Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-11-26
A SALON
DIALOGUE
Bv WILLIAM CHANDLER

nyou flatterer! One would think to
,oor YOU talk that l could have any
nan / want for the asking"
$50 you could and not half try"
pottv tried hard to conceal the pleas
,re nv appreciation of her powers
paye her, but failed.
aThere's one man / Couldn't
"Who?"
.rhe first letter of his first name
Is J."
mrbat's because you never tried"
nv first name is James.
aPerhaps ! will"
oWhat would poor Harry do in the
MEANWHILE? He would be swallowed
mo by Ida Perkins"
aoh. that affair could wait"
"When are you going to begin on
mef" y
aYou? Oh, you can wait too. Good
morning. Come and see me soon 1
have things to tell you"
avery soon. Goodbye
This scrap of conversation, which l
am free to admit was not concentrated
wisdom, occurred at the glove counter
of Jones', where l met Miss Chamber
lin. The next time l saw her was at
Mrs. Winters salon, SO called from the
militant dialogues that take place
there. Betty was tied to Ashurst. He
was a graduate of a scientific school
and could drown her In a pool of ideas
seven feet deep. l was sandwiched
between two girls directly behind them.
We ~conversed with one another, but
had our ears open for what Ashurst
and Betty were saying. One of the
girls beside me was Ida Perkins. The
only remark that could be considered
to refer to the couple In front of u
was made by Ida. 1t was this;
why do you bright men get stuck
in the honey of stupid girlsT"
Leave out the YOU and l will an
swer the question" l replied.
But she wouldn't, and l confess l
would not have been pleased If she
had.
Betty made a Judgment with Ash
urst at that salon, and this is the way
she did II,
II have heard, Mr.. Ashurst," she was
saying, 'that you are not n of the
kind to feel certain of anything and
that you never force your opinions on
any one.
"Confound those persons who know
eyerything!' grunted Ashurst.
so say THAT is, l mean persons
who don't know as much as other per-
sons who know a great deal, but II
not constantly trying to show it off"
This was a triffe mixed. but Ashurst
didn't seem to mind it.
Some of the women here make me
laugh" Betty went on. They think
they're quite wise. Don't they tire you,
Mr.. Ashurst?'
Il don't know; some of them do"
Il heard one of them Just now talk
ing about the big European a She
said the allies had the best generals,
only they had been short of ammuni-
tlon."
which allies? ?"
why, ! suppose she meant-is there
more than n ally?"
saw Ida Perkins and Belle Town
send-Belle was the other side of the
sandwich that had me for o middle
look at each other. Fortunately for
Betty a lady passed her, bidding her
good evening and making a remark
about the weather. So Bet was not
obliged to go any further into the mill
tary problems of the great war. In
deed, it had not been her intention to
10 SO. She had become inadvertently
drawn into it by attempting to hold up
one of her rivals In an unfavorable
light.
Are you fond of motoring, MI.
Asnurst?' was her next remark. "I
oon't suppose you are. At least SO
pusy a man as you is not likely to have
time to enjoy himself"
Ashurst was the scientific adviser of
. gigantic manufacturing corporation.
ne looked relieved that Betty should
nave spared him the trouble of an
swering the question she had asked
MN Bet has beautiful eyes and
A"o"s tnat lney serve her a better
purpose than her tongue, for unfortu-
nately the latter member cannot wag
without drawing on her brain.
The reason why l asked you If you
were fond of motoring is that l have a
caf, and if you could spare me some
afternoon about 4 o'clock
I should be very happy" was the
reply.
Don't you think an Ice would cool
usl These rooms are very warm"
lhey arose and went elsewhere. Bet
nad caught sight of Ida in rather too
ciose proximity to suit her.
Inc next time l saw Betty / congrat-
ulated her on her engagement to Ash
urst' Didn't 1 tell you," I said, "that
'ou could if you tried?"
what's this l hear about you and
tua Ferkins?' she asked, looking at me
anxiously.
Oh' we're engaged too"
1 nave never sfnca rooainod tho nIooo