Mary Stewart Cutting

“ The men of whom you just have flying glimpses are so much more out of the common, so much more like the man you might possibly marry some day, than the men you have always known, or see often nice enough fellows, but not a bit thrilling!
Well, whenever Dorothy saw any other man after this, she couldn't help comparing him to the Author, and, though the interview had been so slight, it seemed to mean more to her than she could explain. ”

“ He looked down at her and she looked up at him as the elevator was going slowly down, and he disappeared by inches until she could only see his feet in the shining brown ties, and then he was gone entirely out of sight, and for a moment she felt quite desolate and queer. ”

“ Dorothy always has a sort of surprised look in her eyes that just gets every man at once—a sort of surprise that he's being kind to her. And she actually feels that way; she was always saying about Mr. Jasper or Mr. Hotchkiss or Mr. Grant, "He was so nice to me," as if she expected he'd beat her instead."
She met the Author in the reception room of Trumpington's Magazine. It was a circular sort of place with ground glass around it, and no air, and a table and two chairs and a leather-covered sofa. There was a man sitting on each chair—just ordinary men, you know, Cousin Mary. ”

“ The boy who had been recovering from the measles was having trouble with his eyes; and Alec had taken part of his salary to buy a dog, just when they needed the money so much—and her mother was terribly afraid of dogs, especially when she was having nervous indigestion, and a Russian boar-hound is too large for a flat, even if he was beautiful! And her father came in, saying that it was quite evident that there was no place in any business line for a man of his years—though his hair is hardly gray at all, and people always think he is Dorothy's brother when they are out together. ”

“ She felt perfectly positive that the Author had sent them—and, after all, it was only her married sister who was home on a visit. Of course, it is a let-down, when you think it's some one interesting, to find it's only the family; but Dorothy is really soft over her family! She was tremendously touched because Sally had wanted to do it. You'd think Dorothy might be the most unattractive and unpopular girl that ever lived, she's so overcome at anything that's done for her, and always wants to do something in return. ”

“ Cousin Mary, I think it's so disappointing that the very nicest men you meet you hardly ever see again—Adelma and I were talking about it the other day. Even if you do happen to run across each other at somebody's house a year or two after that first meeting, and both remember and speak of how much you'd enjoyed your little talk, or dance, that other time, that is the end of it ”

“ Adelma was just going up in Westchester for overnight, and she made Dorothy walk up to the Grand Central Station with her, and wait with her until it was time for her train; for, no matter how often either Adelma or I see Dorothy, it always seems a special sort of treat to meet the dear again—she always makes you feel as if you were so much nicer than you know you are. And after Adelma had left, Dorothy stepped up to the news~stand to buy a paper, and there, by the ticket-office, stood the Author! ”

“ And then—it was the first day that she went out in the old gray suit and the pink hat. She was riding on the top of a Fifth Avenue motor stage, and just as one came rattling along the other way, she caught a glimpse of a figure on the side toward her. There was something in the bend of the arm that looked familiar in some way—and then, like a flash, she knew! She had always thought of him in brown, and this time he was in gray, but she caught a clear view of his profile.
"SHE LOOKED BACK, AND THE OTHER STAGE SEEMED TO BE STOPPING." You know how it is when you look at a person very hard. ”

“ She made up romances to herself in which he took the greatest pains to find out who she was, and, of course, she always turned out to be the dearest friend of his dearest friend—which wouldn't have been really surprising, for most nice people really do know of the people you know. ”

“ One night she discovered that he had a thousand dollars coming to him that he didn't know he had, and they were all so happy, and he looked years younger the next morning, and thought of ever so many schemes to get on his feet again, and, although they found the next night that it was her mistake, yet the mistake really seemed to have done him good—for a few hours, anyway. ”

“ BY MARY STEWART CUTTING
AUTHOR OF "LITTLE STORIES OF COURTSHIP," "LITTLE STORIES OF MARRIED LIFE," ETC.
YES, Cousin Mary, now that Dorothy has gone, both Adelma and I have made a vow never to get married. We are going to take a flat together (if our parents will allow it) , and be bachelor girls, and improve our minds, and write, and take our manuscripts—"stuff," they call it—to the magazines. I think "stuff" sounds so dear and interesting, so like the real thing, don't you? Dorothy met the loveliest man once when she was waiting in a magazine office ”