The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-19
Which Goes To Pyoye That Men
Tell Secrets As Well As Women
Femninity Hasn't Cnch' On That Sort of Thing-Der-
ent Methods, However of Revealing Condolences
Talkative Diplomat Loses Out.
BY DOLLY DALRYNIPLE.

realizing that even the taciturn and
reserved masculine sex sometimes gets
funny, and tells few things 1t shouldn't.
Oh mel Oh myl wouldn't there have
been a "hullaballoo" If Mr. Crane had
been Mrs" Crane?
Mercy ON us Pish! Tush-What would
the sterner sex have said?
IT told you sol' of course.
at serves you right for talking SO
much" and all that sort of thing.
Its just so nice, now and then, to dis
cover that some real big man is called to
account for talking indiscreetly. that it
does nay heart good to have it strewn
broadcast over the land that after all
men are only secretive in theory and
not in practice" said an awfully clever
woman, who was talking to me about
the Crane affair a few days ago. And,
by the way, she is one of the biggest
takers that l have ever known (Which
is saying a good deal, for I've known
a few.
Continuing, she said:
dolly. I'm so glad that this thing has
happened I don't know what to do. I've
just had it out with Hezekiah on the
subject, and what must he say but that's
all you women know about Mr.. Cranes
indiscretion-of course he didn't say-er-
exactly the right thing, but he was justi
fable to a certain extent Then I just
went Tor him and said:
Its just like you men to defend each
other and of course you'd never acknowl
edge that any one of you had said what
you shouldn't Now, a womans way OF
telling what she ought not is vastly diff
ferent from a mans. She can say the
most horrible things by merely an arch
of the eyebrows, and a shfug of the
shoulders, and still be In a position to
say that she has never said a word,
while q man bluntly blurts out and calls
a spade a spade, and tells all he knows
at one whack."
''when I was 49," she b1andly re-
marked, II had beau who used to
tell me that L talked more and said
less than anybody he ever knew, and
I felt highly insulted. Now that I am
on the shady side of 80 I consider 1t
the greatest compliment that can be
paid me, for 1t takes an awfully clever
woman to talk and talk, and still say
nothing"
quite right" said I, approvingly,
land what's more I'd trust a woman
with a secret far quicker than a man.
I have friend who says her husband
tells her (what he says) are the most
important business secrets. After she
crosses her heart, does the I-hope-I-
may-die' stunt, spits on the ground and
everything else you ever heard of
quietly goes around glueing her mouth
together whenever anything relevant
to the subject is mentioned. Finally
she says at the most inopportune time,
when a promiscuous crowd is gathered
together, she is perfectly fiabbergasted
to hear her liege lord come out with
the astounding information that he has
impressed upon her would put him and
her both in the penitentiary If 1t were
told"
well, just let ME tell you something"
said my friend, that ! am sure will
amuse you. Not long ago Hezekiah
told me something that he said was
not for publication, and l was the
proudest woman on earth that l knew
something other people were dying to
know. I'd sit up in a crowd and Just
swell with pride when hints were
thrown out as to this particular sub
ject; but I just sat still and sawed
wood and said nothing. AT last, about
six weeks after Hezekiah had told me
the secret, we were at a party one
night, and he saw me In crowd, and
came up and and very tenderly drew
me aside and said:
"Dear. It's alright If you want to
speak about that affair told you about,