The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1895-05-08
What Mrs. Pettigru Said.
DY W. J. LAMPToN.

"Thank you, no." I persisted, for
it was by no means Mrs. Pettigru's
first invitation.
The cup referred to was of tea,
beverage which l despise except on the
occasion of its namesake, as a social
function, when by courtesy intro
duce small portion of it into my sys-
tenn, for purely polite reasons. 1 was
at one of these functions when Mrs.
Pettigru was asking me to indulge,
and 1 had done so to the extent of
single cup.
1t was quite late, and as Mrs. Petit
CRU was not the hostess, and there
we're but few guests remaining, we had
few minutes to ourselves in the quiet
corner where she had cozily ensconced
herself.
"Well," she said, when 1 had set
my teacup on the table in token of
final REFUSAL "well, what have you
been doing since 1 saw you last?"
1t had been fully four days since 1
had seen Mrs. Pettigru, and in that
time man can do great things.
Nothing much" said I.
"And don't know of any one who
can do nothing as much as you can,"
she laughed, but not unkindly, for
women are not generally unkind to
men who have incomes of sufficient
magnitude to enable them to do moth
ing, no matter how much of it they
may do.
Really" yawned; "what would
you have me do?"
"When man has nothing to do"
she replied, che generally gets mar
ried."
"Am / to consider that as sugges-
tion that I go and do likewise?,,
'Isn't it almost time?" she said,
with the assurance of woman who
has been in that condition herself for
an untold number of years.
''But marriage isn't for time; it's
for life" Icontended lamely.
'How old are you?" This with an
air of physician who had the right
to diagnosticate my case.
'Thirty-fiv let us say, at ven-
ture," 1 smiled. "How old are you?"
'That's neither here nor there" she
laughed. 'I'm married."
Mrs Pettigru was 40. and, I may
add, incidentally, that she was also
fat and fair.
''If the years stop when one mar
ries," said I, "I think shall announce
my engagement at once and follow it
Immediately by the tying of the knot. "
Mrs. Pettigru was evidently letting
her mind run off into some other
channel, for she passed my brilliant
repartee as if it had been dead stick
under her carriage wheels.
when man reaches 49," she said,
somewhat seriously, I thought, for q
woman at q tea, where one takes moth
ing seriously except the tea, cit is
really time that he began to think
where he stands on this important
question" ;"
"What if he knows where he
stands?" 1 interrupted .inquiringly.
''Then he doesn't need to think, u
she said with look that was full oi
interrogation points.
'sI'm not SO sure," contended.
'In fact, am almost sure that then il
the time when he should do his mos,
serious thinking"
"Of course, If he knows that hi
will make confcmed bachelor o.
himself" she put in very quickly.
"You think he should think OF som,
way OF getting out of such dreadful
situation?" asked, letting the argu
nent go her way.
"That's it exactly"
"And of course, there is only on
safe way?"
| Certainly"
"But I'm not ready to die ye.,"
said gravely.
"Die?" she exclaimed. "Who sal
anything about dying9 Get married |!
"Oh," and I was on the point O
adding few more flashes OF wisdor
to our already dazzling dalliance whe
the lovely Miss Fitch appeared an
presented claim for a cup of tea.
"Really." she twittered as Mr.,
Pettigru was pouring it, sit is too ba