Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-06-28
REAL MEAN TRICK

The address of the champion mean wo-
man OF washington doesn't make any DIFF
ference. but for the sake Of convenience
she is going to be designated In this story
as Mrs. Gethunk.
Mrs. Gethunk's dearest feminine enemy Is
another young matron who lives next door
in the same row of houses Mrs. Howsad
will about fit her for the purposes Of this
narrative.
The strained relations existing between
Mrs. Gethunk and Mrs. Howsad dates back
to last summer, when their respective pet
dogs had roughhouse five minutes on the
front sidewalk, which involved the placing
of Mrs. Gethunk's angel mutt on the sick
list for about three weeks. Mrs. Gethunk
imagined that she detected a CLEAN of tri-
| umph in the eye of Mrs Howsad over the
victory of the latter's dog, and from that
moment began the vendetta. They quite
failed to perceive each other when they met
after the run-in between their CANNES.
A few weeks ago a Washington depart
ment store exhibited for sale in one of its
windows a couple of Paris model pale
blue pique dresses. They were mighty tidy
looking affairs both of the dresses. One
of them was little more elaborate as to
the bottom of the skirt than the other. but
they were both distinctly handsome and
stylish. and. being samples, they were
marked at a sacrifice figure.
Oddly enough Mrs. Gethunk and Mrs.
I1OWSaU, neXt-UOOr nelSnDOTS anu perfect
loves of enemies, contrived to make dead
heat of it in getting into the department
store after those gowns.
They both wanted the one with the more
elaborate trimming around the bottom of
the skirt
The wrangle waged pretty fiercely, but
as Mrs. Howsad had crossed the wire, as it
were, just fraction of second ahead of
Mrs. Gethunk, and had consequently got
her hands on the most-desired frock just
little before Mrs. Gethunk had a chance
to make a grab for it, the saleswoman rath-
er fathered Mrs Howsad's end of the con-
tention
| So did the manager of the floor when he
Was called to arbitrate the question.
So Mrs Howsad got the Slightly more de-
sirable Gown, although as matter of fact
Doth OF the dresses were so much alike
that they could scarcely be told apart on
cnrSory examination.
Mrs. Gethunk must have framed her lit
tie scheme up then and there, for she took
the other pilue dress.
But she didn't wear it. She watched for
Mrs. Howsad to emerge with hers. and she
was bound to confess to herself when Mrs.
HoWSad did appear with her Paris model
piaue that she looked mighty stunning in il.
On the following Saturday morning Mrs.
Gethunk, from her kitchen window. heard
Mrs. Howsad. who was in her back yard,
attending to her flower beds, tell the young
woman in the next yard that she intended
going to the White Lot that evening to
listen to the Marine Band concert.
When Mrs. Gethunk heard this her eyes
sparkled.
1T will cost me .s15, the price of the
dress. one can imagine her murmuring to
herself, but it will be worth the money"
Lily she said aloud to her likely look
ing yellow maid servant I've bought a
nice new pique dress for you. and ] want
you to wear it to the White Lot concert this
evening"
Lily executed the appropriate grin of de-
light, which changed to ecstacy when Mrs.
Gethunk brought the unworn dress down
stairs and handed it over to the servant.
Lily Slipped up to her room and tried the
dress on, and it fitted her to T.
Your beau has half a day off on Satur-
day ha sn't he?' inquired Mrs. Gethunk of
the colored girl, and the reply was In the
affirmative. Lily's beau. as Mrs. Gethunk
knew, was notwithstanding young yell
low individual who drove a doctors buggy
and who arrayed himself like a cake
walker during his leisure hours.
well. get him to take you to the White
Lot concert, then" suggested Mrs. Gethunk,
and Lily hustled out to nail the young col
ored person to the appointment.
That afternoon Mrs. Gethunk helped to
tog Lily out. She even fixed the flowing
green veil around Lily's hat. for she knew
that Mrs. Howsad was addicted to the
green veil habit, and would wear hers to
the concert.
1t went through magnficently. and just
as Mrs. Gethunk had arranged It.
Mrs. Gethunk very neatly cad was on
the White lot, with her husband, waiting
for Mrs. Howsad to the drsky Lily in
a makeup identical with her own. She saw
the meeting between the two. Except for
their difference in color 1t might have been
thought that Mrs. Howsad and Lily had
dressed to be taken for twins.
Everybody saw it. and of course every
body grinned over it and chuckled over it.
AS soon as Mrs. Howsad came fun tilt into
the grinning Lily she flushed many tints of
scarlet. and raced off the lawn for a car
She hasn't worn her pique model dress
since, but Lily is more than reveling in
hers
Mr. Gethunk and Mr. Howsad have taken
to glaring at each other nowadays when
they pass each other the street and
those who are familiar with the status of
the Gethunk- Howsad feminine vendetta
fearing that there may be something doing
bet ween the men folks unless something
happens to relax the strain pretty soon.