The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-30
THAT WAS DIFFERENT.
She Might Have Done It Herself but
Alice Was So Mean.

She Might Have Done It Herself, but
Alice Was So Mean.
81 haven't seen you with Alice lately"
remarked the girl whose roses matched
her cheeks. "Is 1t that your street gowns
do not harmonize or can it be q matter OF
temper"
"You have not seen us together nor Will
you," firmly replied the girl with the vel
vet sleeves. 1T is not matter of gowns,
but of principle. Alice is a cat-a mean,
spiteful, malicious cat"
''Humphl Her fur seems to be in very
good condition, judging from what saw. 3"
'Don tell me what you saw unless you
met her in high wind without a veil try
ing to be a Gibson girl. You didn't Well.
then, Just listen while tell you what she
did"
Dear me, hope it is something very
bad,' huttered the girl whose roses
matched her cheeks. II haven't been very
we'll of late and the doctor says my system
needs toning up"
1T is You know that Jack Bittersweet
has Tilted Julia? l never could understand
what he saw in her anyhow myself but he
kept her from poaching on other peoples
preserves, so''-
'Shes taking it very hard too. The
reason l know it is that she is making
desperate efforts to secure Jim, and no
girl who had not suffered q keen disap-
pointment WOULD
"M'hm Well, was at Aliees when
the news came that it was off. You know
before he became engaged to Julia Jack
used to divide his attention pretty evenly
between Alice and myself. Well, knew
Alice, SO 1 told her plainly that we ought
to punish him for treating poor Julia so
badly, as we'll as for having engaged him
self to her in the first place She dem urred
at first, but talked her round by arguing
that women should stand by each other.
She is always talking about the sympathy
of sex, you know, SO she had to agree We
made a solemn compact then and there to
snub Jack as he deserved"
"And did your
"Well, it was this way: After got
home fell to thinking it over, and be-
gan to feel sorry for poor Jack. especially
as he might not, after all, have been to
blame. Besides papa told me that he had
been making q great deal of money lately.
You know, a man with plenty of money
is more apt to be led astray. and there was
no knowing what he might do II l snub-
bed him severely. Finally I decided to
send for him and give him little-a-sis-
terry admonition.'
t'Of course
$50 the next morning I wrote him a
note asking him to drop in for a cup of
tea and a chat at o. clock when I would
be alone"
"And did he comeS'
"No. He replied that previous engage
ment would prevent, but that he hoped to
have the honor soon. Somehow felt I'M
easy, SO went over to Alice's- l wanted
to have her under my eye. 1t was about
O'Clock, and the housemaid said she was
out. There was queer look in her eye,
however, so just told her that 1 would
step in and get book I had left on the
library table the day before"
''Well?' breathed the other girl
''Alice was there and Jack was on the
sofa beside her"
"Oh! Well, perhaps she was only CIV
ing him little sisterly lecture -
''Humphi From the looks of things it
was very different from the ones she gives
her own brother. At any rate she fairly
covered under my look of righteous indig-
nation"
"But-but You had written for him to
come to see you"
''That was a very different matter"
firmly replied the girl with the velvet
sleeves. II feel that shall never be able to
trust Alice any more. Chicago Tribune.