Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1912-01-04
Losing the
Social Instinct

when I-er-what?" gasped the
matron with auburn hair, as she
dropped an extra lump of sugar into
her callers tea and set the cup down
.hurriedly.
swell, why not?' inquired young
Mrs. Allison. THAT will do, dear. |
take only two Jumps, not the whole
bowlful"
Explain yourself, Celeste!" de-
manded the young matrop with au-
burn hair, severely HAS any one
been saying that l am getting fat and
stolid or is this your inimitable way
of criticising my winter wardrobe?"
Young Mrs, Allison smiled inscruta-
bly,.
Celeste" said her hostess again,
sharply, IF you weren't my best
friend l should call that positive
grin"
Young Mrs. Allison continued to
grin, happily. well, she said, after
selecting the thinnest sandwich on the
tray and biting into it with caution,
TO begin with, you've moved to sub.
urb, haven't your"
''Um-mm; is that all?"
mo, but that's one thing"
Every well = what next?"
''And you've stopped wearing false
hair"
why, yes, so have" admitted the
hostess, TRANQUILITY. II got tired Of the
messy stuff, and when l happened to
think it over couldn't see any reason
why shouldn't let my hair stand on
lis own merits"
Exactly agreed young Mrs. ALI
son. Thirdly, you've dropped the
bridge club"
The matron with auburn hair sighed.
81 had to- she explained And she
added, with a sudden burst of conf
dence, you've no idea, dearest, what
q relief it is. For two years, once
week, I've hooked myself into my best
clothes and sat all of pleasant sun
ny afternoon in some ones stuffy
drawing room gambling for. let us
say, a green sunshade that would
make me look, If won it, like horse
show poster. have partaken enthu-
siastically of siruplike ice creams and
oily salads forty-fve minutes before
dinner hour" She paused for breath
ard smiled suddenly upon her caller.
Instead of all that" she concluded,
u now repose in this easy chair with
q book and box of chocolates, which
schieve the same effect upon my ap-
petite, but are less strenuous"
Nonsense said young Mrs. ALI
son. You're losing the social instinct,
hats all! All suburbanites do But,
rs remarked to begin with, you have
adopted the wise course
She frowned thoughtfully, while her
hostess waited in silence.
"Well?" her hostess demanded, final
II.
It's very tragic" said young Mrs.
Allison. You know my Aunt Elvi-
10 2"
The matron with auburn hair nod
ded. THE poor woman who was so
i'll at your house last summer she
said.
Poor nothing" contradicted young
Mrs. Allison, sternly. There's moth
ing the matter with Aunt Elvira but
imaginary diseases. She's so grabbed
that her own children won't live with
her, and she's so rich that her other
relatives have to. She takes private
ear down to Florida every winter and
had thought that Fred and | could
make rather pleasant use of an invi-
tation to go with her this year. be-
cause Fred didn't get any vacation in
The summer
Well, my love, last week Saturday
! positively dragged Fred home from
the office TO go out to the Country
club with me in the afternoon. ] felt
that my system demanded the diver
sion and l didn't want to go alone. 1t
was a hoTrid, chilly trip and our sup
per out there was miserable. When
we got home this is the message writ
ten on Aunt Elvira's visiting card that
met me in the hand of the maid:
"'Dear Celeste--Tm sorry you
couldn't take time from your pursuit
of pleasure to comfort my tired and
travel stained self. I'm going over to
Cousin Emma's Respectfully, A. E."
The matron with auburn hair gasp
ed. "But did you know she was COM
ug?" she asked.
"Oh. no." said young Mrs. Allison,
composedly, mot having a sixth sense
for her arrivals in town. It's just
one of her little eccentricities, that's
all! Cousin Emma goes to Florida
on Thursday she added, sadly.
We'll, of all things!" cried she ma
tron with auburn hair, alphabetically.
after you and Fred had it all
planned"
Well" admitted young Mrs, AL
lison, slowly, "as mater of fact,
Fred hadn't planned exactly. He SEEM
ed positively to enjoy the situation.
He said he had a picture of himself
going, anyway And he added that he'd
rather pound rocks than to go any
where with Aunt Elvira Good-by,
- Il.