Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1919-11-21
Best Laid
Plans
BY CONSTANCE sCUDDER
Copyright, 1919. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate)

Diana Wilson wasn't born with a
silver spoon in her mouth. Nothing
so ordinary ever happened to Diana.
Every one has silver spoons nowadays.
Diana's had been gold, with a plat
mum monogram.
If it had been good form at the
time to incrust baby spoons with dia-
monds. Mrs. Wilson would have seen
to it that it had them, too, in suffi-
cient number and of the first water.
Mrs. J. Henshaw Wilson had more
money than brains; but to do the lady
justice we must suggest the thought
that even Solomon would have been
hard put to it, had his wisdom been
forced to stand the same comparison.
At any rate she possessed gray mat
ter tn sufficient quantity to enable her
to have her own way about things, as
a rule. This story has to do with one
great exception. And, of course, like
everything else in Our national and
private life that is out of whack just
now, it can be traced directly to the
late war.
Diana had been an obedient child
always. She had done just the proper
thing at the proper time and in the
manner in which she was hidden to
do il.
In her second year tout" the society
world threw into the discard the mad
- ~, ,IrkN tr,t.r
ishly to the rolling of bandages, the
frying of than and,' and personal SUI
pervision of the morals of our army
and navy. Diana chose the canteen
as her medium O: serving.
Mrs. Wilson did not force Diana to
give up the canteen idea. for two rea-
sons. First, some of "our very best
people" were going into it. Second.
she was very busy just at that time
planning for the prelude to the great
event in her daughters life. Mrs Will
son had married for money. 1t had
been high step up the social ladder
for her. She meant to use the adj
vantage she had gained to boost her
offspring yet one rung higher.
Senator Brendon was the star to
which Mrs. Wilson had hitched her
wagon, and Diana's beauty and
wealth constituted the motive power
which were to land her in the posi-
ton coveted for her by her mother.
Just as Mrs. Wilson's absorption in
her plans blinded her to the risks in
allowing Diana to become interested
in canteen work. SO Diana's interest
in the work kept her from realizing
that the engagement was being
forced upon her.
Senator Brendon was midd'e-aged
bachelor large, stupid man Who
got by on his family name and a
pompous manner He had money
but not enough, and was gallant adj
mirer of the weaker sex" For him,
competent women, women who dis
played executive, ability outside their
own homes, did not exist Mrs. Will
son assured him that Diana had no
such talents.
To Diana the honor and glory of
being a senator's wife made a strong
appeal But it was all an indefinite
something that couldn't come
to pass until the horrible war was
over. Meanwhile there were innumer-
able "ham ands' to be prepared for
Unsuitable young American appetites
Diana, busting around in immaculate
The senator rarely appeared in per-
son: he was too busy in Washington.
His infrequent visits left Diana quite
overwhelmed with fattery and ga
lantry
It did occur to the prospective
bride to wonder a little that the wom-
en- with whom she was working daily
were not more profuSe in Their con-
gratulationS upon the announcement
of the engagement; but Diana pos
sessed no exaggerated idea of her own
importance-an of course everybody
was stepped THROUGH and through with
the one idea
Mrs. Barding-Scott, who belonged in
the Airs, numera column of New
York's four hundred was working
aforgside Diana III the canteen one
dav. She watched the girl for a while
and then smoke. in her usual abrupt
.way. "Chnd are you at all interested
in suffrage?''
"Wfy never thought much about
IT" answered Diana abstractedly.
"Wouls Won like TO come with me
to a meefing this afternoon?"
An invitation from Mrs. Barding-
Scott Vas similar 70 that of queen
One did not decline. When Diana an
nouneed to her maternal parent AT
luncheon, that Mrs Barding-Scott
would call for her that afternoon
they were TO attend a meeting in com
Mrs. Wilson was so overjoyed
that she quite forgot to ask what the
meeting was about.
But at that meeting the goose of
Mrs. Wilson'S plans was cooked a
beautiful hru u For two hours Diana
sat with burning cheeks and listened
ia as : orongh a scarifying of Senator
Rrendon as the vocabularies of RI
f,-a fnfuriated women who addressed