The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-10-15
POLICY VS.. PRINCIPLE

married friend.
so, Ria, darling" the epistle ran, "ifyou
Will close your musty, fusty books, and for
get all your '~ologies, two perfectly unin-
tellectual and humdrum people will be de-
lighted if you will pay them a visit. You
shall have nothing more stimulating than
cream and croquet, and will quickly forget
you ever had any nerves at all. En- PEASANT,
you can make scientific researches into the
relations of domesticity, and take notes on
the great subject of diplomacy conducted on
feminine lines-information you will need
when you and Fred are one."
Egeria paused, frowning over this last
sentence. Minnie Warburton was Just a
fuffy-headed, frivolous, feminine little
thing, the last person in the world to be
suspected of irony, and yet her learned
friend felt doubtful of her. More than once
when Egeria, b. A., had been enunciating,
her views on the rightful position of wom-
an in the world, she had detected a discon-
certing little twinkle in her friends eye.
Egeria was not a bit of a prig really, but
she was suffering from a transitory attack of
mental dyspepsia, due to the heterogeneous
mass of facts and theories which she had
imbibed during her researches after knowl-
edge and the hollow mockery of a varsity
oSSiSS OuG AdlOly dSSlllllulcu. moreover,
a quite special cause was assisting to throw
her into a chaotic condition. She had Just
quarreled (for the hundred and first time)
with her fiance-a very nice youth, barring
his narrow-minded prejudices regarding the
superiority of the male in creation. So
thought Egeria once, but now she frowned
and stamped her foot.
"Ill co. she said, wrathfully. of only
to avoid Fred. The idea of his debating to
me. 1t is a monstrous notion"
We'll, Ria, darling, so you've come to
take your first lesson in feminine diplomacy,
sometimes called tact and sometimes dis
sembling, said pretty little Mrs. Warburton
some 80 hours later, as the two friends sat to-
gether IN tine drawing-room of Mossdale
cottage in the soft twilight, waiting for Min
MES husband to join them over coffee.
You've come at a lucky time, for l have
just got an invitation to the FitZgeralds'
ball, and I'm dying to go. You must mar
rowly watch how l carry out my well-laid
schemes to gain Jacks consent"
Ria looked wonderingly at her friends
placid features.
Minnie" she said, bethinking herself of
the said Jack, Il hope you didn't think me
rude at dinner-of course Pm a guest, and |
suppose should enunciate no alien views, but
l couldn't stand it, really! Why, your hus-
band snubbed you practically on every point
you raised. | don't mean he was rude; it
was worse than that-he ignored your opin-
ions as if they were of no account"
Minnie suppressed a yawn. Here's
Jack" she said, and Ria, coloring, retired
into her shell. Minnie presently started the
question of the invitation, which her hus-
band tossed aside impatiently. He in
weighed against the patronizing airs OF the
Fitzgeralds, s~hoddy-made, titled nobodies,
as he was pleased to call them, on the folly
of sensible people leaving their comfortable
hresides minnie glanced innocently at the
palm-flled CRATE and the pen French win
dows) to caper about in stuffy drawing
rooms and make themselves i'll with bad
wine and half-melted ices.
Really, Jack, DEAR" Minnie remarked,
tanning herself as if the atmosphere were
charged with electricity. Il give in about
the wa1e-I never drank it, and shouldn't
understand it if l did. But Lady Fitzger-
AIDS ices are above reproach. l simply love
ices" she concluded, sadly.
"Just like a woman! And to eat a six
penny ice you'd run up a bill of 60 guineas
at Picot's for ~fal-lals," lack remarked,
more %benignly, pleased with himself for his
ScathlnB sarcasm.
''Ten guineas, dearest" Minnie quickly
answered. Il never exceed that for a gown,
Economy is my one virtue. And, by the
same token, here is the last bill; l hadn't
money to pay it"
Two evenings later the three were again
seated together. Mrs. Warburton, busy
over a tangle of embroidery silks, looked up
with a sigh.
81 don't know how | shall ever get these
Strengthened out alone" she murmured, pa,
thetically. And it's no good asking you,
Ria-you're so short-sighted.'
Ria opened her clear gray eyes in Won
der at this calm announcement, but before
she could reply Jack Wurburton interposed.
Here, pass it over" he said. you WON.
en- always want a man to get you out of a
mess"
'You are a DEAR" said Minnie, effusively.
'sYou wind while i hold" and she handed
him a card. 1t was the invitation from
Lady Fitzgerald, and Jack instantly OBJ.
served the fact.
'Minnie!!" he exclaimed, you never an.
swered this invitation?"
Eyes, dear, / wrote an answer" his VITA
very quietly and sweetly replied.
what did you say"
"Oh, / refused, of course"
Jack looked decidedly taken aback.
you ought to have spoken to me first, y
he began, in agitation. 81 can't afford to
offend the Fitzgeralds just now. He might
injure me in half a dozen ways. | explained
all that to you the other night. Really, Min
ME, you might exercise more tact"
I'm very sorry, DEAR" said Mrs. Warbur-
ton, meekly. Il understood you to imply
you didn't want to 30"
mo more | do; but one must sacrifice
ones self sometimes. And now you've made
it impossible =
NHere, mind the silk"
What are you after now? You can't ask
for the invitation to be renewed, | SUPPOSE
he inquired, sarcastically.
"No, dearest said Mrs. Warburton, who
had hastily risen from behind the flap OF
her eseritoire. mo, | couldn't do that;
but / just bethought me | had not posted
-ahl here it is" she concluded, holding
up the letter triumphantly.
Jack grunted. you are always forget
ting your letters" he complained, in IA tone
of indulgence; but it's just as well this