The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-11-24
EVENING CHIT
Il RUTH CAMhHO-N.


Ives. 7 know she's a nice girl. th l.,.s
] ia IKE her first rate IL she WASH or y
/ of those naddening self-coneta "a, ~. ~.
So Molly the little stenograplySl ~ Z.
described a new Acquaintance W w, ,f-d
MISUNDERSTANDING inquired for the t nlis
time WHY she didn't seem 10 IKE SUI
thoroughly nice girl 90. t.,,,,irad
Now what might that pc 49,
the vants-to-be-cynic, scorntully- Hea,
~ Molly, to tell the truth, 1 thlhh ~"
are Jealous OF her. ,s,,,
wide-it is a trick she has when arouseu
she parted her lips as II TO SPEAK, tns a.
shut them tight and gave the IRE, ia
front Of which she was sitting Nis'i
Gus dab with the tongs. .
.'Oh. I didn't mean jealous or anyone
in particular" amiably explained the
wants to- be-cynic, who by the way mas
been paying a good deal OF attention 70
the lady under discussion. Il Just neAit
jealous OF her in a general way, because
She is so pretty. Other girls never like
girl who IS very pretty.
That" said Molly lis absurd
should think that you, who pretend 20 pe
a real deep student of human nature,
would know better than that That IS
one OF the silly things that men have
! been saying with no grounds at all TOT
centuries-I don't doubt that Adam eaiu
1t to Eve about Cain or Abels VIE Ihc
truth is that girls admire a pretty girl
almost more than men do. Remembe-
Jane Wiley at school? She was one or
the prettiest girls 7 ever knew and hair the
girls in school were devoted to her. or
course. girls don't like a silly, conceitcd.
disagreeable girl and when a pretty girl
gets that way they drop her. But as Tor
this idea that whenever a girl doesn't Ike
some pretty girl it's because she Jeel-
Gus of her prettiness," concluded Molly,
with grand finale OF mixed pronouns
and a lip quivering from the warmth y
her feelings and the injustice of the ac-
cusation, why, that's all nonsess"
Molly had been sitting before the fire
with her back to the wants-to-be-cynic
during this GRAFTON. consequently he had
not seen the quivering lips. and ne ha0
opened his mouth for a teasing response
when the lady-who always knows-some-
how cut in cleverly with a reference %
the original Characterization OF the new
acquaintance.
But Molly. what is 'selr-congratu-
lator'? o.
MY gracious" said Molly. ITS evil
dent you haven't met her or you wouldn't
have to ask. Why. you know what
nean-one Of those irritating people VINO
are always patting themselves on the
back: praising themselves and their be-
longings and everything they have any
thing to do with
For instance. when she came into the
office this morning. / said her hair look
ed nice-she patted IL and said, Yes. I
have remarkably thick hair and I'm 81
glad it's curly. I do hate straight hair 80
Then she pulled her waist down and
said, How do you like my new waist1'
and then before / could answer. 4 think
it fits splendidly. The dressmaker sass
it's easy to fit me because have such
good figure "
"A little later she showed me her
manicured. told me she did them herself
and that she thought it was quite won
derful when she never had taken any
lessons at all, that she could make them
look as we'll as any professional mani-
cure.
She never buys anything without con-
graduating herself on her discrimination
and taste in getting such artistic. pretty
things so reasonably. She never wears
anything new without patting herself on
the back because II fits so well and looks
% well on her She never does piece or
work in the office without showing IL to
some one and saying how good IL is
Most of the time the things she says
are true and ia probably say them my
self If she'd give me chance. but she
never does. OF course. she Is terribly
pretty, capable and smart. 1t would be
splendid to be half so clever and nice to
look at" Here Molly paused poked the
fire moment. looking very wistful. and
then burst out to everyone's surprise.
oh big sister. you don't suppose I ara
jealous of her"
Molly quoth the ts-to-be-cynic
after we had stopped laughing, Molly,
you are the limit"
And oddly enough. the words that
sound like a slangy expression OF disgust
as 1 write them, sounded strangely gen
tie. and almost tender as the wants-to-
be-cynic said them.