The daily Alaskan., 1906-12-31
sEssi i-t-lti-i-iIss. ] The Social Objections to : ! Mrs. Tripp
iOrigInRl1

Mrs. Muggledon Mason was one Of the elite of GrOyeton. There were disadvantages 10 be overcome in at' talulng and maintaining this position. but Mrs. Mason possessed the especial faculties required to overcome them. For instance, her husband was horse | trader-a horse trader on d large scale, to be sure but still horse trader. When the wife of wholesale grocer threw thiS in the face of Mrs. Mason, that lady rctorted: My husband buys and sells horses; yOur husband buys and sells molaSSeS, Whats the differ enCeE
 One evening on the train from the city where Mrs. Mason had been shop ping she waS talking 10 Mrs. Edwards, also member of the smart set of GrovetOu. Mrs. Edwards was not only wealthy. hut her family had been wealthy before her for d hundred years Mrs. Mason appreciated this and proposed to iugratiate herself with the hlghborn dame by a hit of social conservatism.
 There are some of our set said Mrs. Mason-her voice was loud and harsh-"who are constantly uphOlding some one trying to get in with us who doesn't belong with Us. Several of our best ladies are visiting with that young Mrs. Tripp, whose efforts to appear re- speCtablc are absurd. At the ATling- tons reception she wore dress that I recognized as having once belonged to Mrs. ChesbnrOuGh. She'd so chang ed and improved it that one would have scarcely recognized It. Not that I would deny such people a place among us, provided they can live as we do, but they can't Besides. Mrs. Trlpp doesn't give a very satisfactory account of her husbands continued absence. Land knows whether she's married Gt all ur nul."
 Behind the two ladies SGt a man in broad brtmmed ha; sad wo0lcu shirt under coat much the worse for wear. but hIs features hel,ed his costume. Notw.tustaudu" au appearance of hard work they were intellectual.
 "Nloll Hogan | heIicvr," he said. bending forward and looking Mrs. Mason In the eye aS she turned wiJh n face alternately white and scarlet.
 "I don't know you," she said. draw ing away with poorly assumed haUtour.
 Nevertheless you have served inc with antelope steak and tapjucks in Griudstonc. But I see you are chang ed. 1 heard you had married Mug Mason. that he drove u lot of horses east just in time to tn big order for the goveru4eut before the Spanish war and that he has been making money h hOrSehcsh ever since"
 Mrs. Mason WAS taken lat QUaCk. She made several efforts to clear her self from the mans imputations and finally mUttered that he had got her mixed with some one else. Then she turned her back on hlm and said to Mrs Edwards:
 He Is some enemy who has an ob- ject. but cant guess what it lS."
 The train was at the moment stop ping at station, The two ladies alighted each taking her carriage to her home
 Mrs. Atwater. one of the ladies who had been helping Mrs. TrIpp In her efforts tQ keep up position to which she had been born. gave a ball. Mrs. Mason was there. and Mrs Trtpp was there. Mrs. Tripp startled the assem- bly, by entering dressed in n gown fresh from the hands of its maker. but this was not the most surprising fea- ture about Mrs. Tripps entrance. She leaned on the arm of a gentleman un. known to the GroyetOnianS. whom she Introduced as her husband. AS the couple made their way to speak to the hostess every eye In the room was leveled at them.
 Where did she get that dress? Where on earth has the man been? Wonder if it's another case of get rich quick" were some of the questions the guests asked of each other.
 AS Mr. and Mrs Tripp walked away from the hostess they met MT. and Mrs. Mason walking up to her.
 Hello. Mason
 Mason stared at the speaker for some moments. rAnH. making a virtue of ne cessity, said;
 Hello. N2. Trlpp! What are you do. Ing hereE"
 "The cut.0f'S finished. Civil engi- ncers are no longer wanted. You didn't finish the dirt moving you undertook, did you?"
 No" stammered Mason, Il didn't"
 Mrs. Mason. who by this time recog- nlzed under hlS evening dress the rough looking man who had spoken to her h the car. pulled her husband on.
 Goodness gracious, is that Mir. Tripp, who had charge of the cut-oN:"
 "Ycs, and, besides being engineer Iu chief. he took a big contract. I had subcOntract under him to remove 8 million yards of dirt I found l had bid too low and left the territory"
 There was a brief pause. at the end Of which the wife said:
 Hes the man l told you about who knew me when l sluug hash in Grind stone. l see it all now. I was ob-