The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-26
KEPT WONDERING.

bver her big heart looks ~ solemn,
As when she played In Daly's COM
pany and deposeth and afflrms as
kollows--to wit,
II was sitting In my room In For
y-second street one AFTERNOON, think
ing how wicked Il was to gag dur
lng matinee performances, because
tho audiences are mostly women,
who do not understand 'gaggin,'
when card was brought to me. 1t
was that Of lady whose name was
somehow familiar to me, yet Just
bow could not fix In my mind. /
had seen the namo In the papers,
know, yet in what relation ! could
not recollect. 1t did not seem TO me
that it had been in connection with
Affairs of my profession. had told
my maid to tell tho lady / was In,
bnd was wondering who and what
hhe could DO while waiting for her.
"Tell you her name? Not In u
thousand years! Well, she entered
and greeted me with effusion as dear
lister. That surprised me, for it
was not Flo--she's my real sister,
you know--and SO didn't do any
thing but keep right on wondering,
except, of course, asked her to sit
down ! luckily caught myself In
time just as was going to offer her
cigarette and kept right on woii-
hering.
"She was richly dressed, but was
somehow mede up for stern aunt
part or something in that line.
"She suddenly produced roll of
paper, and l guessed she was going
10 read me q new play, although she
nid not look as if she would think
Of just tho kind of play i would
want, 10 1 just kept right on won
iering.
Then she spoke. My dear sister,
She said, L have been appointed by
tho ladies of our league to give you
IN opportunity to sign our petition
TO the constitutional convention.
what is your petition?' asked,
land what is the constitutional con-
vention?'
II thought the constitutional con-
vention might be some kind of rest
cure but really didn't know until
she explained, and in tho meantime
just kept right on wondering.
when l asked my questions, she
started and looked at me real cross,
and then she laughed and said: oh,
l see you arc joking. / fancy it is
difficult to overcome your stage hab-
1t of being whimsical
Say, what do you think?
81 assured her was dead serious,
and then she explained that the pc
sition was from the Woman = Rights
league and was to be presented TO
some men who We're going to do
something 20 the laws.
But, nladnm, said, Il have all
the rights l want, and more than
desire perhaps. make my own liv-
ing under contracts I make myself.
The courts viii enforce my contracts
If require their aid. do as like,
and no ono interferes with me. If
You will eXcafse me / believe I'd
rather not SIGN your petition.
i never saw such an amazed wo-
man. She stared at me, and then ex-
claimed, But you lecture in our
eausel'
Il really began TO feel wuzzy. Il
lecturol Not on your life, madam
never lectured in my liie!
Pardon me, then. see l have
made a mistake. l supposed / was
talking to the Miss May Irwin, who
Is now appearing at the Bijou.
And you're dead right, ex-
claimed and kept right on wonder
ing what would como next.
Then unless there are two Miss
May lrwins j certainly heard you
deliver very strong and instructive
lecture on woman's rights, and you
were out on top of the stage when
you delivered it.
e" Merciful heavens, madamr j
said, for 1 had just tumbled-drop-
ped, you undorstand--that she re-
terred TO that burlesque turn used
to do in which | told about the diff
fercnt kinds Of loads a husband and
wife will get with S5.'
Do you mean to say you took
that speech seriously? 1t was just a
comic turn, you understand, a bur-
lesquc.
She gave me an amazed and
haughty stare, rolled up her petition
md said stiiily:'I thought you were
doing your oppressed sex n great
service by delivering a serious lee
uro against their oppressors, men. /
I'm sorry 90 learn Of my error.
"She swept ont of the room, and I