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Show ! I , A VARIATION, ffl ; BY HOBERT JERMAIN COLE. JjB "Men are such monotonous ' creatures. m ; They march toscthcr. like that, always." 1 Tho plrl waved her hand liKhtly toward jJJJ a mo of militia that )arnded down Fifth Hi i avenue Her companion did not answer W ' i 'Ymi''nust reduce your complaint to M ' cnecinc chnrgcH. Miss Brcen." said the m : TOung lawyer nt lrnBth. "What, for cx- Ijl nrople. renders man so tlresomo to m ; '"rm sure I don't know what makes U him so 1 only know that ho Is," roll ro-ll : turned the girl. -He-I rncan-they-all rfl wear forever tho .same kind of clothes, ill ' walk with tho same stride, stick to tho m ! same amusements " is ' 'Are iruo to the samo friends," fin- J H 3 lehcu her listener for her "and. worst ' of all. persist In expressing admiration m K for the fnmc 6h"I. In the samo woids. ' You must find It monotonous." Hj Don't bo personal. Mr. Roscommon," Jfl nrotcsled his companion. vlth a blush. 8tf "I am dlscusslnp fact, and that is al- 34 ' ways personal." replied thu man. "It Is Tfl i true Isn't If" Roscommon had a quiet iWi f habit of persistence He did not talk flU I much, but what he did say was apt to 1 H itart his companion into a frantic gar- K ' rullty of self-defense S ' -Wliat do you mean?" asked tho girl 5 1 i'Vou certainly would not accuse mo of I "And you haven't once said I love you." she exclaimed. M " brapgliiR about the number of m ad-m ad-m ' mlrcrj I was only speaking In a gen-W gen-W ' tral way Mti . Itoscommon was silent and the girl 2sij , wnt on. m ."I refuse to testify against myself, B oat you must give me credit for knowing 10 a few other women. Besides, I have 11 ?, km ihe novels written by creatures JU i of your own tex. Thoy ought to say a m i' good word for the ingenuity of man, Tfl yet their heroes all make love In pre-II pre-II cfeely the sarin- way." Viil fi r-VKy lurnetl as they -walked into m :'i j'fty-scventh street, where Miss Breen W i la lived with her aunt slnco her father's MA I fieat j. She Imd always gone with jll 1 a rather gav set. but a few months after m I ; came out her father had lost most II i u iiISi!nonoy For llie thrco years that ho JJ -3 ,t ", lnsIsted on her accepting many III fi j,,1.10"5, Uhougii tliey were able to J V "tile entertaining. Her liveliness of 'M I twech nnd mariner, a trilio defiant, I Qwkcd a hurt pride She won follow-W follow-W 'i :ruas,l-Y n,nS the men too casllv to HJ 5 jolt her high spirit. They gave her Until! Unt-il! if " Plo"l'- which comforted her aa m . little as gold offered to a starving dfi "4 om.an Sno wna ftl J'eart and had al-i al-i a I?031 no vanity. "When her father died m i hungry for some one to lavish kjfj ' TJ., a,ffectlons upon. Yet no one had jl j. wjned this The Impression had gone i1111 l"at she would marry any body ST v7. T0"' She hated poverty, but she hJ$ a lie still worse. bm J ?cn ,lI,cy ctered tho house she took bOli tXMo and St0d n ,nomc,u beside Sfl flYou In.n' slt- Jown." sho said, con-llll con-llll "'"nely to Roscommon. "I shall lilvlV !in,d "I'whJIe. You haven't made mo glfc '"W yet. yfflWi - you WPro ono of those unvarving men how would you ,proposc to a girl?" asked tho young man gravel v. Miss Breen promptly sat down. After she had rested and meditated for half a minute, she answered: "It would depend on the girl. That's tho very point. Instead of .having a formula, such as you men hand down from father to son. I should study tho nature of the woman, and llnd words to appeal to her nnd to her alone. If she loved llowcrs, I d spend my last dime on a rose. They say a battle was lost onco for want of a horseshoe. Moro women's hearts are lost for want of a chocolnto drop than nre dreamed of In your philosophy." "I have no philosophy that will fit tho raco of women." corrected tho lawyer. "I am glad to hear you admit your Ignorance'" Ig-norance'" laughed Miss Brcen. "I did not say was Ignorant. I merely mere-ly said I had no theories," observed Roscommon. Ros-common. "Very well, here's a fact for you. I know a man that told a girl of his ambition am-bition to be a painter. Now this girl didn't care a hairpin for art and the only idea she had about It was that artists were always poor nnd shabby. She was Just ready to fall in love with him. and If she had It wouldn't have mattered what he did for a living. If he only had had sense enough to tell her how prctlllv her hair shone in tho lamplight lamp-light he wouldn't be a sour old bachelor now. nnd she ' "It looks Just ns well In tho daylight." remarked Roscommon, addressing the mirror behind Madge. "I hope the subject doesn't bore you. j Miss Brcen," he wont on. "but you have made an impossible condition. You say j a man should know tho girl. That Is well, if he can But. now. suppose tho j one thing he know about her is that ho I wants to know more Perhups tho a cry mystei of her nature attracts him " "Then let him surprise her into some revelation of herself." They were silent for a long tlmo after this. The short winter day was almost gone. They could see each other through the twilight. "Miss Brcen. did yon ever hear that I was a millionaire?" Tho question camo from Roscommon with startling suddenness. His tone was harsh and had a ring of self-satisfaction in It. Madgo Breen turned Impulsively and then looked away; but not before lie was aware of the hurt, disappointed expression in her v.'ldc-open eyes. "No; and I hato you for telling me now' she Unshed "I did not tell you. T only asked a ouestlon." The harshness wns all gone from his tone. For the first lime that afternoon af-ternoon Roscommon's voice grow tender. Ho leaned toward his companion and said: ' They told mo you cared only for money that you had no heart. I knew thoy lied, but I wanted you to prove it to me. You have shown mo tho girl I havo been waiting to see. You havo taught mo tho way to woo her. I am not rich. Madge, and if I were I should never dream that money could buy you You say that all men are alike. All but one. you moan. Tho man you lovo will be transfigured. I ask you to bo my wife, dear; not because of what I can give- you, but because of whrft I can take. A man with any other ambition would not have room to keep that treasure treas-ure of your love. You can do what you will with me. The only thing I shall boast of is a boundless capacity for being be-ing loved. Do you want such a man?" "And you haven't onco said "I love you.' sho exclalmcdi with a touch of amusement in her voice. "That Is a slight variation from the usual form Do you suspect T shall do It all?" "You would have to try me to llnd out. no matter what I might say," replied Roscommon. "Well," she breathed softly and then paused. Ho rose and walked to her chair and waited, with his head bent toward hers. "Please," she whispered, "if you don't lovo me, never let me llnd it out." (Copyright, 1003. by R. J. Cole 1 , |