The leader., 1902-12-17
SHE HAD A HooDoo.
Had Taken Lessons In Whist, Bat
There Was No Chance for Her
town.

Hypatia shook her head YEARLY
and sighed, relates the Chicago Daily
News.
women are SO queer" she said at
last.
where have / heard that before?"
asked her brother, wrinkling his fore
head. SIT sounds familiar"
81 went to the Whist club for the
first time yesterday afternoon" Hy-
patia vert on, ignoring him. 81 was
a little shaky about joining, for I'm
not particularly up on whist, and I
know it makes good players so mad
to have novice spoil game. didn't
want them to dislike me. You
may not know it, but / took ten les
sons in whist before the club meet
ing, and / memorized rules and things
till I'd wake up in the night dream
ing | was waving a brakeman's red lam
tern in the face of my partner and
shrieking at her that | was signaling
for trumps.
II went around on street cars and
trains muttering the proper leads till
people took me for q lunatic. l was
resolved to conduct myself at that
first meeting in way to reflect
glory on myself, and convince them 1
knew all about it. When l entered
Mrs. Warnings house I felt just the
way | used to at school when exam
ination day came around. When the
hall T,on found 1Olo
locked up my lips and resolved that
the regulation silence of whist, about
to fall on us, should not be broken
by me. | waited for it to begin, but
everyone talked louder than ever. My
partner was a fluffy creature with
blonde hair and fetching smile.
You'll have to help me out she said
to me, coyly, L never played whist be-
FORE
This rather staggered me-" said
Hypatia, 'and | expected our op-
ponents would glare and throw
down their cards. One wore white
gown, the other black. The white
grabbed it up in a hurry. %, dear
me, it wasn't my lead, was it p she
asked, and then giggled nervously.
Mime said her partner in black,
throwing an ace. The lady in white
promptly trumped it and drew in the
trick gleefully. we've got them,
anyhow, haven't we?' she asked, joy
ously. You trumped my ace,' glow
cred her partner. But L took the
trick, so what is the ditference?' in
CURED the one in white, in an injured
tone. The fluffy girl was sitting with
adorably wrinkled brows. DO you al
ways have trump?' she asked. And
what is it?'
The lady in white began explain
ing to her and the lady in black be-
gan dealing. | got ten cards and the
others had anywhere from nine to Is.
We decided it would be difficult to
play that way, and called for a new
deal. | reached for the pack, but the
lady in black held on to it strenuous
ly. You've lost your DEAL l told her,
politely. %, MOI she demonstrated
with a hint of temper, L just made a
misdeal! I'm going to deal over again,
SO it'll be all right Your deal comes
next, you know The others seemed
to think this explanation satisfac-
toriIy, so | submitted. Between
their methods and my memorized
rules l was a trifie bewillered. l
signaled for trumps to be played till
l was black in the face, but my fluffy
partner just sat smiling like an angel
and playing anything that came
handy.
1--WE changed partners when the bell
rang and | got severe lady with
spectacles. She played like sheet
lightning, and said: of course. Why,
don't you see?' when anyone inquired
why she was taking that trick-she
took all she could get her fingers on
first-and as nobody dared say she
couldn't sec, and thus exhibit her ig-
norance, the severe lady and | won.
But every last one kept up running
fire of talk.
Il played on in a dazed and hopeless
fashion, but when we counted scores
the hostess found the severe lady in
spectacles and L had tied. We had to
cut for the prize. Everyone gathered
round. l cut high, the severe lady
low The hostess handed me fas-
cinating-looking box, and 1 had, just
begun to open it when some one cried
out that we had not said before cut
ting whether high or low was to
win.
"The severe lady spoke up like a
flash. why, low always gets it, she
said, and reached over for the box. 1
hadn't any nerve, and meekly handed
it over. And she never even said
thank you. And it was the dearest
white lace boa you ever saw. 1t will
look as appropriate on her as Leg
horn hat with roses would on hip
popotamus.''
"Never mind" said her brother,
'you can grab next time!"
nT1c nH r0roruor rnnD