The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1911-12-16
Hurting
Feelings

and prepared to add It a seventh
time, all unconsciously, VI have re
solved never to feel sorry for any.
thing | do or say! Repentance and
contrition and such things are good
in theory, but they don't get you any
thing!"
"You may imagine that you're weep
ing on my shoulder" said the little
s%tenograpber, comfortably. Go on
and tell me about it."
ut was last Sunday" began the
bookkeeper, slamming the ledger shut
and tearing with vicious force his
trial balance sheet. MY sister had
invited a young woman friend of hers
from the country to her house for the
week end and she asked me to help
her out, or course, l could tell from
the way my sister talked that this
friend Of hers was no prize article,
and as Sunday comes only nee a
week | hated like fury to give it up
to charity. But I did"
How charitablel" murmured the
little stenographer.
The bookkeeper went on: well It
developed that this country person
not only was not good to look at, but
her feelings were as sensitive as--as
all get out! We started right in Sat.
urday night, she and !, falling out and
making up again. Honestly, / didn't
open my mouth but that l had to tell
her the next minute that ! was sorry.
You can imagine that | learned to
keep pretty mum.
my sister and her visitor kept on
talking, though, and then we played
cards for a while, and, aside from our
losing every game-for u country
guest was my partner, Of course, and
my sister played with my kid broth
Grand my having to bear the brunt
of every wrong play and to insist that
I hadn't meant to offend her and that
l never dreamed Of intimating that
she didn't know the game-though
she hardly knew a Jack from a queen
the evening passed of pretty well.
"She looked at me very coyly, how
ever, when she said good night, and
she said that she hoped I wasn't of.
tended with her and that she knew
her feelings we're easily hurt, and as
she never liked to go to bed without
every n being forgiven and forgiv-
ing, she wanted to make sure that
we were good friends.
"Of course, | had to assure her
that everything was all right between
US. And, oh! the relief | felt when I
finally got my door closed and could
think Of eight good hours alone. with
out a feeling to hurt and with not a
pardon to beg!
We'll. IN the morning we got ready
for church. We ate breakfast in
fairly good temper and almost at
peace. However. this visitor nearly
cried when ! teased her about sell
ing ancient eggs to the city people
her fathers a farmer-so | decided
that my Jokes were misplaced and
pretty bad. anyway. So l adopted the
policy Of silence.
81 didn't say a word to her all the
way to church. My sister walked
back Of US with the rest of the fam
lily, so the visitor and | had the ad-
nj guard all to ourselves.
Il was worried, too, on account Of
we'll, you know, Miss Bruce some
times
"0h, we'll, anyway, the visitor and /
were getting IN famously, as l
thought, when / suddenly heard a lit
tie sob.
There | was, on Sunday morning,
bound for church and passing every
one l knew and in danger of running
into Miss Bruce at any minute-and
with a sobbing young woman on my
hands! / should have cut and run
but l was sorry for her. I'm sorry
for all weak-minded people, women
4, especially.
81 had to break my resolution
about talking to her, so l asked,
What's the matter?' as soothingly as
could.
) my question must have been more
soothing than I had intended, for she
grabbed me by the arm and she'd
| have fallen into my arms If l hadn't
held her.
"oh!' she exclaimed. You're an,
CRY with mel How can I go to church
with some one angry with me?'
And there, right out loud, as If
had been accusing her of all sorts Of
things, she begged me to forgive her
Say, it was the limit! / tried t.
straighten her up and / told her t
behave in public, and just as I was
doing my noblest and she was weep
ing her hardest and leaning all owe
me along came Miss Brucel" The
bookkeeper sigher d~isconsolately.
what did you do, them" asked tht
little stenographer, deeply interested
Nothing! I just gave that tear
stained craven image a shove ant
told her to go to blazes! But Mis-.
Bruce had gone past by that time!"
He jerked the ledger open and be
gan adding up the column Of figure
for the eighth time.