The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-03-04

dreds Of 2up-to date, middle-aged women |
in soft, swishing silks, everywhere; the
tradition that it is not meet for ladies
to stand in the hotel office, sit in win
dow-seats or hang about newsstands
and telegraph offices set aside for the
nonce, and soft rush of femininity in
corridors and reading-rooms and hall
are dependent on the hotel are fain to
hide in >farthest smokingrooms and out
of-the-way corners. For once we felt
the, freedom OF our better halves and
rejoiced as les nouvelles femmes. We
visited room after room, swarmed from
table to table in the dining-room, and
sat consciously. together on the seats
looked upon us with pardonable curl
osity, tempered with meekness born of
his minority, while we calmly. ignored
his presence-at least, apparently.
That this was to be no common Bien-
NAL became evident the very first night,
even before we gathered for an informal
reception. For in whispers the news was
spread that, in careless moment, the
membership committee had accepted the
dues of a club of acolored WON en-, and
two handsome and well-educated quad
rooms had appeared on the scene as dele
gates. From Utah, too, had come the
fourth wife Of asMormon elder, claim
ing her seat on the floor. The credential
committee was quaking with anxiety,
and the executive board was non-com
initial. A scene was imminent, for it
was rumored that the three unwelcome
ones were bound in solemn compact to
obtain and hold their rights. -.
The parlors at the Grand Blank that
first evening were overcrowded with
handsome women, and the display of
beautiful evening gowns rendered the
scene like great parterre of gorgeous
SNys I'M Me h St Of vods oa ae
from the corridors one could see the
club leaders fitting from group to group
Of reception committees and hostesses,
all apparently absorbed in the pleasures
of the moment. But under all the gay
ETY. was the undercurrent Of excitement.
"What shall be done7 The south will
90 out if the colored women stay; the
eastern and many Of the western dele
gates will Withdraw if the Utah dele.
gate is accepted. Which way will it
turn7' were the questions uppermost
in the mind of every Noman present.
Late in the evening" was astOnished
|by a. familiar voice. YTurning, beheld
Minnie Morrison in ftstive attire.
"Didn't expect to see me Of all PEG,
pie, did you9" she laughed. NWell. at
the first sign Of trouble I was dispatched
my other gown. Now, what is the pros
pect9"
"Bless you, my dear7' cried
elbow could you have known off there
in Chicago Of anything that threatened
troubled It's hardly leaked out here. y
i ttHol' she scoffed. "Don't you think
the newspapers don't know. Of these
things the minute they happen. Anl
nothing wakes newspaper up like the
prospect Of fight among lot ofwomert
bark, and Bite, Il they they " Want to; that hat
is an old story. But the minute there
is the slightest disagreement in WON
: an s. club, there is food for spicy
q scoop. And when it comes to row il
j the great and eminently respected Ma
| tional Federation, why, then, the news
i papers begin to hustle for q sensation
am the first regular newspaper cor
ha. And must have some sort Of {
. story tonight for the morning paper
, seeG And I depend on you to give i
"But1I really know nothing" pro
: tested. 1T 8 all in the air. There il
! p sfa19 e tangible to make newspaper
"a if it Tegs necessary to hays any
,, would I. 'have been had I always = s So
, down and waited for things to be Gu
> and dried before I wrote my screed
J Bless me, no. Come, tell me all yol
l know, like a good lady," Tn
! was about to refuse when I caugh
! a peculiar light in her keen eye: l re
membered FThe Club Woman IS Ideal, ,
l and I felt that I was in her power
Without further parley, drew her int
, a curtained recess. and repeated all tn
8 gossip I had heard during the. day.
1t g only gossip, understand con
! Guided. .sThe executive board simpl,
! laid the whole matter on the table an
/ does not intend to take it off again,
7 am told. Nothing whatever Of an au
t thoritative nature has been given out
! And, Of course, you will not give M
: away" >I
"Oh, you may depend on that sh
! replied, good-naturedly. "Qne doesn
:, ''Unless it be for ones own inter
9 est,' thought, for was. slowly, learn
Y ing wisdom. But I smiled sweetly an!
8 babe her goodnight as she hurried OF
!. to the telegraph office.
: There was a hustle of excitemen
! when I appeared in the dining-room mex (,
:, day. Every woman held certain Chi
J, cago paper in her hands and wa
} discussing the article under famin
e headlines on the front page. For MID
: ME Morrison had made much Of he
; uscoop" and done credit to her ide
. Of what the modern newspaper reporte
. should accomplish under given cond
: tions. 4l
y What do you think Of that? aske
: Mrs. Parsons, as I seated myself at he
. table and opened my paper.
q q haven t read it YETI I answere
with an unconscious air Of innocence.
*'tThen you! are behind every deiegat
in the room, = was the reply. Withou
). answering, I glanced rapidly down tn
race. Every word i had uttered tn
b might before, with embellishments an
i cancellations, was set forth in CLOWN
g shape, assuming the verisimilitude c
e the truth in printed FORM
How in the world did that Morriso
Z. girl ever get hold Of it a1l9'' querie
n Mrs Parsons, looking keenly at me. An
!, Mrs. Quincy Palgrave, who had con
d along merely as q visitor, saved the 81
d uation by responding:
T. seTrust those newspaper women *
1t finding out things! Why, she can
straight to me from the train and d
,oI clared she must know all about it {
y lonce or lose her situation. s