The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1902-01-15
POLICY vs.. PRINCIPLE

Ue S.&kA., lot Sp1nSCer& OF Arts q, sat by ner
study fire reading letter from lately
married friend
SO, Ria, darling" the epistle ran, if you
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 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 characterization you will need
when you and Fred are one
Egeria paused, frowning over this last
sentence. Minnie Warburton was just
fiufy-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 WON
an IN the world, she had detected discon.
certing little twinkle in her friends eye
Egerla was not bit of prig really, but
she was suffering from transitory attack OF
mental dyspepsia, due to the heterogeneous
mass of facts and theories which she had
lmblbed during her researches after lknowl-
edge and the hollow mockery of varsity
degree but hardly assimilated Moreover,
quite special cause was assisting to throw
her into a chaotic condition. She had just
quarreled (for the hundred and first time)
with her f1ance-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.
III co. she said, wrathfully. eff only
to avoid Fred. The idea of his debating to
me. 1t IS a monstrous notion
well, Ria, darling, so you've come to
take your first lesson III feminine diplomacy,
sometimes called tact and sometimes dis
sembling," said pretty little Mrs. Warburton
some36 hours later, as the two friends sat to-
gether in the draWng-room of Mossdale
cottage in the soft twilight, waiting for Min
MES husband to join them over coffee.
You've come at lucky time, for ! have
just got an invitation to the Fitzgeralds'
ball, and I'm dying to go. You must mar
rowly watch how [ 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, II hope you didn't think me
rude at dinner-of course I'm a guest, and
suppose should enuncate no alien views, but
| 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 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, shoddy-made, titled nobodies,
as he was pleased to call them, on the folly
Of sensible people leaving their comfortable
6resides Minnie glanced innocently at the
palm-hlled CRATE and the open 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 II give in about
the wine-I never drank it, and shouldn't
AIDS ices are above reproach. simply love
ices, she concluded, sadly.
"Just Like woman! And to eat six
penny ice you'd run up bill of 60 guineas
at Picot's for fal-Ials,'' Jack remarked,
more benignly, pleased with himself for his
cathing sarcasm.
Ten guineas, dearest" Minnie quickly
answered. / never exceed that for d gown.
Economy is my one virtue. And, by the
same token, here is the last bill; | hadn't
money to pay it.
Two evenings later the three were again
seated together. Mrs Warburton, busy
over tangle Of embroidery silks, looked up
with a sign.
Z 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. Y GU WON
N always want a man to get you out of a
mess.
You are a dear, said Minnie, effusively.
'.Y GU wind while hold and she handed
him card. It was the invitation from
served the fact.
Minnie he exclaimed, "you never an
swered this invitation? -
les, dear, I wrote an answer" his wife
very quietly and sWeetly replied
What did you say 2,
Oh, ] refused, OF course
Jacklooked decidedly taken aback
You ought to have spoken to me first, 2
he began, In agitation. can't afford to
offend the Fitzgera1ds just now. Hemight
injure me in half dozen ways. I explained
all That to you the othe, night. Really, Min
ME, you might exercise more tact. Z
IN very sorry, dear, z said Mrs. Warbur-
ton, meekly- understood you to imply
you didn't want to go. 2
No more do; but one must sacrifice
one self sometimes. And now You We made
if impossible ="
Here, mind the silk =
hat are You after now? You can t ask
for the invitation to be renewed, Isupp 2"
he inquired, sarcastically
No, dearest. 8 said Mrs. Warburton, who
had hastily risen from behind the fan of