Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-10-07


must be specially created for himi Ali
out some day woman-a real, live
woman-will come into his life, and the
touch OF her hand the glance of her eyes,
the warmth OF her breath. will dispel
this poor misty creature Of his iunagina-
ton, who will fade and fade, and vanish
into nothingness. And when the real
woman has shown him how utterly false
and impossible this dream woman was
then. Mr. Peter Wharf I hope she will
laugh at you-ss do, and turn her back
upon you-as do, and leave you-as I
do-for tho very superior. very pedantic
pedant that you are-and scorn you-as I
do, most of all because you are merely
a-creaturer' with tho word, she flung
up her head and stamped her foot at me,
and turning swept out through the open
door into the moonlight
Creature" said /. and so sat staring
at the table, and the walls, and the
ment.
But in a while, my amazement growing,
went and stood in the doorway, look
Ing at CHAIRMAN, hut saying nothing.
And as l watched. she began to sing
softly to herself and. putting up her
hand. drew the comb from her hair so
that II fell down, ripping about her neck
and shoulders.
And, singing softly thus. she shook her
hair about her. so that / saw It curled
far below her wais>; stopped her head,
and, parting IL upon her neck, drew II
over either shoulder, whence II flowed
far down over her bosom In two glorious
waves. for the moon, peNsping through the
rift In the leaves above, sent down her
beams TO wake small free in II. that
came and went, and winked with her
breathing.
Chairman, you have glorious halr!"
said I, speaking on the impulse--a thing 1
rarely do.
But Chairman only combed her tresses,
and went on singing to herself
Chairman" said / again, what did
you mean when you called me a-crea-
ture7'
CHAIRMAN went on singing.
"You called me a 'pedant' once before;
to be told that I am superior, also. is
most disquieting. l fear my manner
must be very unfortunate TO afford you
such an opinion of me-"
CHAIRMAN went on singing
Naturally 1 am much perturbed, and
doubly anxious to know what you wish
me to understand by the epithet 'crea-
ture'?' r 0''s
Chairman went on singing wherefore,
seeing she did not intend to answer me,
1 presently re-entered the cottage.
Now it is ever my custom, when at all
troubled or put out In any way, to seek
consolation in my books; hence, 1 now
took up my Homer and, trimming the
| candles, sat down at the table.
In a little while CHAIRMAN came in.
still humming the air of her song and
not troubling even to glance in my di-
rection!
Some days before, at her request, I
had brought her linen and lace and
ribands from Cranbrook, and these she
now took out. together with needle and
cotton, and, sitting down at the opposite
side OF the table, began to sew.
She was still humming, and this of it.
self distracted my mind from the lines
efore me; moreover. my eye was fasci-
mated by the gleam of her flying needle,
| and l began to debate within myself
what she was making, II (whatever it
! might bel was ruffled and edged with
lace, and caught here and there with
little bows OF blue riband, and from
| these, and divers other evidences, / had
| concluded IL to be a garment of some
sort. and was casting about in my mind
to account for these bows of riband
| when, glancing up suddenly, she caught
my eye; whereupon. for no reason In
the world felt suddenly guilty. to hide
| which / began to search through my
pockets for my pipe.
"On the mantelshelf!" said she.
| What is?'
your pipeP'
Thank your said I, and reached 1t
| down.
what are you reading?" she inquired;
| "ls II of Helen or Aspasia or Phryne?
"Neither-it is the parting Of Hector
and Andromache," answered
"Is 1t very interestingT
Yes"
Then why do your eyes wander so
| often from the pager
''I know many of the lines by heart, "
said l. And, having lighted my pipe. l
| took up the book and once more began
| TO read. Yet 1 was conscious, all the
time, of Charmian's flashing needle. also
she had begun to hum again.
And after l had endeavored to read,
and CHAIRMAN had hummed for perhaps
! Ave minutes, lowered my book and,
signing. glanced at her.
"I am trying TO read CHAIRMAN
$50 l see."
"And your humming confuses me-"
| at is very quiet outside, Peter"
"But / cannot read by moonlight. Char
| mian."
nibbled her thread with white teeth and
held up what she. had been sewing 10
view the effect of bow OF ribano' with
| her head very much on one SIDE
And I inwardly wondered that she
| should spend so much care upon such
| frippery-all senseless bows and laces.
ITO hum Is a very disturbing hapt'
said I.
'sTo smoke an evil-smelling pipe is worse
much worse, PeterF'
'I beg your pardonl'' said l. and laid
the offending object back upon the man
"Are YOU angry, Peter?"
! mot in the least; am only sorry that
my smoking annoyed you--had ! known
"it didn't annoy me in the leastr'
"But from what you said under
| stood"
"No. Peter, you did not understand;
| vot never understand. and / don't think
Won ever viii understand anything but
| Sy,our Helens and Phrynes-and your Latin
| ana Greek philosophers, and that Is what
makes you 80 very annoying ana $3.50
quantity origtnalF -. -
.Naturally,-didn't you nnd fault with
my hummingT'
sReally." said I. really I fail to
.of course you dor sighed CHAIRMAN.
vVhereupon there fell a silence between
us. during which she sewed industriously,
ana i went forth with brave Hector 70
face the mighty Achilles. But my eye
had traversed barely 20 lines when;
"Peter2"
ssYes?'
''Do you remember my giving you