The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-04-19
The, Bdtey-Halfc.

who are sure to spoil any story you may tell
by asking questions. Sometimes you stop your
story at the first interruption, knowing that
by the time you have gotten to the end the
little fun and interest you know to be in it will
have dribbled away. although there may have
been enough to make a few sentences enter
| tanning. II you persevere and drag the story
through there is fiat, pinched, ragged, pititul
account that does your wit nor the apprecia-
| ton of your audience no credit whatever.
So when 1 saw Mrs. Kelly In the parlor
knew my little news of the Waverly elope-
ment was going to suffer. Mrs Kelly had
known me when I was baby and had no
scruples about asking questions about any Of
| my life since. But started in bravely.
81 met one of the girls on the Avenue to-
| day.
"What were you doing on the Avenue to-
| day." broke in Mrs. Kelly.
81 took my watch down to the jewelers."
Have you broken your watch again2"
Yes; smashed the crystal"
"And just a few weeks ago you had it there
to be mended."
"To be cleaned" corrected, out of justice to
my own character. ~ met Anne Wilkins, and
she told me such funny story that Mrs Price
had told her about -"
81 did not know that Anne knew Mrs,
Price"
well, she said Mrs. Price told her."
Mrs. Price told me herself that she did not
know Anne and that she wanted to meet her
because she is such friend of yours"
Perhaps she met her just lately" I ex-
planned, feebly.
80, guess they met at Mrs. Whites! Mrs.
Price was there one day last week. aud you
know Anne Wilkins is there continually. It's
funny what great friends Mrs. Price and Mrs.
White are getting to be after all the mean
things they have said of each other"
wanted to insert little sermon to the effect
that great many things spoken, not neces-
sarily unkindly, acquire a mean twang after
they have been repeated once or twice, and the
gossip is responsible for the unpleasant spirit,
although she may have reported the actual
words; but my story was still so distant that
patiently began again on it,
cit was about the elopement down at the
Waverly."
Was there an elopement down there? They
are always having sensations at that hotel"
No. there wasn't any; that's the story"
81 know it's Maggie and Tom Fiske. She
always was dead in love with him."
"No; neither Maggie nor Tom, but beau
tiful blonde maiden and a wicked, very wicked
man"
"Who were they?"
81 am not going to tell A mystery is much
more exciting, and you will find out soon
enough, anyhow"
~ know it's Maggie and Tom. She would
run away with him in a minute If she had the
chance"
"No, 1 tell you it was not Maggie" (Now
Maggie is one Of my we'll beloved chums, and l
hate to have her poked off on a man that way,
so l put big periods at the end of each sem
tence, and it had an immediate effect, for soon
finished my tale.)
well, go with your story"
"All there is of it is that the girl told her
chum, her chum told her brother. The chum's
brother was young and conscientious, and did
not know exactly whether telling would be dis
honorable, or whether he would be responsible
if he did not tell. He told his mother his diff
Guilty, and she solved the question by warning
the mother Immediately and, of course there
was no elopement. The ardor of the wicked
man has abated and his reputation for wicked
ness has increased so he is satisfied; and the GIRL
after talking il over with her mother, decided
she would not mind another season or two in
Washington society before she decided to
marry"
Sorosis being our most famous woman's club
it is well to consider its decisions, and Sorosis
has decided that water Babies" is proper
book for children to read.
4@x
Spring styles come out slowly and cautiously
as the flowers are doing, as if they also feared
the sudden changes of sunshine and snow that
have distinguished this Springtime.
~"a
Partisan milliners have aigrets made of spun
glass for hat trimming.
s*x
Sweet peas must be planted early, so that
during the cool weeks they may grow stout
roots, deep down. When the sun gets warm he
leases them out to grow above ground. If they
have not had time to make plenty of roots tho
same sunshine will burn them away in the
Summer months. Given the chance to grow
good roots they do but blossom oftener for the
July and August sunshine. A four-foot wire
screen or bush is none too high for them to
Chamber over. They need to be watered fire..
quently, to be carefully trained over their sup
port and to have the blossoms gathered con
tinually.
as