Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-05-11
HER LOSS Is
RED CROSS GAIN
This Woman Gave 81 to Cause
Everytime She Gossiped
About Anyone
By MRS. WILSON WooDRoW


Dora and I had luncheon with a
man friend of ours yesterday. The
three of us were sitting about the
table, talking of the things of the
moment. One of the charms of to-
day is that it always offers us an
entirely fresh line of goods, and the
great interest of living lies in the
knowledge that to-morrows assort-
ment will be quite different. Hence
the almost poignant value of that
phrase, Daily newspapers are pub
lshed every day."
We had been talking about things
really worth while, and then sud
denly one of us asked, Has either
of you seen Alicia lately?"
That began it. In a moment our
heads were together and we had
Chucked Alicia into the gossip mill
and were grinding away industri-
ously.
Presently 1 looked about the res
taurant. Except for, the few tables
where man and maid were gaz-
ing into each others eyes, forget
ting to eat their perfectly good food
which in these days is the true
gauge of love, since not to devour
the last scrap whe nevery bite is
worth ltS weight III BOlu seems
criminally wasteful-eXcept, then,
for those under the thrall of the
grand passion, little groups sat with
their heads together, all, all en-
gagged in dissecting the absent, who
were given no opportunity to pre-
sent their own cases.
Bits of conversation floated my
way now and then. II consider her
entirely to blame; she knew all
Ia 81, N-,-fra Il
From another direction I caught:
Yes, they say that he is going
from bad to worse" and from still
another: "Oh, my dear, she never
draws a sober breath
Scandal to right of us, scandal to
the left of us, volleyed and thun-
dered.
Dora suddenly broke off in the
middle of a most interesting story,
a look of dismay on her face. Then
she slowly opened her purse and
drew from it a fresh one-dollar bill.
Still with the corners of her mouth
drawn down, she folded it up and
put it in another compartment of
her bag. We watched this singular
performance with deep interest, and
Henry. who is an inquisitive soul,
made bold to ask:
whats the answer, Dora? Why
the rueful Countenance with which
you accompany it?"
i've reason enough to look dole
full" she returned. That's a fine.
l began the new year with a VOW
to give a dollar to the Red Cross
every time l caught myself back
biting and gossiping. 1t was surely
a lucky day for that organization
when Iwmade that VOW. I'm not a
welcher, you know, if 1 say I'll do a
thing, do it. But 1 tell you, it
keeps me practically strapped. And
l never thought of myself as q
scandalmonger before. either. It's
been an awful revelation"
"Oh, don't take it so seriously" 1
urged. I've always said that you
bear false witness against your
neighbor as little as any woman
know"
That's no comfort" She was
still downcast. THE checks 1 have
to send to the Red Cross are more
convincing than any kind words you
can say. 1t makes me furious!" She
sat up energetically. Here am.
sacrificing my summer wardrobe and
all kinds of things had planned to
do, but can't afford now. because all
my spare money has gone to pay
fines. And all on account of a
trivial and worthless habit. Well, y
she shut her mouth quite grtmly,
"I know one thing, 1 am going to
overcome it or go broke trying"
Henry looked at her with toll
Grant smile. Why go against ma