Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-03
TRIXIE'S TRICKS.

From Puck.
ERED Coming deectedly into room phere
l. HIS SISTER sits reading, thu'pps dozen
into seat Dead silence)
HIS SISTER (dpdrO.-Of course! His face ia
flushed, he's wrinkled about the eyes, he's been
biting his mustache and has forgotten to turn
down the bottoms OF his 1ousers. And he
| slammed the street door and banged things
| around dreadfully in the hall. Yes, indeed!
| (Snifs) Exactly-violet sachet powder, which
! is what she always uses. Oh, and there's long
| white hair caught in his boot lace That came
from the wolfskin in the southeast corner of
her parlor. and it means that she sat in the
great stuffed chair with her back to the win
dow--naturally enough for she looked terribly
yellow when saw her this morning Then the
band of his scarf is all up over his collar from
his leaning forward-so she wouldn't let him sit
near her evidently. Oh. yes, L understand!
| (Aloud.) Fred!
FRED (deep Jdss).-Humph?
HIS SIsTER.-What did you two quarrel
| about?
FRED (tahen una,oare).-Wh-who
| l don't know what you
HIS SISTER (,riM rdzOr-like incisiUeness).-
Nonsen Sc, Fred You've been to see Trixie
Twiggs, and you didn't find her precisel as
| you expected. and you sulked-and then got
| angry, and then pathetic, and then maudin,
| and then surrendered altogether: and she just
| simply walked on you and did whate yer in this
Won away after you had begged her pardon for
| what you hadn't done and she had. at least a
dozen times-without getting it. There!
FRED (dstonished).- Jove, Nell, how could
you guess?
HIS SISTER Gntensely uD.-Guess2
no. ri all
much alike so many four-to-seven teas? It's
only the difference in the men that gives US
any variety whatever-and even then it's easy
guessing. l know you Fred, and SO 1 know
perfectly well how Trixie Twiggs manages you
goosie Come, tell me the rest,
FRED (gtdd TO reliere his feelings).-Oh. Nell
she said
HIS SISTER Comparatively scornfuD.-Said
The idea of paying any attention to what a girl
sdys-except to notice what she doesn't say.
How did she look? How did she act? That's
the question:
FRED (steeped in gloons). She looked like
angel-(grOdnS).
HIS SISTER (taughing). But didn't act like
one, you want to say, poor Freddie. No, we
seldom do. Well?
FRED.-She seemed very different from what
she was the last time met.
HIS SISTER addressing the srorld in gen.
erdD He thinks that is something strangely
newt And yet he has sister in the house-and
a barometer,
FRED.-Somehow. it all went wrong from the
| start She disputed or ignored everything
said; but when she had completely shut me up
she wouldn say anything herself, and we came
to a dead standstill. Then
HIS SIsTER.-Then you tried to find out what
was the matter by asking her questions, you
poor old stupid
FRED Surprised. Stupid? How else should
l find out?
HIS SIsrER.-You'd only to hold your tongue
and she'd have told you of her own accord
probably after you d said Good evening"" and
gotten half way to the door. But you must ask
her questions! Like man.
FRED.-Anyhow. the plan didn't succeed.
There was nothing wrong" ''she wasn't in the
least offended" and so forth. At last l lost my
temper-and-we li-h'm-I-
HIS SISTER (nuch dmuSed).-You went
through the various performances 1 mentioned
little while ago-and she did, too! Now, what
do YOU suppose it meant?
FRED an despdir).--It meant that l am done
for-that she hates me!
HIs SISTER (cOntemptuOusly). Pshaw. 1t
meant that her new gown was three inches too
short in 'front.' and she'd just found it out that
morning. As the dressmsker wasn't there and
you were, she took it out on you. That's what
it meant!
FRED Cincredulously).-No.
His SISTER (decisiUeiy).-Yes she had told
me about the dress a few hours before. II I'd
A~"" "SAS ooAAA6 sASiO "a hdsC wal iitu
yor. Only
FRED.-Only what?
HIS SrsrER.-Where did she look when she
was at her worst-over you, away from you, or
at the floor?
FREp.-Away from meas if weren't worthy
her notice. (Groans.) hardly saw anything
but her profile.
His SISTER (greatty interested).-Her worst
point-mercy, those ears! Why. she must have
been awfully wrought up! Did she do any,
thing unusual?
FRED (reaecting) Nothing but crochet
Never saw her do that before.
HIS SISTER (ercited) Nothing but - oh,
you men! That was because she was so nervous
she couldn't keep her hands still-had to occupy
them with something. And?
FRED (indiferently)-She complained Of
cold, kept coughing, and finally wrapped some
sort Of worsted thing around her neck
HIS SISTER Cleaning back IN chair .-That's
sufficient She hasn't particle Of a cold. /
know all about it now.
FRED (densely).-lm blessed if do
HIS SISTER perfectly positire).-No, you'd
never have thought of looking at her throat.
though it's there and not in our faces that we
show our feelings; but she was breathing as
fast as a sleeping kitten, no doubt choking
could to conceal it. I'm sure,
FRED (starino) Sure of what?
HIS SIsTER.-Of this, Fred. She was cross
about the dress, felt womanish, and therefore
SGT to work to make herself thoroughly misera-
BILE by making you 80. We behave like that
only to one man. The girl's in love with you!
FRED Dumping up I'm love with me?
love with You! pause, during uhich FRED
runainotes, and HIS SISTER intently studies his
1dce.)
FRED (sitting do,cn oain).-Oh, indeed?
HIS SISTER lUith a species of joyful disap-
pofntmenD.-Fr Jones! Why don't you
dance about. or sing, or shout, or give three
cheers or break something? You don't seem
glad bit.' Aren't you going to rush off and
propose?
FRED (cdlmly).-Not precisely. You see,
Nell, II we should marry her dresses might
very often come home three inches too short in
front Goodbye, I'm going up to smoke
mi his SISTER (ueaemently).-You tickle thing!
III never, never, never, never speak to you
again, you-splendid, sensible boy. you!
lE1it, FRED smiiing.)
Hts SIsrxa (sola).-Oh. I'm 90 glad, I'm 30
glad, I'm 90 glad, glad, glad! Making an
sronico! oosc to eaeascy) Aha, kis Tfixis