Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-04-07
The Chummery and the Jeune File.

The Chummery began in Poonah To-
ward the end of the eighties, and for the
last three years it has flourished in up
per Norwood, where it is officially known
as the Cedars, Palmyra road. We are
Pretoria Lodge next door. and, being ON
come-in- without knocking terms OF init
macy, know everything there is to know
about it. The chums are Bobby, BERTHE
and Little Billee, retired from the army
and doing well on the stock exchange.
Except for one thing, they are quite COM
monplaee people, conventional to degree
in the smart sporting style.
Well, the one remarkable thing about
the Chummery is that it proves to the
hilt how wrong the cynics are who as
sert that men and women under 40 cam
not be chums without the creeping in of
sentimental cntanglements sooner or
later. To let the cat out of the bag, the
Chummery contains woman Bobby
is Bertie's wife, and Why she is called by
that absurd name, or what her real one IS,
/ don't know But what | do know is
that the little menage is run on PunJab
bachelor lines, and that there is not Il
soupeon even of any but the strictest
bonds of camarauerie between its mem
bcrs. | suppose the husband and wife
were in love or something when they
married, but now they are only the best
of friends. They both have latchkeys
and stop out or not as they like without
causing the other uneasness. But. all
the same when BERTHE nearly died last
year of rheumatic fever, she did look
haggard for a week, and Little Billee sat
up with him most nights.
Bobby is pretty, petite, hard as nails,
and thorough sportswoman My broth
er-in-law calls her "a pocket amazon
and says she could give BERTHE a stroke
a hole in most of their little games; but
| think that is an eXaggegration. He
says she has nearly all the good points
OF a sporting man--that is, she pays up.
owns up, shuts up when beaten, and
crows softly when i'll luck. He believes
altogether in the Chummery, but Ned
doesn't Ned maintains that platonics
are ALWAYS more or less fshy, particu-
larly when they're middle aged and run
on sporting lines, and that no matter
how hard up, the mans fool who would
take in paying guest like Billie.
BERTHE is small too, fawn- toned and
rather shrvcled. hut gay and agreeable.
of giving the straight tip about every
thing.
Little Billcc is different He's six feet
three in his stockings, very good looking,
and athletic. He never lays down the
law, is easy going, and for all his
strength, / Iancy somehow, he is the
soft spot in the Chummery, but l may
be wrong
Valentine, our jeune file, hasn't seen
him yet. She admires his photographs.
which are all over the Chummery-he
has dash of the Ouidaesque, no doubt
but she doesn't understand the situation.
Those three live together" | explain.
because they happen to have the same
views of life same interests, politics,
sympathies, same tastes in jokes. neck
ties, curricS and champagnes. Every
body understands; Upper Norwood has
called on her; they're asked out together
always; the men are like brothers,
and
Here Bobby's sleek Ncwmarkety head
at the other side of the wall came to the
rescue.
"Got my card for the Grmdy crush,
Memsahiby' She calls me that because
lecture her occasionally for her good.
What is ,he Grundy crush?" Nalen
tine asked.
"A garden party Mrs. Fraser is giving
on Friday" | explained.
(Which Bilee is givn' - ms, sts on giyin'
every year" she struck in. A CHASTITY
show, mon enfant; all the frumps and
fogies of the station-the vestlymen.
church wardens, low church parsons, their
wives, daughters and maiden ants. all
penncd together in our one-horsc paddock
for two homs-why. YOU ask? Oh. be
cause Bilee thinks it necessary for the
reputation OF the Chummery, | suppose.
Tommy rot, BERTHE and call it, But as
| he pays his share of the rent
You're expecting him back fer it," |
! broke in, ANXIOUS To arrest further de
| tails.
Rather. I wired yesterday that he
must he here on Wednesday to rig up the
tents and the Cmla Jugeas must have q
/ few O thcm;: they made match or two
at our last, y'kuoW--"
Then, lowering her voice. She told me
t",, BERTHE was rather uneasy about the
| Boy, not 50 much ON account Of his pro
luuged absence as from the tone of his
letters. There was an old polo accident.
unluckily. and the spine might come
against him any day.
Except in point of numbers. the Grun-
dN crush was not a success, The weather
wa, right enough, but There was some
how Il lack of that spirit and 90 which
n previous years made the church war
den> daughters look forward eagerly to
the ChummcrN entertainments
Then the tent came down on the Lady
Palm>t, hruiSing her shoulder the nut