The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-12-17
SOME RULES
SHE FRAMED

shat you have q peculiar way OF en-
tertaining company! You've sat scrib'
bling at that desk ever since we came
in!"
"We're still here, you know" re
minded the girl with the neck ruche
that Haunted itself at the observer.
"T was finishing my list of rules,
with notes, for use Of the girl who
wishes to be social success" explain
ed the young woman at the desk.
"When I've read them to you, you'll be-
glad you came. Listen!
"Rule 1. Never twine a blue rib
bon in your hair.
81 did it, and l know. had ap-
peared with black ribbons, pink rib.
bons, white ribbons, twisted coquet-
ishly through my coiffure, and moth.
ing happened, signifying that blue
ribbon would be fatal error. thought
the evening wore the blue ribbon at
dinner, when Jack McGill gazed so
long at me across the hotel dining
room that at last had made an i'm.
preston.
"He had held aloof all summer. And
when he asked me to go for a row,
considered that was certainly q win.
ner. because he is q lazy man. and
never takes exercise. was proud
and naughty as we walked down the
pier, and smiled sweetly on all the
other girls who had ever cut me out.
Then when we got out on the lake that
man sat there in the gorgeous moon
light with the fragrance Of the-er-
daisies and buttercups, guess 1t was
being waited out from shore, and
wasted two good hours telling me
about the first girl he had ever loved
ten years ago.
"He said that blue ribbon reminded
him Of her. Note, please, he did not
say that I reminded hint was the
ribbon. He even told me the length
Of her eyelashes, and once I thought
he was going to weep. He said L
the blue ribbon-brought it all back
80 vividly.
"Rule 2. Never let your amiable
desire to be pleasant betray you into
any undue interest in elderly women
of crotchety natures.
MRS. Piper happened to be sit
ting in that corner of the porch when
! went to look at the sunset. I
couldn't move the sunset, so I had to
endure Mrs. Pipe. Incidentally,
picked up her ball of yarn and ad-
mired the Afghan in construction and
made conversation, because felt sor-
ry for her, she seemed so soured on
life.
"The next day l heard her say to
some one: 'Humph! I guess know
why that Dowler girl was shining up
to me so-I'm not SO dumb-I've got
nephew here! Ha! Hal wouldn't
have cared If the nephew had been
anything but the pale, spindly, under
sized stupid that he was.
"It really hurt my feelings to have
my taste so impugned.
"Rule 8. Always pick out men with
sisters when you are choosing an as
sortment. The sister fills an impor-
tant niche. If you can make her like
you, she has it in her power to invite
you to dinner or to spend weekend
with her-and, incidentally, with him
and she can drop admiring remarks
about you before her brother, thus re.
calling you to his attention If his
memory lags.
'It is convenient, too, to have her
remark at the family breakfast table:
ooh, here's a letter from Ethel Dowler
she says so and SOL The only dam
ger is the possibility of angering the
sister, for then the rule works the
other way just as readily. She talks
about you even more if she hates you
80 it is a good investment to take
her to the matinee occasionally and
not be sparing with luncheon invita-
tions.
"Rule 4. Never try to be nice to a
discarded sweetheart.
"What do you think l got for my
pains in the case of Alfred Easterly?
The affair was so long ago that had
almost forgotten him when he reap
peared, and all I could do was to won-
der why l ever had been insane
enough to fancy liked him.
"But when I remembered how hard
he had seemed to take my refusal l
couldn't help but feel sorry for him,
so tried to be just as nice as posi-
BILE, to show him there were no hard
feelings. The more 1 saw of him the
more aghast was at the thought that
once I might have married him.
really considered the time l devoted
to him a personal sacrifice-and then
what was my reward?
81 sat back of him on the suburban
train and heard him say complacently
to another man about like him that he
guessed Ethel Dowler wished she had
not been so hasty and could get him
back, but 1t was too late-all her try
ing would do no good
Rule s. Never go on the principle
that the Summer men wao ask for
your town address and inquire II they
may call on you will never think oi
It again.
"The very incest one at the lake