The morning times., 1896-01-12

making calls all tho, afternoon ana foo,
ready to renounce the custom fnrever NJ,
YOU KNOW IL Is not nJ way TO tiiscnss I'm
detail my, own or family affnirs. Enr,a
people enjoy It, and suppose the hest
in.enuoned or the ,questioners take it for
g.anted That every one does, their bunps
.. discrimination being hut slightly deyel-
opeu other weii-nieaning persons are
thoughtlcssly curious. while as for those
nominal members OF polite society who
catecfiise one out OF pure tnquisitiveness
.'iey, pi conrse, cannot be expected to tn ke
INTO account the trivial question of ac-
cepta ,lnqnisliye- -inaplsition," she
concluded thoughtfuliy.
AFTER short pause she continued (Do-
rihda Is not given to unpleasant persona lties
nut She now and then ,unburdens her mind
TO me, as on this occaston), 81 alwavs
dread to go to Mrs. Rayne's; l never 20.
except when persuaded that it will seem
decidedly rude to stay away any longer
She is so kind ana friendly Today she
asked il were going home during vacation,
and when ! replied thatiI did not expect
TO, she looked so surprised, and then In
quired point blank: why not?'
Was under any obligation to tell ter
couidn t afford it? didn't any way, but
gaTefa an eVsfsive answer and her counte-
nance continued to express the most ex-
asperatinS surprise and Interrogation. and
left as soon as possible, fully determined
never to go there agdin." =,
70, of course, shan,"-she added In re-
sponse to my look or Misrepresentation
Bayne Is an excellent wonan-''but 1t will
not be Tor the pleasure of going, certainly.
MIS- George Smith inquired what wages
Tom is getting now, and did not tell her.
i Laughed and said that he hadn't authorized
me to inform people. know she was Of
Tended, and, OF course, she viii conclude
lar 10 ls.o. Sk,n H.
Anything more?'' queried as Dorinda
paused and flushed somewhat savagely from
the basket fresh needle.
She gave ruercl laugh.
%, yes, plenty. You think me n wretched
grumbler, I dare say, but 1 have been
pretty unusually tried this afternoon by
these petty annoyances.
Dora Gregg qiizzed. me about my hat,
under pretense of admiring 1t, until was
obliged either TO lie about it or tell her
that 1 made IT myself. You know without
being Informed which horn of the dilemma
Grasped, and numerous acquaintance
will forthwith have the pleasure of passing
judgment upon my taste and skill.
Now, as do not voluntarily proclaim
myself my own milliner, what right, pray
has any one to compel me to do so? Dora
is an old friend, and a nice girl but do
not enjoy her society because she asks
SO many questions that are not warranted
by old friendship.
Why, why, will people be inquisi-
tive. Why can't they see that it must
make others afraid of them?
There's one place where / love to 70.
and that is Mrs. Spalding's. She is n
perfect lady. She never asks annoying
questions. She makes one entirely at
ease, and draws out the best that is in one
also. You are comfortably conscious
too, that she will not make disacreeabIe
remarks about you after you have gone.
All! think what place this world would
he if il were made up OF Mrs. Spaidngs,' -
DoTinda raptuTously concluded, then Ie-
lapsed into mournfui, mcditative silence.
As | prepared one of her favoritc dishes
for tea, hoping it might have a slightly
soothing effect, l rendered over the class
of offenses bewaiied by my young friend,
and reflected that If the attcnti ion of those
who thus transgress the laws OF roliteness
were called 10 this matter, some might
thereby be led to take heed unto their
ways. for ii cannot lie supposed that any
right-minded persen wishes to make her
friends afraid OF fer. or desires TO be num-
bered among them and hold place upon
their visiting lists simply through suf-
ferance.
But do you not perceive. beloved ques-
TONERS, that as regards certain of your
acquaintances, presumably, too, those