New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-10-06
A PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENT

IA 1-oncon drawing room during bad quarter
Of an hour, which is stretching out to half
before dinner-)
Miss Gordon-I feel though 1 had been born
here You were late enough. goodness knows
Mrs Philpotts-Yes, I look upon punctuality
as the thief of time
Miss Gordon-But this missing link is unfor-
giyatlr. It is man too
MIS- Philpotts-Wil be- to be Darwinian. dear
Enter hurriedly Richard Fenwick, bubbng
with apologies)
Miss Gordon-Gocd gracious,
Dinner is announced. Fenwick is guided hv
the hostess fan IN the direction Of the TWO
womenD
Miss Gordon-Heaven grant it may be you
Mrs Philpotts-Heaven has my prayer to the
same effect. But why yours
Miss Gordo2-Because I refused him yester-
day.
Mrs. Philpo,ts-You- oh. my prophetic soul
The Dean (unctuousIy 10 Mrs. Philpotts. offer
ing his arm)-Life has many consultations Mrs
Phpotts.
Mrs Phipotts Cpurposely misunderstanding
hinl)-I hope that iced soufHe Will be one of
them
Fenwick 10 Mss Gordonp-Tm awfuIIy sorry
Miss Gordon with air of sweet seriousness
suitable to his hard caseD-I know l am your
misfortune. AMI not your fault
l.
Gus thing If You take particular care TO avoid
any one person. you are bound to meet him or
her twice as often anybody else. If you de-
seend into carriage on the underground ne is
there # you climb UP to the top of Popocatepetl
IL is there. Miss Gordon comes 70 the CON
clUsian that " is had taste to use ScripturaI
phraseoIogy when you are talking nonsense)
If you avoid him by yachting cruise he comes
on deck as soon as the anchors weighed. The
erIy-
Miss Gordon (who is. somehow not quite
pleased with the way he has put things coldIy)
Fortune has. indeed. dealt your hand badly
for you tonight
Fenwck-Never mind. I promise to devote
myself entirely TO my off side neighbor won
der who it is to be-oh (7gith undisguised pleas
ure), it is apparently Rosie Boycott.
Miss Gordon "a casual glance has shown her
that ROsie's hair is done a particularly be-
coming manner, which she makes up her mind
to regard ''barmadsh'O-Isn' that rather
going to extremes?
Fenwick feagerly)-May 1 talk to you? That
is jolly I love talking to you. You're 50 SEN
siDe.
Miss Gordon-Oh Csotto voce) Isn't Miss Boy
colt sensible?
Fen"ick apparently ignoring the question:
believe men always make love to certain sort
Of girl because they know that she won't IN
derstand in the least any other subject of con-
VersatIon they might bring up.
Miss Gordon thinking that the obvious inter
probation of his sentence is that if he does talk
70 Rosie Boycott he VIII make love to her. and.
looking upon il as. under the circumstances in
sulting. she is not gracious. Besides. there is
an indefnable something about sensible" which
suggests = lack Of proper idolatry)-May / ask
why you think me sensible?
Fenwick-Oh there are any number of rea-
sons. Why, yesterday-dont mind my hurting
or an awkward subject sure that you
had awfully good reasons for-for telling me
what you did.
Miss Gordon IS saved the necessity Of replying
by FenWick's attention being claimed by Miss
Rosie. During the next few minutes she has the
opportunity Of observing that Miss Rosies white
shoulders are shaking with laughter that Fen
wick's back is broad and well fitted. and that
his neat head is bent in the most interested
manner in Miss Rosie's direction Her glimpses
leave her vaguely wondering whether il is pos
sible that he does not greatly care.
Fenwick Qeaving laugh behind him and re-
turning to the sensible" theme)-I would all
ways take your opinion about anything. think
you would make up your mind about a thing
and stick to II, you know. sha'n't forget that
you told yesterday that you would always
take sort of interest in me, and shall come
trt.an fnsn a