The Washington herald., 1908-05-24
WOMAN ABOUT TOWN
FRAILTIES AND FoIBLES OF HER SEX

explained to mother that it's the only
absolutely germless color for hair 10 be,
l really don't believe she'd mind"
why Hat Was Removed Late.
| AZ that same matinee there was a
woman two rows IN front Of Us who
worried US. She had one cf the largest
hats. with pufTs and curls and things all
around her head under It. and she looked
precisely as II she meant to wear that
hat all through the performance. We be-
gan TO think about her when the or
chestra tuned up. and as the overture
drew 10 It's close we began 10 talk about
her so that she couldn't help hearing,
even through the hat. "She isn't" "She
isn't going to-" she IS" "she isn't"
everybody near kept saying like a chorus
Of katydids, and the hat stayed Were
It was. Somebody mentioned speaking TO
an usher as the curtain went up, but not
TIL the first four lines OF the piece had
been spoken did the woman make the
least start toward taking her hat of.
Then. secure in her conviction that every
body was absorbed in the play, she un-
pinned it and slid 1t into her lap. We saw.
then, why she'd delayed. Maybe she
didn't expect TO come TO the matinee
when she left home. Anyway. above the
oulwarks Of puffs and curls that sur
rounded her head there was nothing but
sparscly covered slope rising 10 a small
round bald spot at the crown.
Paraphrasing the Scripture.
My small friend Amanda isn't speaking
10 her erstwhile bosom friend Margaret
these days. and she says she's never go
ing TO play with her again.
''Margie's too hateful for anything" shs
told me. Il wanted TO play the dolls were
sick and Marcy wouldn't do It, She's
just as selfish. And I said she was. too,
and she said I always wanted my own
way, and l told her 1 guess she'd better
get the bean out OF her own eye before
she talked about any oats IN mine"
Jim's Imagination strong.
Jim lives on our block, and ever since
made his acquaintance he has been a
Joy 20 me. He used to take walks with
me. and out Of the wisdom OF five years
he taught me many things. He killed
two bears in Dupont Circle for me with
a mere bing-bang Of my umbrella, and
he has more than once told me Of the
goldfish as long as himself he caught I'm
the fountain by the White House Most
Of all. he has talked TO me OF his son-in-
law. who lives IN a beautiful house N
Massachusetts avenue. Gossip has ac-
9uainted me Of late with the fact that
Jim's mother thinks he's growing up an
incorrigible liar, and that encourage
him In il. though how am I 70 know
what truth is or what q child sees or
perchance remembers from a former in
carnation? Jim told me ne broke my
plaster Nike playing with Il. and I'd never
have guessed IT II he hadn't confessed. so
why should I worry about the son-in-law
and the FISH? Jim's mother, though. IS
different Maybe she never was a child
or maybe her conscience in regard 10 her
son has choked out all the imagination
she ought 10 have. Anyway. the last
time Jim and l walked out together he
didn't speak Of his son-in-law's house as
we passed IT,
''HOw's your daughters famHy?r 7 ask
ed, because not two weeks ago one Of
his grandchildren chased a robin and
salted Its tail
Amt no daughter" jim said. a little
sullenly. I'm a little boy. Little boys
don't have married daughters"
Don't they?' I asked because Jim had
made that family so real 20 me I hated 10
lose them.
Nope" he said. II was a-lyin' TO you
Mother whipped me for lyin' about 'em."
He walked on in silence for a moment.
Then he looked up at me with something
gone from. his eyes-a precious something
that he can never have again as long as
he lives.
Mother whipped me-" he repeated.
"All my daughters family's dead now"