The Indianapolis journal., 1904-04-24
Local Stories that Tell Of
the Peculiarities Of Women
An Observing of Former Days
Repents Her Curiosity lnqus-
tive Puts a Young Woman Quick Flight

lunch IL she would let me- You don't sup
pose I'm so out OF date as TO do thing that
nobody else does, do YOU?
She loves children and her devotion TO
them is always made obvious. There are
those who insinuate that IL is a little too
obvious to be quite true. and that her atti-
tude toward babies and other small fry Is
simply a pose which she fancies is particu-
larly effective. Whatever is the real truth.
however. the fact is, that thrown into the
society of a child, she will frequently neg
lect the grown-ups who happen TO be also
of the party.
She has been less marked in her attention
to children IN general, and small girls In
particular, however, since last summer
She has found that effective pose
may have its awkward compliments The
| occasion of her enlightenment was picnic
| at which the party was of a semi-family
variety and included persons of both sexes
| and all ages. Small Leonora, who is known
| 10 the initiated something Of an enfant
| Heroine picked her out as the object or
| special attention. Seated the curbstone
between Leonora and man whom she had
| never met before. Miss Heroine, as was her
| custom, kept up a brisk and engrossing
| conversation with Leonora, which was yet
not too engrossing as TO utterly exclude the
man, who was too good-looking to be en-
| tirely neglected.
| In one of the pauses which Miss Heroine
| devoted TO the man, Leonora's small. sharp
| wits suggested a wonderment and she
| craved for immediate knowledge. She moved
| nearer to Miss Heroine and leaned both ell
| bows on her knees. while she looked up into
| the young woman's face soulfully. Miss
| Heroine was delighted with the mark OF af-
| fection. Dear little thing" she murmured
| softly, stroking Leonora's curls.
| little boys?"
| Miss Heroine blushed a rich resplendent
red, but she rose bravely to the occasion.
| mo, I haven't any little boys, she re-
| piled calmly and distinctly.
| 'Well-have you got any little girlsy'
| ventured Leonora hopefully.
No; 1 haven't any little girls" replied
Miss Heroine. with the tone of one who re-
| peats a lesson learned by rote.
'Oh, my-haven't you got any little ba-
bies at all?" demanded Leonora. with a
| deep shade of establishment in her tone.
Miss Heroine stuck to her flags. mo. L
haven't any little babies at all" she re-
| turned steadily.
state of things. This was a grown-up. like
| mother: she wore long skirts and did }s<as>-
hair up on top of her head: and yet. ''Oh
my-my goodness-dQ you live all alone?''
ended Leonora in tone OF deepest commits
Grafton.
Don't you think it's time for the car TO
Gomez asked Miss Heroine. desperately. OF
the man, and he rose and walked out 10 the
track TO see IL there were any car in sight.
self that there was none but it need not
have taken him so long, for IL took only an
instant, for Miss Heroine to disperse herself
| into the midst of the group on the sidewalk.
leaving only inQuisitive Leonora alone to
greet the man on his return TO the curb
stone.
Lovely Easter wasn't it?" said Mrs.
smythe 10 Mrs Jones, over her ice one
afternoon last week.
II don't know-was it?' said Mrs. Jones.
| alphabetically.
"Why, my dear, of course IL was I
don't remember ever TO have seen love
lier> one. The sun shone so beautifully
and it wasn't so very cold. and then
service was perfectly beautiful. Did
you have nice service at your church?'
Il don't know" said Mrs. Jones again.
why. my dear you surely went TO serv-
ice on Easter day? ] wouldn't miss il for
ANYTHING in the world"
| Yes, / went" said Mrs. Jones. but L
don't know what kind of a service it was.
l didn't listen"
We'll, whatever did you go for?' said
Mrs. Smythe. in that scandalized tone
which only the righteous can use. 81 always
supposed you were the very soul of devout-
ness, and surely you didn't go just to see
the hats and the fiowers?"
mo. l didn't. and didn't see any more
! than heard. either" said Mrs. Jones. II
Easter and blankuess as synonymous
| Don't look so shocked. You see il was
; like this. / dressed all up I'm my best bib
and tucker, but when i came 10 shoes
discovered that besides half-shoes / had
only very worn. discouraged-looking ones.
> 1 didn't dare risk the half-shoes. so / put
, on the most respectable-looking high ones
possessed, pinned on my violet hat and
tucked the big bunch of violets that John
, riby cranky about shoes and he caught
sight of the ones i had on. Those shoes
look pretty rusty, Mary II you haven't
any better ones. you would better put a lit
tie polish on those, he said.
Like an obedient wife, / trotted off TO
5 the bathroom and looked up my polish. L
] found that had used the last drop OF my
own the day before. and the only thing left
in the way OF polish was a bottle OF cheap
off 10 school and which had never been
| opened. i settled myself down, proceeded
to open the bottle and polish my Shoes
Well. almost choked before i was
I | through. That stuff smelled like concen-
, trated essence Of fresh paint and strong
D varnish. with an extra odor thrown in But
e 1 stuck to it manfuIly, and when L was
D | through / opened the windows and stood
! | over the register TO dry the stun. Then
John and | started of 10 church.
S John didn't sit with me. Mrs. Robin
| | son insisted / should come up front with
of his Sunday-school boys For about hf-
j teen minutes | enjoyed the lovely flowers
r and the beautiful music and was feeling
!, so good and uplfted. when all OF a sudden
S | a dreadful odor foated up 10 me- In a sec
g ond realized that my feet had got warmed
up and the dreadful polish had gone to
D work again. The scent OF IL simply curled
S my face up and presently Mrs Robinson
Y leaned over and whispered TO me: There's
p the most terrible odor In here-Im afraid
g m going 10 faint simply held my
G ! breath-what there was left OF it-and I
: tucked my feet up under my skirt and held
| them still as could 10 keep that
G | terrible odor inactive as possible But
h | I'm not wooden and had TO move my feet
h | once in a while and after time Mrs. Rob-
z | inson leaned over again. i simply can't
r | imagine what IL is. Can your Yes l said.
Q | desperately, | can. It's my feet MY deart'
r gasped Mrs. Robinson. She looked per-
n fectly Mortified over my reckless remark.
c so that, Notwithstanding IL was church,
had 10 pour my troubles about the polish
: | into her ears. She was so sympathefic that
e instead of being dreadful the thing became
Q funny, and giggled like two little school,
L | girls all the way through service. and
= when l moved my feet and the odor Of
| that fearful cheap polish fiOated up aud
o | set the people round about shifting. we
4 | got hystericaL After the service was over
n John Joined me near the door. Wasn't IL a
| lovely service. MaryT he said 4 don't
1 know / told him. just / told you-and
r | never will know. either. for the whole
) | thing after the first quarter of an hour 10
e blank 10 me. l know that l went 70
: | church. but that's the extent OF my EastnP