Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-02-08
THE TACTFULNESS
OF anne.
BY ALICE LOUISE LEE.

briskly by-way Of the front door for
a walk, with all the curves in her
face turned gaily up AT four o'clock
she returned slowly by way Of the
back yard, with all the curves in her
face turned dejectedly down, and
sought her mother. An hour later
Hilda came on the two in solemn
council. Anne sat, a wilted heap,
on the couch, gazing forlornly at a
damp handkerchief in her lap. Mrs.
Tupper's eyes were grave, but her
lips, over which she laid REFRESHING
hand, were In danger Of smiling as
she said, consolingly:
Never mind, dear. You told her
exactly what she said she wanted to
know, and in the long rum know
her so well--it will work out all
right"
whats up?" demanded Hllda.
"M-Mrs. Adams" quavered Anne.
A big tear rolled down each cheek.
II couldn't help 1t. She asked me,
and then when l told her she was
awfully angry"
Anne hunted dry spot on her
handkerchief. Mrs. Upper strug-
gled with smile, but Hilda dropped
solidly into chair and cried:
"Anne Topper! Mrs. Adams! For
PHYS sake what have you told her?'
"s-she thought" sobbed Anne,
tina. -ffaa e one suspected that she cor
ors her hair and--and puts on her
complexion and is f-flfty-years old!
ANNE Belinda Topper" shrieked
Hilda, with horror-stricken eyes, did
you tell her all that? Did you,
Anne?"
But Anne, beyond the power OF
reply, fed down the hall and up the
stairs in tempest of girlhood grief
while her older sister transferred the
horror-stricken gaze to the mother.
at seems, explained the undis-
turbed Mrs Upper, "that Mrs. Ad-
ans has overheard some uncompli-
mentary comments on her appear
ance. Consequently, this afternoon
she waylaid Anne, took her upstairs
behind closed doors, told her what
she had overheard, and said, Now
Anne, / depend on you to tell me the
! truth
Hilda threw out her hands in a ges.
ture of despair. "The truth" she in.
terrupted ats the last thing she
wanted to hear, and Anne ought tc
have known it. Anne doesn't under
stand people"
Mrs. Upper smiled inscrutably
"Well, it seems" she finished, dryly
shat Mrs. Adams asked for the truth
and got it,"
"Oh!" groaned Hilda. "Did Anne
tell her that people knew she was
fifty, and dyed her hair and rouged?'
"Anne did," affirmed her mother
"And that's not all, either"
Hilda sat up with jerk. Mother
did Anne tell her about her dress?"
Mrs. Upper nodded, still undis
turbed by the volcanic outbursts o.
her elder daughter. "She did JUS
that. You know Mrs. Adams dresses
like giddy schoolgirl, and Anne told
her So"
"Of course know it., cried Hilda
"and so does every one else! nevel
saw such ridiculous figure in my
life. Strangers simply go into con
vulsions over her appearance, but tc
think that Anne should tell her!
do wish that Anne had some tact
about her! She hasn't speck."
NO." acknowledged her mother
"Anne is not tactful in your sense o.
the word, but she is the soul of hon
esty, and she feels completely USED
up because Mrs. Adams is so angry.
"Poor Anne!" cried Hilda, with {
sudden change of front. at was ;
hard place to put her I'M" and She
few upstairs to comfort her sister.
Anne, refusing comfort, wept unit
tea-time, but after tea lively game
of tennis, in which she came off vic
tor, drove all thought of her latt
troubles from her mind, and caused
her to sleep soundly.
But on Sunday morning her trou
bles again oppressed her in the form
of naughty and distant Mrs. Adams
who pointedly ignored not only Anne
but Anne's immediate relatives.
Mrs. Adams occupied the pew II
front of the Tuppers. She did no
arrive that particular morning unit
the beginning of the responsive read
ing. Then she rustled down the aisle
a comedy of affected youth in he
reddish-blaek dyed hair, her white
and-pink face, her strained eye
guiltless of glasses, and her stou
figure begirt in gaily colored, rib
boned, rufied, lace-yoked dress. Mrs
Adams as a girl had been popula
beauty. At fifty she might have beef
equally popular, and equally beautiful
with the beauty belonging to middle
age, had she not chosen to ignore tn,
flight of the years. She had also per
suaded herself that others ignored
it, so far as 1t concerned her-unti
her Interview with Anne!
"Now you can see, Anne" sait
Hilda, at the dinner-table, show ia
a little tact would have gone witt
Mrs. Adams She'll never speak t,
us again, and what you told her will
not make bit of difference in he
appearance.
Anne swallowed her tears--but no
much dinner--and said nothing. Sh
admired Hilda's tactfulness, blu
somehow she could never think o
smooth things to say-perhaps be
cause she said so little.
wait while" Mrs. Tuppe
smiled undIsturbed at Hilda. II know
Mrs. Adams. Wait a while"
The following Sunday Mrs. Adam
rustled down the aisle in even NOR
gorgeous and inappropriate ARA
than she had previously worn, as
to emphasize to the pew behind he
the fact that Anne's revelations ha
no weight with her, Again she acte,
az IL the Tuppers were not and neye