Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-10-08
ELLEN ADATR SAILS
In THE MOONLIGHT
ON THE DELAWARE
The Western Planets
Spend a Genial Evening
on the River, and Display
Enthusiastic Tendencies
for Exercise.

Wilmington. My hostesses had formed a
large female order called THE Western
Planets ard had chartered large vessel
for the evening. Yes, 1t was great oc-
Gason!
The telephone girl at the city Office
where l acted as stenographer had OBJ
tanned this invitation for me. aud the
entertainment gave me a new insight
into the lighter side of American life.
There at the Arch street dock the ves-
sci lay The decks were crowded every
where with women and with men, for
on that night the Western Planets" had
declined to 60 on shining in a manlesS
constellation! They had come out on
strike and with one stern. united. female
voice. collected husbands, brothers,
friends unto the scene.
1t was cheerful sight. The river lay
there wide and black and still. and on
1t shone a thousand lights from every
sort Of boat and barge and ship The
lights of Camden glttered from the other
side. l felt my spirits rise at every turn.
Beneath the moon, the Western
Planets kept on twinkling round the
decks. Not even now do | quite know
Just who or what they were. The OBJ
Ject OF the club or Chapter. as they called
It, in its original intention seemed to be
the keeping out of the inuuistive male
ladies who comprised ii We're quite wrap
ped in mystery
know they held mysterious meetings
and were pledgeu to keep the doings of
the same quite dark. The very thought
Of these "seances''-what took Dlnce
do not know-made me most curious
Six hundred people were on board and
scraps of conversation noated on the
evening air. There goes the Grand
Mistress cried little Western Planet
IN excited voice, the while a large. ma
jostic lady came on board "Oh, how
wish that I could meet her! Arthur.
Just think this winter I am going to
take the floor"
TO take the floor" responded
Arthur" mystfed. My dear. it strikes
me that in any case and every place you
always take the floor, Still. in this in.
stance l must say that 1 quite fail to
grasp the exact shade of your meaning
Please cnliEhten me"
why, you stupid. I just mean that I
am coming out on the floor at the meet
inCs"'
saw him shake puzzled head. your
answer floors me quite he sadly said.
THE VESSEL SETS OFF.
The vessel then set off amid most rous-
ing cheers. The CROWD on board was
really dense, but all seemed in the hap
piest mood. The Understanding instru-
ments were twanCing everyvhere, and
gay young men were chanting checrfully
the very late,l dittles.
My ldnshy friend, the telephone girl
now IN $duced me 10 six ladies' Of the
Western Planet order She said that they
weT& office bearers. We all sat around
I'm little Camp-stools while the ladies
talked mysteriously about 'the chapter"
1t soon transpred their sole ambition
was to soar the giddy heights of office
ship, untiI-oh. dizzy moment, 80 they
should one day be Grand Mis- nss." The
present holder Of the onvied title struck
me as quiet and unassuming. though of
imposing presence. She was the cynosure
of every female eye on board, yet under
that stern fusIlade she sat on calm AMI
undsturbed. a box Of candy on her lap.
a meditative look within her eve.
Gee Whit" one little Planet murmured
plaiutively. II guess I'll never get upon
the floor with this old suit! You must
he fixed real cute ana right In style too,
n you want to make a hit among the
other women in the chapter, Say, Charlie,
] must have a new fall suit for our next
meeting"
The mind Of Charlie OIL this point
seemed adamant. Mems meetings are
all right" said he. They have some sense
and meaning TO them, But when a lot
OF women get together be it in chapter.
lodge home, or soCiety-Eood night! It's
clothes, clothes, clothes and gossip all the
time, ! guess your meetings mostly
scandal
These statements struck me as a shade
unfortunate. The Western Planets scorned
10 answer him, and he proceeded jovially,
"Have you vet learnt the password. Miss
Adair? Ny wife announced IN her
sleep last night, by accident. Here Is
Aladdin's key that opens all the meeting
doors 10 YOU; here are the mystic words
Won sneak them softly with the little
finger raised like this: oh, Absalon, my
son, my SON
RAGTIME WINS RESPONSE.
Al this unhappy tuncture OF affairs,
when battle seemed most imminent a
new diversion now occurred. The orches-
ira had started ragtims. and tho crowd
on board responded to tine call. They
formed one long and curying line IN lock-
step, all IN single file, and hands upon
the shoulders Of the one Ia front.
when the Midnight ChOo-Choo Left for
Alabarn'. they, too, set on, and at a
furious pace They swept the decks from
end to end and up and down and round
about.
The leader Of the long thin line that
swayed so tauntily 10 rsgtime air was a
little old gray-haired lady, who. I think
was almost 50 years Of age, She wRs the
speediest, nimblsst little soul that ] have
ever seem and tWO-stepped gally at the
head OF all The happy band that clung
behind could scarcely keep up pace with
her. She shot round unexpected corners,
and she whisEed up ladders 10 the higher
decks. Behind her two-stepped that long
centipede. The scarf that held her gray
locks huttsred like a pennsnt urging
soldiers on to charse
She was true recruiting sergeant. too,
and suffered not one soul to leave her
, ranks. "Play faster; faster now" she
called out to the orchestra, the while she
shot past at a lightning speed, 400 fol-
lowers elinging on behind. II was a
giddy sight
] cannot two-step and I cannot lock-
\ step, hut relentless fate now dragged me
pfrom my chair and swept me on in the
a aiong swaying line Young men and old
the matron and the maid. the halt the
ih9ame. the blind. all had to Join IN. tool
isdt was q cheerful night
ov After an hour OF this most stimulst-
ing exercise, the Western Planets and
7Ptheir friends descended TO the depths "a
m seek refreshment.
Il want TO buy you orangsada~ said
one young man 10 me, "and please eat a
hot 'doggie, Miss Adair; they are most
awfully good. II iE the only food they
seem 10 sell on board tonight"
IL seemed a curious dish but ] was
hungry 80 I thanked him and he brought
the "doggie' right along. i ate it With
the keensst apDetitst