Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-14
Chapter XIX.

Chapter XIX.
A fortnight after the call from the shoe
manufacturer the box of fine footwear ar
| rived-and such boots as they were! There
| were walking boots, house boots, dress
| boots, slippers, Oxfords, and all of the most
beautiful execution. ! was somewhat taken
| aback by the lavishness of the gift, and
| fastened to write note of thanks, init
| mating at the same time that expected to
| receive bill for them, the gift being or
| such munifcence. But by return mail came
| disclaimer of any thought or payment,
and a request that should wear and enjoy
| the shoes with no other Idea than that l
! was to suggest wherein their product could
| be improved. l found them Of such excel
| lent quality and perfect fit that soon gave
up wearing any others. l had become so
| well accustomed to them, indeed, that l
| had ceased to think of my pedal extremi-
| ties, when some two months later another
| letter came from the manufacturer. He
| begged my pardon for again writing to me,
| but trusted that by this time had come to
entertain a friendly regard for him, through
| the foot comfort which. he trusted, the
shoes had brought me. IT, however. they
| had proved disappointing In any particular,
| or If had any improvement to suggest, ne
! would take it as personal favor to him
| self If 1 would be kind enough to drop him
| a line and tell him SO; and he was very sim
cerely mine.
| Altogether. 1t was courteous note, and
| called for an equally courteous reply. And
I sat down at my handsome new inia1d
| desk and wrote him that / was delighted
with the shoes, that had found them the
| perfect embodiment of foot comfort ana
| that I did not see how they could be i'm
proved. AS had been plenttfully supplied
| with the club stationery, and had already
dropped into the habit of using it for all
| my correspondence, I used it for this letter,
MI a fbnnpbf of ooSaihl0 cOmDlfca tiOng.
To this came prompt answer.
I'VE have received your very kind letter
| of yesterday" 1t said, land hasten to eX-
| press our cordial appreciation Of your kind
| ly sentiments. 1t is the intelligent opinion
| Of such well-infOrmed women as you that
we are catering to. And In view of the
fact that you have so unqualif1edly APPROX
| ed of our footwear, 1 am sure you will be
pleased that we have paid your club the
compliment of naming the shoe for It. For.
| like the club, We expect the better class OF
| the people to give good heed to Its many
| good points. Again congratulating you on
| being al the head Of the finest club In Chi
cago, and approaching the fact that you are
| capable of compromising the best, where
ever you find it, am very sincerely yours,
| etc.
For a moment was appalled,. How could
they dare? What would the club say? Still,
it was a good shoe, and we had no exclusive
right to the name. But sent an immediate
reply
letter of today, and to say that 1 wholly APP
preciate your honorable intention Of pay
ing compliment in naming your most
excellent shoe after the Nota Bene CLUB,
which certainly does stand for every good
thing in the community. At the same time,
1 must beg your patient delay for little.
Indeed, would it not be better to choose an
other name? Ours Is a very conservative
club, and 1 would rather you waited, at
least until 1 can place the matter before
our executive board for their consideration.
1 trust you will grant me this favor, and
am most truly yours"
But l was too late. That very evening
there were advertisements in all the evening
papers of the "Nota Bene Shoes, all on
front pages and in prominent positions
1t mattered not that the next morning
brief note came from the manufacturers,
regretting that 1 felt any need for delay,
| and that they were no longer In position
to grant me the favor l so grac1ously
asked; but as l had doubtless noticed by
| the time this letter reached me, they had
placed their advertising matter with all the
daily papers and any change at this time
would be disastrous to their interests. And
again they We're very sincerely mine.
1 will not attempt to describe the furry
of excitement that shook the club to its
! foundations. It seemed as If every woman
| in Chicago had read the advertisement of
the Nota Bene shoe. Some considered 1t a
| compliment to the club, more realized that,
| after all, the name was public property, and
| still more-or, at least, so it seemed to me-
| furiously insisted that their valued club
name was being dragged in the dust. AS
| there were no punsters among US, this last
statement was received with great solem-
| nifty. Ny telephone bell rang, it seemed to
I me, every two minutes for a week. Even
Mrs Parsons failed to comfort me.
They are getting up a petition for spe-
| cial meeting to consider this NATTER she
| told me one morning. When 1t comes, for
| heavens sake call a meeting of the execu-
| tive board. l will stand by you, but I wish
| you had told me what was going on before
| this So did 1, but 1 did not propose to
! own it; was / never to act independently of
her?
The petition came and there was no al
| tentative l appointed a special meeting of
| the club, first calling the executive board
| together for a conference several days be-
forehand.
AS look back upon 1t now, the whole af-
| fair seems ridiculous, but then it was most
serious The board meeting was held at Mrs
] Parsons house, it being ineXpedient for OBJ
vious reasons to have it at mine, or at a
! public hall or hotel. Every member was
| present, and the study of their various
| facial expressions would have been interest
| ing to an unprecedented observer of human
| nature-tIfe Count de Beauvais, for instance.
| Perplexity, injured dignity, disgust, anger
| and even malicious triumph were visible
| and in a few cases liberation and good
| natured amusement.
When the meeting was fairly open. 1t
| was Mrs. Parsons who asked the privilege
of putting the matter before the board.
| Doubtless, no one present need be told
| that we have come together to take action
with regard to the advertising of a shoe
| which has been named for the Nota Bene
Club" she began. while no member OF
| the board can more deeply -deplore the
existing state of things than l, at the same
| time wish to impress upon you all the i'm
| portance Of our going deliberately about
| what we wish to do. We must not an
| tagonize the firm who are doing this most
| offensive advertising, and we must prevail
| upon them to change the name of their
| shoe 1t seems to me We have very dell
| cate problem on our hands"
| zone we cannot be too quick to under
| take" interrupted one of the vice presi-
| dents. (There were five.) II think as
an executive board we have a right to de-
mand the particulars-the beginnings OF
| this very extraordinary situation. Who
| ever is responsible should be called to ex-
! plain the affair"
with full apologies" put in one Of the
! secretaries.
I "Will the person who has brought this
| upon the club come forward and state her
| case?" broke in Mrs. Quincy Palgrave. abb
| ruptly. 1 looked at Mrs Parsons and she
| nodded her head.
| 'WiIl Mrs. Parsons kindly take the
chair?' rose with dignity to the occasion.
| THANK you. Now, ladies, 1 am the guilty
| party. / grieve to say that have. though
| most unwittingly, brought this calamity on
our heads. But I need not tell you how
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