eraphine! How well she knows the human soul! A month later I
wrote this in my diary:

"Seraphine was right. My bubble has vanished into thin air. Jimsy Brooks
has declared his love for me and a wonderful thing has gone out of my
life forever. I had always felt so perfectly safe with Jimsy. When I
think of the all-day picnics that we two used to go on together and the
outrageous things I have done, I blush all over.

"I remember our trip to Bear Mountain and the sparkling stream that
beckoned me into its depths. I wanted to wade in it, to sit on one of
the smooth round stones in the middle and in general to behave like a
child. All of which I did, for there was only Jimsy to see and he didn't
matter in the least. He never so much as glanced at my bare feet and
legs when I splashed through the ripples with my dress pinned up!

"I remember how I kissed his hand where a fish barb had torn it....
'Kiss it, make it well,' and all the while I must have been hurting him
cruelly. God knows I did not mean to, I would not have hurt him for the
world.

"This sort of thing is all very well from a woman's angle, but is it
well for a man? Jimsy says no, and when I remember the expression in his
eyes, I am afraid I must agree with him. I had thought of him more as I
would think of a girl chum, only infinitely more desirable, for he had
the power of really _doing_ things for me--he was a cross between a nice
old friendly dog that would fetch and carry at my bidding and a powerful
protector who could (and did) stand between me and unpleasant
happenings.

"Jimsy has gone out of my life and left a terrible loneliness. He says
that some day, when he has learned resignation, he will come back and
we can take up the threads of our friendship just where we have laid
them down ... but that can never be, you cannot build up a new
friendship on the ashes of an old one. Poor Jim Brooks! I shall never
forget what a wonderful thing he was in my life. And now that I have
learned my lesson, my new platonic friend Mr. R---- can take his
professed platonic friendship elsewhere. I am through, henceforth all
men are acquaintances ... or lovers!"

* * * * *

As I look back on my life and try to draw wisdom from my mistakes, I see
some things clearly and one is that it is impossible for a woman like me
to enjoy the close friendship of an attractive man without danger. No
matter how honorable he is or how sincere the wo