The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-01-27
MABEL versus MABELLE.
BY CHARLOTTE SED0Rick.


act and talk like the city girls she had
met, and of course she overdid II. No
city girl ever would have recognized
herself as the original of Mabels ex-
aggerated imitation.
She wore her pompadour about three
sizes too big; her manner was all
"gush.' and her affected way of talk
ing made it C. standing Joke in town
that Mabel Rogers went 70 New York
on the cars; Nhbelle Wogehrs came
back fwom New Yawk on the cabs"
What Mabel needed most, | think,
was a brother. | have noticed that
the girls who have brothers are
not so apt to get silly little airs and
affectations rs other girls are. l have
often wished | had brother, but Mat
does very well. He keeps me supplied
with many OF the comforts of one, par
ticularly in the matter of frank crit
icsm.
Nell and | thought It ell over for
several days. We thought hard. II
takes hard thinking, nave discovered,
to find really successful way of not
minding your own business. In the end,
| am sure we would have given It up
If Nell had not had an idea in Latin.
She is always having ideas in Latin.
She had this one while we were read
ing in the hammock one afternoon, and
she gave a little bounce that made the
hammock flop and throw us out on the
ground. Our hammock has the flop
piest disposition, anyhow.
Then, while we sat there on the
ground, weak from laughing. she ex-
planned that she had the loveliest idea.
| said 1t seemed to have quite upset
her, but she utterly snubbed my poor
pun.
Il just found 1t in this book" she
went on. "Similia similibus curantur.
wonder we didn't think of it before"
Translate It," l said. never have
ideas in Latin myself.
And you expect to enter college this
fall" Nell said, significantly. Like
cures like of course. my dear. I've
heard it somewhere before" she added,
honestly.
You mean" | began.
Just try being affected ourselves, and
let Mabel see how silly it is"
| had my doubts. / said that Mabel
would be mere likely to see that we
were just rude, and perhaps we would
only offend her instead of reforming
her. Mother agreed with me, too. She
advised us. If We really felt called on
To oh tA oil
frankly what We thought, instead of
using method that was SO likely to
/ be misunderstood.
But Nell and | agreed that we did
not have the courage to do that, and
besides, this other way would be more
| fun. Mother smiled ana did not say
any more. She never uags, and she
never says, Il told you so, my dear."
She just let's me find out good many
/ things for myself
So Nell and | spent several days IN
learning how to do it. We studied
Mabel pretty closely, and l confess |
had kind of snealSing feeling, for
| she Is one of the sweetest, frankest,
most generous girls | ever know.
But at last we considered our edu-
cation completed, and one afternoon we
started out, with trailing sllirts--bor-
rowed-and absurdly pepompadoured
! heads, to make formal call on Mabel.
| We flattered ourselves that we had ac-
| quircd the correct accent, and our man
ner was affected 10 a point several de-
grees above Mabels. We tried it on
Mat before we started and he nearly
had fit
At Mabels house we usually walk
right in and announce ourselves, but
this afternoon we rang the bell and
brought Maggie with her tray. know
she was surprised, but she was game, u
as Mat would have said.
AS we gravely presented our cards
and asked for Miss Wogehrs and Miss
Mabelle," her face was as expression
less as If we were perfect strangers
She quietly showed us into the parlor
and went to tell the ladies'" She came
back in minute to say that Miss
Rogers was ont, but Miss Mabelle
would be down in q minute.
Nell and l wondered afterward if she
gave Mabel a hint. We have never
found out.
Perhaps our sending in cards warned
Mabel. At any rate, when she came in
to the parlor nothing in her manner
suggested that there was anything un.
usual about u.s. She had played tenni.
with us all the morning, too.
She said, "Aunty will be so sorry tC
miss your call! How do you do. Mary
and Helen?"
Then she shook hands with us both
explaining how glad she was to see us
and how long 1t was since we had met
She was simply delicious, and fol
a moment Nell and were staggered
We thought we were ready for any
thing, but this perfect composure near
ly routed us.
| Then Nell rallied and went into
action" Nell Bronson is nothing 1
! not thoroughgodng. and she is a borr
! actress. It was the funniest thing
, ever saw--those two girls mstchinI