The herald., 1915-10-14
A SALON
DIALOGUE
By WILLIAM CHANDLER

W nat Il ply II II, Stllu i'ttS mann
berlin to me, that Harry Ashurst L
going to throw himself away on tina
Perkins girl"'
whats the matter with Ida Per
kins?' | asked.
"Oh, nothing" replied Betty, 'onlI
she's not half good enough for Harry.
"Why don't you interrupt the pro
ceedinGs?"
How could do thatT"
"Step In between them"
You tlatterer. One would think tC
hear you talk that l could have any
man / want for the asking"
so you could and not half try"
Betty tried hard to conceal the pleas
ure my appreciation of her powers
gave her, but failed.
There's one man l Couldn't
"Who?"
1.-THE first letter Of his first name
is j."
That's because you never tried. y
My first name is James.
Perhaps | will"
"What would poor Harry do in the
meanwhile? He would be swallowed
up by Ida Perkins
"Oh, that affair could wait"
when are you going to begin on
meT"
You? Oh, you can wait too. Good
morning. Come and see NE soon.
have things to tell you"
VERY soon. GoOdby"
This scrap of conversation, which |
] am free to admit was not concentrated
wisdom, occurred at the glove counter
| of Jones'. where | met Miss Chamber
! lin. The next time saw her was at
Mrs. Winters salon, so called from the
brilliant dialogues that take place
there. Betty was tied to AshurSt. He
was n graduate Of scientific school
and could drown her IN pool Of ideas
seven feet deep. | was sandwiched
between two girls directly behind them.
We converSed with one another, but
had our ears open for what Ashurst
and Betty We're 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 us
was made by Ida. 1t was this:
"Why do you bright men get stuck
In the honey of stupid girls?'
Leave out the YOU and will an
swer the question" | replied.
But she wouldn't, and l confess /
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 it.
Il have heard, Mr.. Ashurst," she was
saying, that you are not one of the
kind to feel certain Of anything and
that you never force your opinions Oh
any one"
"ConfOund those persons who know
everything" grunted Ashurst.
so say THAT is, mean persons
who don't know as much as other per-
sons who know a great deal, but are
not constantly trying to show it Off"
This was q trifle 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?"
II don't know; some Of them do"
II heard one Of them just now talk
ing about the big European war. She
said the allies had the best generals,
only they had been short of ammuni-
ton"
(Which allies?"
"Why, suppose she meant-is there
more than one ally?"
l saw Ida Perkins and Belle Town
send-Belle was the other side of the
sandwich that had me for q middle
look at each other. Fortunately for
Betty a lady passed her, bidding her
good evening and making q remark
about the weather. So Bet was not |
obliged to go any further into the mill |
tary problems of the great war. In |
deed, 1t had not been her intention to |
do so. She had become inadvertently |
drawn into it by attempting to hold I'D |
one of her rivals in an unfayorable |
light.
"Are you fond Of motoring, Mr..
AshurstT" was her next remark. 81
don't suppose you are. At least SO
busy man as you is not likely to have
time to enjoy himself"
Ashurst was the scientific adviser of |
a gigantic manufacturing corporation.
He looked relieved that Betty should
have spared him the trouble of an
swering the question she had asked
him. Bet has beautiful eyes and
knows that they 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 IL You
were fond of motoring is that 1 have a
car, and If you could spare me some
afternoon about o'clock
Il should be very happy" was the
reply.
Don't you think an Ice would cool
usf These rooms are very warm"
They arose and went elsewhere Bet
had caught sight Of Ida in rather too
close proximity to suit her.
The next time saw Betty congrat.
1lated her on her engagement to Ash
1rst. Didn't tell you," said, "that
you could If you tried?"
What's this I hear about vou ena