about Suffrage, but she had large belladonna Orbs, with Danger
lurking in their limpid depths.
She was just at the Age when any girl who is not actually Deformed
looks fair to middling, while the real Dinger, with the Tresses and
the Complexion and the gleaming white Shoulders and the Parisian
figure, is right there with a full equipment for breaking up Families.
Old Dare-Devil Dick, the Hero of 1000 Flirtations, was sitting out one
of the Dances recently condemned by Press and Pulpit.
He became aware of the presence of something Feminine at his immediate
right. He took a cautious Look and beheld a timid Debutante, sparkling
with the Dew and waiting to be plucked.
She gave him a frightened Smile and lamped him very slowly.
Suddenly he felt himself wafted away on a cloud of Purple Perfumery.
She had put the Sign on him without lifting a Finger.
As she circled away, clutched by a rude Collegian, he lay back
helpless, tied in a True Lovers' Knot.
Later in the evening he met her. He sat alongside of her in an agony
of confused Bliss, with a Temperature of 104 and the Vocal Chords
entirely paralyzed. And yet, as a rule, he was just as reliable as a
Phonograph.
All the way home that night he was Bleeding freely.
At 8 the next Morning he began sending Flowers.
It was a terrible Case. The old ones seem to suffer more.
He followed her like a trained Spaniel.
When she seemed cold and distant, he would hurry to his Room and pull
a private Brain-Storm. For many Hours thereafter the Map of the World
would have a Black Border around it.
Next day she would relent, and accept his Jack Roses, and he would run
around and around in a Circle, gurgling and clapping his Hands.
He was on the waiting list for the Nut Club. Our Old Friend was flooey
in the Filbert. The Love Bacilli swarmed in every part of his Being.
When she found that she had him sure enough Lariated, she eased up on
her part of the Work and began a public demonstration of Woman's Power
and Dominion over the Brute Creation. He was meeker than a Federal
Office-Holder.
Any time she snapped her Fingers, he sat up and Begged.
Then she used to carry on with certain Men against whom he had warned
her. It amused her to know that he was walking up and down outside,
chewing the White Gloves.
His friends tried to save him. They demonstrated, with a Pencil and a
Piece of Paper, that she was just an ordinary, everyday Baby Doll with
a Second Read
|