The San Francisco call., 1903-12-13

men and army people. I'm the original
black sheep of the family. And 1 don't
know what druv me to itl2'
May l ask If you are related to
Joe Redding, the Bohemian Club
MANI"
Cousin" replied Miss Redding. I'm
of the Eastern, he of the Western
branch of the family. I've another
lawyer cousin, who is the great white
mandarin at Mindanao, appointed by
the real Sultan of Sulu-not George
Ades!"
'Will you tell me a little about that
Professional Woman's League you
spoke of a while ago?"
Its the grandest organization of in
dependent women in the whole world,p
she replied, positively bristling with en-
thusiasm. 1--WE have 500 members, in
cluding those of every known profess
sion for women. There are sculptors,
artists, musicians, writer's, architects
there's even a woman who designs
boilers The rest are associate men,
bers, women of wealth in sympathy
with the working women of the club.
We have a five-story brownstone club
house, right in the best part of town,
and a library of 5000 volumes"
Does one stay there?"
That is not the intention. But there
are nine rooms that are rented out to
members. 1t is intended for a place to
stay overnight, to drop in during the
day There is fine restaurant in con-
nection. and everything is at merely
nominal cost. They do all sorts of
things. For example, any member in
good standing may go on Fridays and
borrow from $25 to $125 on any kind of
security, from vault in the cemetery
to bank stock at only nominal inter-
est. And a note is never urged.
Nor dishonored."
Never" Miss Redding confirmed.
"Then every afternoon there is tea
from to o'clotk. Everybody speaks
to everybody else. It's entirely demo-
cratic. And we have there lectures apd
talks and entertainments from the best
artists Of all kinds"
''The club is not political, suffrage
and the rest?"
"O-oh, Never heard the word. And
then we never lose our members until
they're married. Yes, this is the wo-
mans age"
The artist asked here If the actress
had a full face photograph within
reach. She handed one to him taken
from a portrait of herself by Chartran
with the comment: '"The only one /
have. What do you think Of this? A
man wrote to me not long ago asking
for my photograph to be run with some
famous American actresses. But 1T was
to be a full face. hadn't one and
told him so. 1 was sorry hadn't after
ward. What do you suppose he wanted
with il? He was writing a paper to
prove that unmarried actresses all had
turned-down mouthsl He had Viola
Allen, Ada Rehan, Maude Adams and
several others"
You would have been the distin-
guished exception" / laughed. and
looked critically at the small, full Red
ding lips, dimpling upward at the cor
ners.
'The ideal" and Miss Redding Joined
in the laugh. And you know I'm very
proud to be a blissful old maid
You don't look blighted."
"As for being a woman and marrying
just to wear ring on this" she jab-
bed her plump third finger as she
spoke, there isn't enough in it,"
Still"
"Oh, yes, I'm still looking for the
ideal. One begins that way at 1S-with
a soulful-haired dummy that you'd
drown afterward, Then there's a fresh
crop every year.
But why should you-not ideal-de-
mand the ideal?' / impertinently ask.
Il don't. only demand my IDEAL