex was enduring.
And Genevieve. being fairly wise in
her generation, began to observe that the
cynic declared friend and declared
never possible lover) was not treating her
one whit differently than were the many
friends whose regard she had always i'm
agined might someday be stimulated into
jealousy and 50 to love by the artlessly
artful tales OF ''other men" she told.
| And so Genevieve began to wonder II
! this collection OF honest friends honestly
/
! she was doomed i'm spite of her swarms
Of masculine acquaintance and friends, TO
| drift unbefriended upon the lonely shores
/ OF old-maidhood.
Honesty is the best policy, but you can
play II two ways.
So suddenly she ceased telling the cynic
about her friends Harold and Richard and
Thomas. Nor 10 them did she speak OF
her remarkable friendship with the cynic.
| and to one another said Harold and
Richard and Thomas. ''Geei Genevieve is
such a simple, honest little thing. She
never talks about the old cynic any more
Do you think that simp. that chunlp th,it
cad could have made her care-couid he
be hurting her: cynic is dangerous
person for a woman to know"
| And the cynic began 90 wonder what
sort of a game she could be playing with
him on her honesty is the Beet policy
basis. And II she were playing game
with him, she was honest no more. but
mysterious and charming and elusive
And he might as we'll love, her as any
other woman. For it is much more pain
full to fancy causes for jealousy when a
rival is half-guessed and imagined than
when woman tells you all about him
and in the very telling takes you into
her confidence and makes you feel like
her grandmother or maiden aunt.
So the cynic invited Genevieve to be
his love.
| But Genevieve was considering pro-
posals Of marriage from Harold and
Richard and Thomas-who as soon as
they began to consider her in the light
Of poor little thing whose heart the
cynic might have broken. discovered that
she had heart and that It ought to be
patched up. And each had been assured
with csndor and honesty by Genevleve
that 1t was not the. cynic who had hurt
her. And each had wondered IL the hon
est little thing who had always told the
truth told no more because It was he
Man is a responsive aniinai-and little
silence on the part of a woman Is dan
gerous thing. Genevieve married Richard
in the end-because, as she honestly in
formed the others. he was by far the most
eligible and suitable. Which was true.
His father had a sausage factory.
Moral: Honestly is the best policy
especially II you add the fitness OF sud
den, ali-expressive silences.