The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1907-07-13
MERE MAN SAVED
THE DAY
How He Helped the Club Woman
Out OF Difficulty.

IL happened IN a corridor of a hotel
a sort Of chiaroacuro corner Of the uni
verse where anything might happen.
She was ? lady, beyond question
positively proper, of a nice but not I'M
usual type, cooped up in a single bed
room, high in the air, almost like a
medieval maiden in a feudal tower
out OF reach Of everybody. She was
a club woman, too lthey all are now
adays), and booked to lecture at three
o'clock sharp on the "Evanescence OF
ldealism" She found the situation
thrilling-because she was swishing
her silk petticoats to and fro, patting
her trailing broadcloth, dabbling pow
der on her nose, fuffing her Marcel
wave, and eyeing with dismay the
mass of lace and chiffon that lay upon
the bed-her very elegant bodice. 1t
buttoned up the back, not frankly and
in a perfectly straightforward man
ner, but with see saw flags and little
tags Of velvet artistically askew.
How in the world am ] going to get
into it?" she gasped in dismay
She wrinkled her smooth brow and
pondered What luxury a maid is
especially in the eyes of the one who
hasn't a maid She poked her head
discreetly out Of the door and peered
down the vacant hallway. Nobody in
sight. 1t was 230 and time began to
press upon her conscience.
Against the doorway hung a frou
frou thing Of silk and frills which she
managed TO slip into, and then she
made a wild chase down the corridors
In quest Of the chambermaid. Does
anybody know where hotel chamber
maids keep themselves in off hours7
She didn't, and couldn't find, one any
where.
She snatched up the chiffon affair
and slipping off her silk kim" she
got into her bodice as far as she could
But she was a snug little person, and
not very strong on physical culture
so that she couldn't for the life of her
get her shoulder blades out OF the
way and her elbows positively refused
to work backward.
"On she cried after a few minutes
OF frantic squeezing, putting and
stretching, while the seams of her bod
ice cracked in protest and beads Of
persipration started out from under
the delicate coating Of violet cream
which she had laid on with so much
care.
4O!"
She had broken one Of her beauti.
ful angular nails, so prettily polished
and pink as rosebud.
The lowest button was fastened and
the top one; that was ALI In between
yawned an awful gap, displaying some
very pretty lingerie and fresh blue
ribbons, but nevertheless rather negli-
zee and not at all compatible with the
"Evanescence of Idealism."
IN have to finish dressing at the
club" she said, grimly. after last
futile dab at the coquettish button. So
she cooked her feather hat jauntily
over her Marcel snatched up her veil,
long suede gloves, and white cloth
Jacket, and made dash for the door
As she opened it, breathless with ex-
element, she encountered her neigh
Dor In the adjoining room, just about
to unlock his door 1t was a mere
man, but he looked uncommonly nice!
Her practiced eve took him in at q
glance-a gentleman, we'll groomed.
and clad. shod. and gsoved in the most
elegant fashion, and the very polite
way in which he stepped aside, hat in
hand to let her pass, settled the mat
ter
A wild impulse seized her She
could never explain it afterward.
"O!" she burst forth, snatching OF
her jacket in hot haste Would you
be SO kind am in an awful hurryl
I'm going to lecture at the club and
I'm late-and there's nobody to do
anything for me- Would you be so
kind she hesitated.
AS to button yon up the back?" he
beginning to strip off his
gloves Just as 1noueh he had been
there beforel
tbs eyes tWlnkled-OI course lhey /
he never even smiled and he
went TO work like q soldier
7 beg your pardon he said with
lust the faintest echo on a ripple in his
leep. pleasant voice, and she could !
'eel that his hands were shaking with /
he emotion to which he was too well /
bred to give free vent. "but-is there /
/ map to this, madam ?"
She laughed-because she was hys-
she pulled herself togeth-
lr Cliterally) and said with much dig
iity;
1T goes first to the right and then
% the left and then bias down the
ide to the waist line"
20. see. he observed But YOU
must pardon me if I am little awk-
ward This really is the worst ever
I'D see?7
isn't 1t awful2" she exclaimed in a
iurst Of confidence. "I1l never have
mother like tiff have to wear
kins.
Ee tucked in the little white frlis
nd bows as wer as he could and 1t