Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1904-12-01
HER STUDIES.

Bne KNOWS rTcncu-pno Cui ech W
what we want"
The young person named Belle way-
ed away the menu card hastily and
firmly. ,"You must excuse me-" sha
said. II refuse to read anything but
English. I've abandoned French. I'd
refuse to recognize French verb Il !
met II face to face. and as for q noun.
+ cut It dead. Having wrecked my life.
I'm doing what can now to repair the
damage"
my sracious!" cried the short Erl.
~ guess we'd better order some ice
cream soda and let It go at that Why.
you were so enthusiastic when you
started in to study i'll"
Mere pitiful ignorance of what was
before me-" said Belle. Before got
into It led a happy, trustful life. and
now-well, to illustrate: Our family
has always been fond of certain
toilet water made by French firm.
It had a whole lot of French pasted on
the back, but nobody paid any atten-
ton to 1t. Amid the decorations on
the front 'Extrait vegetal de lilas
doomed comfortingly, and of course
that was easy-it meant vegetable ex
tract of lilac. don't know who OF US
discovered it, but 1t has stood on our
dressing tables since l can re-
member. We've rubbed 1t on our hands
and faces and rejoiced in its cooling
fragrance, and held ourselves Taught.
lily superior to ordinary unimaglnative
mortals who have gone on buying
toilet water because every one else did.
We were very condescending about our
lilac perfume.
"And then, one day as I was dress
ing, my eye was caught by q new word
on the bottle found myself staring
at 'cheveux.' Now, that is the French
for hair. 1t dawned on me 1t was rath-
or queer. ] grabbed up the bottle, the
long trusted standby Of our family. l
found another queer word for a per-
fume bottle. 1t meant eggs. Then l
dropped my comb, got my French die
tionary and went to work. My dears.
the stuff we in our confiding simplicity
had been using as perfume for years
was nothing less than hair tonic to
be used in connection with an egg
shampoo! You can fancy the blow 1t
was to the whole family, and all be-
cause had taken up French. Other
wise we might still be happy with our
beloved lilac instead Of having to join
the violet water brigade"
Eyes," said the girl with the blue
eyes, but IL 1t pleased you l don't see
what real difference 1t made"
-You can't use hair tonic on your
face" snapped the young woman call
ed Belle. ITO be sure, 1t had never
sad the slightest effect in all these
years, but we didn't like the idea.
There were other establishments, too.
CT course, as soon as began studying
| tried to translate every bit of French
I came across. l was in restaurant
with a party-Harry Griffith was my
sscort-for an after-theater supper.
1.-THE rest were ordering lobster and
salad and things like that, but on the
menu came across 'pommes de terre,'
which, translated. means apples of the
EARTH exclaimed over its being SO
poetic and declared I should have moth
ing but pommes de terre. Harry said
I'd better have something else, too, but
declined. They might eat lobster. but
should revsl in this strange new
fruit. So the waiter brought me pom.
mes de terre. What do you suppose
they were! Potatoes!"
what on earth did you dol" chorus
ed her friends.
"Ate en-" she said briefly. I said
the doctor had put me on q vegetable
diet and that, anyhow, potatoes were
my favorite fruit. You don't suppose
was going to let Harry Grifith think
didn't know what was talking about.
do you? He has always had the
greatest admiration for my intellectual
ability and l wouldn't for the world
unAecelVe him" e.
Were cruelest always to those We
love. Strange. isn't it?" remarked the
curly-haired girl. innocently. Go on,
dear"
THE worst is to come Harry was
30 interested in my studies and was al.
ways inquiring how I was getting
4 a. .