The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-03-23

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CONCERNING MASCULINE
NnNELUT

SoNSGAs4NANu hhoSOAINI
CONCEIT
Suppose you paraphrased that
famous speech of Priscilla's when
John Alden proposed for his
friend Miles Standish, and make
speak for yourself, john into
speak for yourself, Mollie,' ;" l
said to her with a grin when she
rather intimated that l was not
quite the sedate old married
woman I would make myself out
to be. Then l continued more
soberly, "Mollie dear, I don't
think we have been any more
popular than any other women
who are frankly pleased and
usually friendly with the men
they meet"
Most men try to make love to
most women II the place and cir
cumstances are propitious. I re-
member Paula telling me OF an
episode In her life before she mar
ried jeff.
ut seems she had accepted an
invitation to an after-theater
supper with a crowd of gay peo-
pie one evening.
1.-THE man who sat on her right
she had never met before, but he
was very agreeable and she con-
graduated herself that she was
seated beside such a witty and
apparently Sclever man Of the
world.
when In the small hours Of
the morning 1t came time for the
party to break up, she asked
someone to call her a taxi. The
man most courteously said, My
car is at the door and my way to
my club Is directly past your
hotel. May I not put you down
there
"She accepted the invitation in
the same spirit 1t was apparently
given. But what was her sur
prise, to find the moment the car
began to move that the man drew
her quickly to him and kissed her.
"Of course, she was very indig-
nant, and after extricating herself
from hts embrace and moving
away from him as far as she could
on the roomy motor seat, she de-
manded, Ibid you do that, Mr..
-, because you knew I am
an actress and can be gratuitous-
ly insulted?"
why, my dear girl" an
swered the man, in great sur
prise, 81 really meant no insult
at all. That little exhibition of
preference is a compliment I pay
to every woman with whom I
find myself alone. Some accept 1t
quite in the same spirit 1t is
given. and others misunderstood
ing do as you have done, but !,
loving the whole sex, feel that I
have done my duty and what is
expected OF me as a chivalrous
man."
We both laughed, and then
Mollie said, 81 wonder il the time
will ever come when men will
lose some of that colossal ego
tism which makes them believe
that almost any woman will ac-
cept from any man any attention
he may design to give her."
"Why, do you know, Margie, !
have seen men of from forty to
sixty years old, with scanty hair,
pendulous chins, abdomens like
bay windows, hands that look
dropsicai, bad teeth and wrinkled
clothes, ogle a pretty young girl
that is less than twenty and who
in her dainty beauty looks like a
fragrant flower?"
| Eyes, Mollie," I interrupted,
when I see a man like that I al
ways want to lead him to a mir
row and point out all those de-
fects you have mentioned and then
ask him how he has the audacity
to think he can for a moment in
spire anything but disgust in the
lovely bit of youthful femininity
he admires."
And, Margie," Mollie contin-
ned, that very man would be the
first to poke fun at a woman
who has grown fat and wrinkled
and yet seemed to think she was
a charmer. Indeed, all the news
paper wits in the country have
taken a shot at her, but you no.
tice they leave the man alone.
However, / did not come here
to philosophize on the conceit OF
man. l have come to be congrat-
Iu1ated Chad and I and hahv q re
Igoing for q long sea trip"
| My face fell for I know I should
miss Mollie more than almost
Ianyone else in the trying days
before me. / took myself to task
for a selfish woman and congrat.
ulated her.
Tell me all about it, Mollie,"
lsaid.
| Ito Be Continued.)