Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-05-16

; gets on that injured look and uses
that tone of voice-well. you know
how it is. Maybe you know what to
do at that stage of the game, too.
! don't. Up to a certain point can josh
! through a tireside debate and split
about fifty fifty. But when l get a fiat
ultimatum hurled right at my front
| teeth I'm about as much good at do
I nestle diplomacy as a bull pup tryIn
! to convince mother cat how he only
meant to take friendly sniff at her
! kittens.
| In other words. ] get mulish. Jh-
/ huh. The streak is there all right.
AS a rule 1 keep it well under the sur
| face. but once in a while. when I'm
scratched deep enough. it comes to the
top. You can almost see me wave my
| ears
"oh. have have T." says I. indicat-
\ in sarca SIN.
| No. it wasn't the familiar case of
whether or not l should wear my
openface suit to some evenin' affair.
/ We thrash that out about every so
often, and if I'd kept record of how
| nick in the wardrobe door it would be
| pretty well notched up. This was just
as serious a question. though. ANY
| way, that's the way Sadie seems to
| take it. .
You see, she had a society act all
framed up. Nothing less than an after
noon tea Course. she'd had EN- be-
| fore, but mainly they's been hen par
i ties. This one, though, was to be al
| mixed sandwich fight a he-and-she7
party. with almost everybody in the
! neighborhood who had any social rat
| in asked in. The big idea, gather.
| is to pay of lot of similar debts at
| one whack and incidentally to let GER
| tain parties know that we'd had the
| Twin room done over in old ivory and
French gray, with window hanglns
and chair GOVERNS to match. And TO
make it real smart event, one .na At
| the society note of the "Rockhurst
| Register" she'd planned to include
some choice specimens of the male
of the species. Also I'm shocked and
panied to discover that I'm expected
| to stick around durin' the tea orgie.
NO" says l. absolutely not. I've
been dragged into church weddin's, and
lived through EN-, I've managed to
Purdy- Pells': and 1 take You to dances
at the yacht club now and then. But
there's limit, Sadie, and the letterin'
on the boundary line reads Afternoon
Teas Sorry. but I'm off EN- for life
why. you've never been to one sne
Eve listened in on 'em from the out
side says l. That's enough. Honest
now, Sadie, can you picture me packed
into corner balancin' sandwich plate
hunk of cake in the other, palm leaf !
ticklin me in the neck and me tryin
to pass out the sprightly chatter to a
couple Of fat old danes like Mrs.
"Other men do it and survive" breaks
what others?" asks.
Well. Pinckney," she says.
brought up tellin' sweet young things
whether he'd have cream or two Jumps
and lemon. He was born parlor broke
and never had to learn what to do with
his hands or how to sit down in frocS S ,
coat without mussin' the tails VINO
else you got on your list?'
why" says she. "Mr. Boomer Day
is coming and the Rev, Tut and Mr..
Purdy-Pel and
''Td fit in fine with that combination nation
ask the Rev. Tut how he was bet,
tin on Dempsey or get Purdy-Pell
started satin his views on the ADMIN
or u make askin some f the ogea missus
wasn't little overweight this season?
That should have been good line.
too / leave it to you: But It don't get
me anywhere with Mrs. McCabe-tnat
a matter Of fact. it lets me in bad: She
tells me all about it, prompt and eio-
auent What is she going to say, she
wants to know. when people look around
and ask where l am: For II all tne !
other men are there and I'm missin II
win look queer. Must she admit that |
with all the trainin' I've had I'm still !
too rough in the neck to mingie IN pc.
lite society? And ifshe didn't admit It
wouldn't they think it. anyway? Ana |
how do I suppose that's going to make |
her feel? Eth? ~
Say. after two or three chapters Of
this she had me scrapin' my front hoof. |
But that mulish streak was stu I'M
| do nv 1
head stubborn and get red in the ears
"What do l care what they Think!
says I. II may be rough In the neck anu
low in the brow, but I'm not soft enough |
Not me. / know what them affairs are |
and il there is any lower form OF So
cial entertainment, SO called, from a
siwashpotlach to the annual outing OF
Plumbers Union No. rs. | amt as
covered it yet And il you think I'm
COIN to stand around iookin' foolish |!
among a lot of gabbin' women for a
whole afternoon you've got me GOVT
wrong just can't see myself dolh II.
Sadie. II 1 should I'd blush az mysen
every time l looked IN tne glass ioF Tue
And, strange to say, for once that |!
ended the argument. I'd won out But |
about two more victories like that ana
dence in Reno. Sadie don't say another
word on the subject. but could see her i
lip culver as she walked on, and Tor the
next twenty-four hours or SO my STAND
in in our happy home was about that
of a handcuffed defendant who's been
found guilty on two counts and is wait ,
in to be sentenced.
I could have stood it better If the
children hadn't somehow gathered the |
idea that I'd committed great crime |
I expect little sister was kind OF vague
about it, but from Sully's actions she
got wise that I was in deep disgrace
He discovers it durin' dinner when our
usual lively table chat gives way to a
gloomy silence.
whats matter pop?" he demands.
Nov, never mind, Suiiy, warns
.Ah. why. not tell him" says ]. |
Want him to think I've been caugh,
| in a red raid or pinched for sett1n nre
to an orphan asylum? :
goes on Sadie, ignorin' me altogether,
abut your father has seen At to class
himself as a social outlaw. He claims
that he isn't civilized enough to appear
in his own home when ! am entertain
| .'Huhp' says Sully. glancin' at me
accusin'. II know. He's goin' to- duck
Precisely says Sadie. And am
ashamed for him. cuuv ..ubv ~,
"Now that'll do from you, young
; man." says / grouchy.
1t wasn't until the next mornin'
either. that ! thought up this weak
and get him some new knicker suits
and a pair Of Shoes" says l. Re
sides, you don't want him knockin'
around while the tea party's goin' on
do you?" a.~,,
Az a general thing too that would