Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1919-04-25

The New Member


why, how do you do? I'm 80 glad
to see you!" the hostess said cor
daily. The ladies SAID we should
have new member at the club today,
but | wasn't there ast meeting and
30 didn't have the pleasure of meet
ing you. Let Inc take your coat. I'm
so sorry to have kept you waiting.
but YOU know we don't usually meet
before and it isn't quite l 80, is III
It's no matter, of course, for on be
Ing a new member wouldn't be apt to
know Just when we did begin, would
YOU? Anyhow. I'm ever so glad to
see YOU"
1T happens that my topic is not"
The other woman got no further.
"Oh. you're not expected to have
topic when you're new. We let you
get acquainted with our ways first
and then We assign topics. To-day
mine is The Wives of Henry WIZ
and you've no idea how interesting it
is. Did you know he had six wives?
Think of it! | suppose did know.
put Npu ptt pilC III Sflh 6b tiHlly III
these days. We started this club be
cause we found we knew SO little
about history. especially Russia, and
SO we began back in the middle ages
to study things.
1T goes rather slow and | have
estimated that Wen get to the pres
ent time in about two years. II gets
very interesting. tho. and were get.
ting to know u lot about kings and
things like that. You see. there's so
much in the papers about the differ
ent kings and you feel sort Of strange
when you read about them unless you
know Henry VIII, and his son George
Let me see, was his son George?
i've forgotten, fear. but I've writ
ten it all down and | fmd it makes
one so much more intelligent just to
know about 1t all. iou1l enjoy it. =
Il should like" said the caller. Ito
get you as interested in
Don't suggest anything now,
please. I've played bridge without end,
danced all the new things and worked
for the Delsians, so | don't feel like
taking up anything else just now. or
course bridge isn't new, but the 9th
er things are. | know you're going
to enjoy our little club. There are
a number OF very brilliant people N
it, especially Mrs. Dunbar ! suppose
you know her. Everybody docs, she's
ft1a I'u1l
of unusual words, you know. and she
can quote French and all that. AT
one of the meetings she talked so
well about the great writers OF the
times like the Cabots, you know, Eve
forgotten all she did say, but she
spoke of Columbus and some Of the
other gentlemen Who came over here
and started settlements. 1t must have
done the Indians lot of. good, you
know; like Huh House today. Aren't
you interested in the up,llt move
ment?'
"Of course, but st now an r.p
resentng "a"
"Oh. well, as / said before the
hostess went on tactfully, 'one can't
be in everything. I've often thought
of it when I've joined anything rev.
The thins | stay out Of is always be
ing doomed with pictures in the pa
pers and all that. but if | JOIN any
thing it's sure TO bn one Of these
things that take pride in being quiet
and ineonspicuous. | think that's all
IrKpV,y hf.AF Ill,
to belong to q thing that other PEG
pie have heard about, so that they II
say, Oh. yes, know. when you speak
of it, especially if ii meets at fine
hotel. It's like the place where you
live, don't you know. You don't want
people to say, Just where is ina"
when ysu tell your address. That's
what we thought when we came here,
It's little noisy and dusty, but you
don't have to explain that it's near
anything. Everybody knows. OF
course, it's a nice apartment. Ii looks
as if we paid $40 for it at least bu.
we don't, not quite. one has 90 pay
so much for everything nowadays. Alb
solutely nothing is cheap any more
Il could very confidently" began
the other woman,
"Oh, you brought your Scwing,
didn't you? I'm Sc glad you aid, be-
cause | want TO finish some cross
stitch work l have on hand and am
so anxious to finish. What are you
working on?'
Il represent photographer whom
you all know" the caller said hurried,
~. He is offering line of excellent
photographs for almost nothing.
am canyassing the neighborhood-'
For goodness sake" exclaimed the
hostess as she closed the door after
the hasty departure OF her caller
"That comes Of people dressing Sc
plainly at these meetings. I'm going
to introduce a resolution i'll favor OF