El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1920-07-10


half 10 herself.
Flirting n Crime
If flirting is a crime" scoffed the
Bachelor, cheerfuly, as he poured
wicked looking but perfectly iunOcu-
Gus beverage from the theDmos bot
tie, then you should have suffered
capital punishment several times.
Not flirting" corrected the Wild
ow; getting middle aged I may
HAVE to get old. some day-but !
shall never get middle aged- Old
people seem right and natural and
beautiful But grizzled, middle aged
people are SUCH a bore-the most
uninteresting people in the world"'
i only weigh 100" protested the
Bachelor. helping himself to dou-
bic portion Of the capon, and I'm
six feet one"
TT isn't what you weigh-physi-
cally." the Widow insisted. toying
tentatively with a silver OF white
meat IT'S getting heavy and
stodgy, and lazy mentally, that
makes one middle-aged- It's getting
set in your opinions and settled in
your ways and habits. and hard
boiled In your prejudices. I may lose
my enthusiasm. I may get decrepit
but I shall never get intolerant or
dogmatic or crotchety-I hope! ]
may lose my interest in my meals,
but shall never lose my interest In
In men2" jeered the Bachelor. 4
should say not.
an mental diversions" corrected
the Widow, with dignity. I may cease
TO inspire admiration. but shall
never cease 10 yearn for it I may
give up dancing-but shan never
give up dream1ng-and developing
and growing. and exercising my
mind. III keep timber mentally, no
matter how stiff my muscles may be-
come. and sweet and pliable spiritu
ally. no matter how hard my arteries
may become. And III never. never
OEEREATi" she added. as she OBJ
served the Bachelor helping himself
TO a third cream puff
Il hope not" he answered approx
inElr There's nothing so funny as
a fat woman
Nothing" agreed the Widow
heartily. except a fat MAN. Men
are awfully witty anG scornIul con-
corning a woman who lets herself
get 10 pounds overweight. But they
think it perfectly natural and human
for a man to begin letting his belt
out and acquiring elephantisis Of the
brain. and fatty degeneration Of the
vanity. at 40 or 50-or even at a."
And she glanced meaningly at the
aOh. welI" and the Bachelor
leaned back with q sigh Of content
and lighted a fresh cigaret, "a
woman should be yOung-unttl she's
oId- and beautiful. forever. But a
man: can afford to be comfortably
middle aged. He has nothing much
10 lose in the way Of charm and
beauty. you know and he's Just be-
ginnig. to be ripe. at so. Middle age
doesn't make him naggy and frac-
tiOus-"
NO. It Just makes him stodgy and
opiniouated and self satisfied put in
the Widow
@Oh, not merely anaesthetizes
him" retorted the Widow.
ut doesn't throw him into a panic.
and start him banting and fussing.
and rushing around 70 The corset
makers and the Turkish bath, and
the beauty Doctors
Hookvvorm Of the Heart.
NO" rejoined the Widow. at
merely puts him 20 sleep- III tell
you. it's just as much OF q crime for
q man TO get middle aged as It is
for a Woman-and just as unneces-
sary and foolish and careless. Middle
age is the nostalgia Of the soul the
sleeping sickness Of the mind. the
hookworn. OF the heart that people
allow 10 creep over them, because
they are too lazy to keep keyed up to
he tune Of life"
me uauCe tune OF lOlLls you
mean" Knocked the Bachelor. "Ah.
well. chap can't go on living to a
jazz tune forever
Not II he overeats-and stops
flirting. and dreaming. and falling in
love. and working, and wishing. and
playing. Not II he consumes half q
caDou and two bananas and three
cream puffs for luncheon. and doesn't
even notice a pretty girl in passing
and sits out all his dances in a dim
corner Of the piazza instead of-why
Mr. Weatherly. You are asleep
and the Widow rose, Indignantly
-Huhz What2 I beg your pardon
cried the Bachelor. opening his eyes
with a start NO, thanks, 1 don't
care for any more cream puffs."
Another 40 winks" grOaned the
widow hopelessly. as she turned to
pack up the hamper. Thirty
and middle agedr'
NONSENSE" expostulated til
Bachelor. springing up nimbly,
snatching the hamper. and finishing
the packing with a flourish. Il was
just resting my eyes It's the
weather-the glare OF the sun. Come
on I'll race you down hillr And
re swung the hamper on one arm, Z
swung the Widow into the other and I
started on a run
Ny goodness exclaimed the I
Widow, as she released herself after .
a struggle, you didn't even
CREAKt"