Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-03

neNed conscience; Joe would be furious
but he would have plenty of time to get
over 1t before ! arrived home again
We reached Omaha in the morning.
crowd of blue-ribbon-badged women were
on the platform to meet and welcome us.
and IN short time we had been escorted
to the Grand Blank and assigned to our
rooms In breezy, off-hand fashion that
put us, every one, at our ease.
A great modern hotel given over TO
women-have you ever seen II? Hundreds
OF up-to-date, mddle-aged women in soft,
swishing silks, everywhere; the tradition
that 1t is not meet for ladies to stand in
the hotel Office, sit in window seats or
hang about news stands and telegraph Of
fees set aside for the nonce. and a soft rush
of femininty in corridors and reading
rooms and Railways, until the few home
less men who are dependent on the hotel
are fam to hide in farthest smoking rooms
and out-of-the-way corners For once we
felt the freedom Of our better halves and
reJoiced as les nouvelles femmes. We WIS.,
tied from room to room swarmed from ia
BILE to table in the dining room and sat
consciously together on the seats CO the
main office. The occasional man looked
upon us with pardonable curiosity, temper
ed with meekness born of his minority,
while we calmly ignored his presence-at
least, apparently.
That this TO be no common Biennial
became evident the very first night, even
before we gathered for an informal recep-
ton. For in whispers the news was spread
that, in careless moment, the membership
of colored women, and two handsome and
well-educated quadroons had appeared on
the scene as delegates. From Utah, too,
had come the fourth wife of a Mormon
elder, claiming her seat on the floor. The
credential committee was quaking with
anxiety, and the executive board was non
committaL scene was imminent, for II
was rumored that the three unwelcome
ones were bound I'm solemn compact to OBJ
tain and hold their rights.
The parlors at the Grand Blank that first
evening We're overcrowded with handsome
women, and the display of beautiful even
ing gowns rendered the scene like a great
parterre of gorgeous flowers. Melodic
strains of music fioated above the hum of
feminine voices, and from the corridors one
could see the club leaders Hitting from
group to group of reception committees and
hostesses, all apparently absorbed in the
pleasures Of the moment. But under all the
gayety was the undercurrent of excitement.
What shall be done? The south will go
out if the colored women stay; the eastern
and many of the western delegates Will
withdraw if the Utah delegate is accepted.
Which way will it turn?" were the ques-
lions uppermost in the mind of every
woman present.
Late in the evening 1 was astonished by
a familiar voice. Turning 1 beheld Minnie
Morrison in festive attire.
Didn't expect to see me of all people, did
your she laughed. We'll, at the first sign
of trouble L was dispatched in a hurry.
Hardly had time to get my other gown
BLESS you, my dear?" 1 cried How
could you have known off there in Chicago
of anything that threatened trouble? It's
hardly leaked out here"
"Ho!' she scoffed. Don't you think the
newspapers don't know of these things the
minute they happen. And nothing wakes
newspaper up like the prospect of tight
among a lot of women delegates. Men may
quarrel and fight and bark, and bite IL
they want to; that is an old story. But the
minute there is the slightest disagreement
in woman's club there is food for a spicy
scoop. And when it comes to a row in the
great and eminently respectable National
Federation, why, then, the newspapers be-
gin to hustle for sensation / am the
first regular newspaper correspondent from
Chicago to reach Omaha. And must have
some sort of a story tonight for the morn
ing paper-see? And l depend on you to
give 1t to me-"
But 1 really know nothing."I protested.
IT'S all In the air. There is nothing tangi-
BILE to make a newspaper story of"
AS II 1t were necessary to have any
thing tangible she retorted. Where
would have been had / always sat down
and waited for things to be cut and dried
before | wrote my screed? Bless me, no.
Come. tell me all you know, like good
lady"
/ was about to refuse when 1 caught
peculiar light in her keen eye. 1 remem-
that was in her power Without further
parley, / drew her Into curtained recess
and repeated all the gossip had heard
during the day.
ITS only gossip, understand" conclud-
ed. 1.-The executive board simply laid the
whole matter on the table and does not in
tend to take 1t off again. l am told. Moth
ing whatever of an authoritative nature
will not give me away"
"Oh, you may depend on that" she re-
piled good-naturedly. One doesn't sacri-
flee ones friends. you know"
"ITnleSc II ba for ones interest " IL
thought, for l was slowly learning wisdom.
But / smiled sweetly and bade her good
night as she hurried off to the telegraph
office.
There was a hustle of excitement when
! appeared in the dining room next day.
Every woman held certain Chicago paper
in her hands and was discussing the article
under flaming headlines on the front page.
For Minnie Morrison had made much of
her scoop and done credit to her idea OF
what the modern newspaper reporter
should accomplish under given conditions.
what do you think of that?" asked Mrs.
Parsons, as l seated myself at her table and
opened my paper.
II haven't read 1t yet 1 answered. with
an unconscious air of innocence.
Then you are behind every delegate in
the room,'' was the reply. Without an
swering / glanced rapidly down the page.
Every word / had uttered the night before.
with embellishments and cancellations. was
set forth in glowing shape, assuming the
versimilitude of the truth in printed form.
How in the world did that Morrison girl
ever get hold of it ALP" queried Mrs. Par
sons, looking keenly at me. And Mrs.
quincy Palgrave, who had come along
merely as a visitor, saved the situation by
responding:
Trust those newspaper women for find
ing out things! Why, she came straight to
me from the train and declared she must
know all about it at once or lose her stu
alton"
"And you told her?" asked Mrs. Parsons
in a tense voice.
mo, indeed" said Mrs. Palgrave. 81 said
there was really nothing to tell, and adj
yised her to wait until today" And, rising.
she excused herself, saying she had an en-
gagement at $50
s'I'll wager a hat she did tell all she had
heard" muttered Mrs. Parsons. THAT
woman never could hold her togue-
But held mine.
lTn he continued Monday