The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1922-09-21
Not Like Other
Girls
By CLARA pELAFIELp

Not that I've ever asked her.
wouldn't dare 10 10 that No one
could take liberties with Elsie You
see, she never was ike other girls,
There's sort o. free masonry among
girls, Just as there is among married
women. and among men. Of course.
But Elsie always ran by herself.
That's what rather put the girls
sgslnst her
I remember when she left college
she adopted a sort Of highbrow atfi-
tude toward life. Instead Of going
about with the young fellows, she'd
be of TO a nook with shady book
mean, OF 10 a shady nook with q
book poetry usually. And there she'd
sit, wrapped in meditation fancy free.
and listening 10 the other girls hav-
Ing good time with the boys,
wonder. wonder II Elsie really
liked Il. She never wanted anything
20 do with the men She said love
was sacred thing and came once
only in lifetime. and II you didn't
find your love returned you just kept
quiet about II. and went on holding
yourself in as long as you lived, I'M
III you either died or pinned away.
remember young RoweIl He was
q queer, poetical sort Of chap, with
far-awAy look In his eyes, and when
he was staying here one summer-it
must have been Ave years ago-he and
Elsie just naturally grsvitsted toward
each other. They'd saunter of to-
gether into the shade OF the old apple
tree and sit there, with their books In
their hands. First young Rowell
would read bit and then Elsie'd
read bit-snd all the time the other
young folks were enjoying themselves
in a heslthful, natural way In ham.
mocks, and WALKING on In pairs, and
buggy driving.
Well what naturally hsppenedl
Florence Keith came down for the
week. She was q nufy little thine,
full Of spirits, and she hadn't been
here day before she fixed young
Rowell with her basilican stare. Next
day, when Elsie wandered off with her
book. young Rowell didn't turn up.
He'd taken Florence or to see the
hermit In his cave-Joe Briggs, who
works winters in the boiler factory.
and at the weekend young Roweil
saw Miss Keith on the train as far
as Philadelphia, and then went on his
own way.
Marry No, nothing but a summer
filtration, OF course Maybe Elsie
wasn't mad She didn't eat hardly
anything the rest OF her stay here. and
she used to NOPE more than ever
and read her love poems to herself
under the apple tree.
You know, the same crowd comes
down heA pretty regular year after
year Next year Elsie was just the
same. only little more So She
wouldn't have thing 10 do with the
young men. and Florence had things
all her own way. Young Rowell?
oh, he'd gone West. Yes, he married
a rancher's daughter out in Utah. He
doesn't appear again in the story.
For the lords sake, Elsie why
don't you make up to some Of the
young fellowsw | asked her. ! think |
Il was the year after that. You're |
good looking, and you can be bright |
when you want TO- What d'you want
to scare ~ on for? They don't |
want highbrow. Why. the sight Of /
those books Of yours puts the lid on
your chances"
I'll never forget how Elsie looked
AZ me and answered: "'Tis better to
have loved and lost than never 70 have
owed al all"
] hadn't a thing 10 say TO that. and
let her keep on loving mex year. /
md the next The fifth year little
Florence Keith met her fate She'd L
played with the bows hearts so long.
was high time she got caught her
elf Young Middleton was the son
y the banker Of E3ston--ever hear OF 1
lim7 Worth a few cool millions, but
nothing like what some OF those bank
rs have got Still he was good
.atch. and the odd thing was. Flor
nee really was crazy over him.
And there was Elsie with her shady |
,ookI mean her book and her shady
,ook and-neyt thing that happened
vas when Florence and Middleton
.ad had a little tn. ! was walking
long the creek. and who should / see
ut Middleton and Elsie. sitting side
> side staring into the pool
= shah never love again I heard
Isle cav IN her wiStful way "One
fe-one love. All met It's better to !
axe loved and lost than never 70 have
Dved al all"
I turned and raced back. FLORENCE. q
Or the love Of Nike get your hooks I
lto him I gasped. Elsie Davis Is
~ for battle"
Il was too late Well. what could
on expectf They we're engaged by
upper time. eloped that night. and
.ere married next morning over the z
tate line