The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-08-17
A IOKE ON DIG.

4 ny uUdI young ldDleS. SdlQ HEleSr-
ess. might 1 offer simply as a suggestion
that you lower your dulcet tones a tribe.
| The transom is nicely screened with
heavy black paper. but 1 hear footsteps
ascending from below, and IL would per-
! haps be as well not 10 reveal your
| whereabouts if you do not wish 10 spoil
/ The effect of this incarnation
The Priestess was presiding over q
| three-legged pot which stood on top OF
| the gas fixture. and in order TO success
! fully accomplish this feat was perched
| on a chair, each red-heeIed slipper care
lfully planted on the wood surrounding
the cane seat. Her hair. in a great knob
| on top of her head, bobbed furiously
/ every time she emphasized her remarks
with a graceful wave Of a fudge-covered
| spoon and threatened TO escape any
minute and come tumbling down over
! the brilliant red kimona- The shriIl clat-
! ter and babel OF voices became suspi-
| ciously quiet while the sound OF footsteps
| slowly approached and then faded away
in the distance.
"Oho," yawned the Belle Of the frat.
| societies, who, clad in pink eiderdown
/ and white satin ribbons, was curled up
on digan in a nest of as many cush-
! ions as she could possibly stow away at
/ her sides and back, that incarnation
/ Of yours doesn't seem TO be working very
well. When will those tiresome Judges
| be done?'
Wen. il certainly isn't examining for
your old English test tomorrow that
makes you so cross tonight. It's going TO
a dance with three men at once and then
! coming home to a prosaic lot of crea-
/ lures like US, remarked the Dig, who
with her specialized eyes. was porting over
| her copy OF Greek when the conversation
did not interest her.
The dear old Dig doesn't like men.
| She regards them as flies on the body po-
! lite, and when woman is getting up
| q thesis, as she is, they are annoying"
remarked the Beauty, coUbing out her
curly yellow hair and occasionally steal
ing sly glance OF admiration at herself
in the mirror.
"Ali but Mr. Philip Atherton." said the
Priestess. He you chatterers, bring me
a cup Of cold water quick. This stuff
must be done
After the excitement attendant on the
stirring and distributing of the Judges
was over the Belle asked who Mr.. Philip
AthertOn was.
"Oh, he's the Digs southern cousin
whom she's meyer seen and who's COM
ing some evening to infiict himself upon
her"
well. sincerely hope he won't put in
an appearance this week" said the Dig,
for I'm too busy to see him. and if he
comes l shall give him to understand that
his call must De very snort.
'Humph.' grunted the Beauty and the
Belle, exchanging a significant glance,
and the conference broke up for the
night.
The next evening the Dig prepared for
several hours of uninterrupted work. Ar
rayed in her old flannel dressing gown,
her hair pinned into a tight little knot
at the back of her head, and a wet COM
press across her forehead. she sat at her
4aI IL =
the glare of the lamp by a green shade
over the compress, and the spectacles and
her head almost buried from sight by
the surrounding piles of lexicons and
reference books.
Just as she was well on the scent Of a
certain old elusive Greek root there came
a tap at the door and a maid entered
bearing on a tray an object the like Of
which had never been seen before in that
room. 1t was a gentleman's visiting card,
and it bore the name of Mr.. Philip Ath-
ertOn." The Dig glanced at the intrusive
thing and frOwned. The temptation TO
descend to a polite society fb and refuse
to be seen was strong upon her, but the
thought of the familys future indigna-
ton prevented her yielding. With a long
ing glance at the pile of books ard an
other scowl at the inoffensive bit of
pasteboard she began TO divest herself of
green shade, white compress, spectacles,
etc
Meanwhile. according to custom, the
maid had been waylaid in the hall and
the news had spread like wildfre that
the Dig had a caller That calm and dig
nihed lady was Just about TO array her
self in her pedestrian skirt and dark
brown flannel shirt waist when the door
opened unceremCniously and q procession
of excited and Gisheveled goods. headed
by the Beauty and the Belle, entered
bearing curling tongs. alcohol lamps, CO.
logne bottles. smelling salts, various
paru-colored waists and a long trailing
black satin skirt which the Dig regrded
with undisguised horror.
OF with those stuffy old things" they
cried. why child, the man is a south
erner You'd scare him 10 death with
that rig on. He's used 10 having ladies
dress for dinner. of course"
And what with much coaxing and ex-
claiming and pulling and adjusting they
arrayed the Dig, not quite TO their salts
faction, but to her intense disgust. and
sent her downstairs to meet THE MAN.
The Dig was astonished at herself. She
was experiencing a new sensation. She
felt rather an agreeable futter Of pleas
ant expectation, and the wicked goods
at the head OF the stairs noticed with
much satisfaction and many suppressed
CYCLES that she gave a twitch to her
iitil anu let 10 see II neT mar was ali
right. She entered the room with a fas-
cinating smile. but it faded almost i'm
mediately. All the little feminine nutters
left her heart and the old shrewdness
and cynicism leaped back into place I'm !
mediately. The Dig had her suspicious. /
She arose crossed the room and beheld
hanging down the unconscious gentle (
mans back a long braid OF light brown !
hair. the pins still in 1t which had been /
used TO cleverly fasten it 20 the head I
under the black peruke. She turned and !
bowed low.
Mr. Atherton," she said. II have ar 1
engagement with myself this evening. /
and I beg You 10 excuse me. Allow me I
to recommend competent hairdresser /
two blocks south on the avenue, third
floor. rear. Good evening" And she left 4
the room.
The next morning the Beauty and the 4
Belle were all curiosity and interest as 70 /
Mr.. Atherton, but it was little satisfac- I
ton they got.
The Priestess had gone to spend Sunday i
with her friends on the West Side
c. z. Corbett.
Crossing the Bar.
Sunset and evening star.
And one clear call for me-
And may there be no moaning OF the bar