Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1902-03-01
A PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENT.

A PREVIOUS ENGAGEMENT.
"a London drawing room during bad
quarter of an hour, which is stretching
out to half, before dinner)
Miss Gordon--I feel as though l had
been born here. You were late enough,
goodness knows.
Mrs. Philpotts- Yes I look upon punc-
tuality as the thief of time.
Miss Gordon-But this missing link is
unforgivable. 1t is a man, too.
Mrs. Philpotts-Wi be, to be Darwin
ian, dear.
(fEnter hurriedly Richard Fenwick,
bubblng with apologes.)
Miss GordOn-Good gra cious!
DINNER is announced. Eenwick is
guided by the hostess fan in the dGrec-
ton of the two women)
Miss Gordon-Heaven grant it may be
you.
to the same effect. But why yours?
Miss Gordon Because l refused him
yesterday.
Mrs. Philpotts- You-Oh, my prophetic
sOqIl, the dean!
The Dean (nctuously to Mrs Phil
potts. Offering his arm)-Iife has many
consultations, Mrs. Phipotts.
Mrs. Philpotts (purposely misunder-
standing himl-f hope that iced soutIle
will be one of them.
Fenu~ick Ito Miss Gordon)-Im awful
ly sorry.
Miss Gordon with an air of sweet seri-
BUSINESS suitable to his hard case--I know
| am your misfortune, and not your fault.
Fenwick perfectly cheerfuD -lsn't it
curious thing? Ii you take particular
care to avoid any one person, you are
bound to meet him or her twice as often
as anybody else. If you descend into
carriage on the underground, he is there.
Ii you climb up to the top of Pooocate-
pctl he is there Miss Gordon comes
to the conclusion that it is bad taste to
use Scriptura phraseology when you are
talking nonscnSe1 Ii you avoid him by
yachting cruise, he comes on deck
as soon as the anchors weighed. The
fact is, fortune doesn't shuttle her cards
properly.
Miss Gorden (who is, somehow. not
quite pleased with the way he has put
things, coldlyl-Fortune has. indeed,
dealt your hand badly for you tonight.
Fenwick-Never mind. | promise to
devote myself entirely TO my off-side
neighbor. | wonder who it is to be-oh
with undisguised pleasure), it is, appar-
emily, Rosie Boycott.
Miss Gordon Ga casual glance has
shown her that Roses hair is done in Il
particularly becoming manner, which she
makes up her mind to regard as bar
maidish'' isn't that rather going to eX-
tremes?
Fenwick (cagerly)-May talk to you?
That is Jolly. | love talking to you.
You're so sensible.
Miss Gordon-Oh, (sotto vocel-Isn't
Miss Boycott sensible?
Fenwick apparently ignoring the ques
toni believe men always make love
to 4 certain sort of girl because they
know that she won't understand in the
least any other subject of conversation
they might bring up.
Miss Gordon thinking that the obvious
Interpretation of his sentence is that il
he does talk to Rosie Boycott he will
make love to her, and, looking upon it as,
under the circumstances, insulting, she is
not gracious. Besides, there is an indie
hnable something about sensible which
suggests q lack of proper idoatryl-May
| ask why you think me sensible!
Feuwicls-Oh. there are any number
of reasons Why, yesterday don't mind
my hurting on an awkward SUBJECT
am sure that You had awfully good rea~
sons 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 Rosie's white shout
ders are shaking with laughter, that
Fenwicks back is broad and well fitted,
and that his neat head is bent in the
most interested manner in Miss Rosie 5
direction. Her glimpses leave hel
vaguely wondering whether it is posi-
Bile that he does not greatly care.
Fenwick Qeaying n laugh behind hin
and returning to the sensible" themel-
! would always take your opinion about
anything. | think you would make nj
your mind about thing and stick to il
you know, | shan't forget that you tol'
me yesterday that you would always TAX
sort Of interest in me. and | shall
come and bother you whenever | sc
into a middle or anything | shan
mind telling you all about it. and knoN
you'll give me good advice
Miss Gordon mot thoroughly please
by this ready adoption of the hrothe
and sister relation and the prospect {
poss ',-o condolences, would be silen
but the fact that Miss Rosie is unocel
pied on his other side prompts her !
say somcthingl-Nhy were YOU SO late
There would have been thirteen II W
had not come.
Fenwick- Usual excuse. Cab her'
fell down. 1t wasn't original, but II WI
true.
Miss Gordon-Were you hurt?
Fenwick-0h, no.
Miss Gordon-Theu why do you ke'
your left hand under the table?
Fenwick-My wrist did not heha
properly in an encounter with the
phalt and the chemist has made an Il
tidy job Of IT,
Miss Gordon-Then you are hurt?