The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1920-10-26
Revelations
of o. Wife
Mrs. Smith Tries to "Put One Over"
By ADELE GARRISON.

Here she comes!'
The whisper ran frlHn one to an
other of the crowd Of women in the
assembly rooms Of the Lotus Study
club as Mrs. Helen Brainerd Smith,
secretary of the club, made her be-
lated entrance.
To me, chatting in my corner at her
rudeness. her manner of coming into
the room seemed insoIentty conde-
scending, majestic, even regal, as her
progress down the aisle was.
When she had engaged me to give
the course of lectures on history to
the club she had asked me to be at
the club rooms a half hour before the
| meeting time on the day of my first
lecture. BY taking her at her word I
| had been uncomfortably waiting, a
stranger and alone. while the members
of the club, unaware of my identity,
gossiped freely of me and my work.
See the conquering heroine comes" "
jibed a voice behind me in whisper.
Acts as if she owned the place and
it's inhabitants" returned the woman
beside her.
| MY dear, she actually does!" said
the first speaker. "She was born in
this house and it belongs to her from
chimney to cellar. She practically gives
It's use to the club-it's the price she
| pays for being absolute dictator Of the
organization.
| From their remarks before Mrs.
| Smith entered the room, had discov-
| cred that the women behind me were
newspaper reporters. and I shameless
| ly listened to their revelations.
Pretty steep price for being dicta-
tor of this outfit"
Much she cares about this. Shed
| drop it in a minute, if it had served
her purpose. She has an insane ambi-
| ton to be the queen bee OF the big
| crowd, the Federation, you know. The
fact that she's whole thing here gives
her a chance to get into the papers
| and accords her a certain amount OF
prestige in the state organization. She s
| foxy. She'll never take the presidency
/ Of this club, wants to serve in hum
bier capacity and all that kind of rot
| But she runs things with an iron hand,
and the president is always her pup
| pet. Look at the specimen up there
now"
poor little rabbit" said the other
woman, and I agreed with her as r
watched the timid, appealing looking
little woman who stepped to the speak
er's desk and looked hesitatingly over
the assemblage.
| Mrs. Graham on Inspection.
'Is Mrs Graham here?" she asked.
IF so, will she come up here, please?"
My face was white with anger and
| embarra ssment as I stepped out from
4,
the consciousness that every pair of
eyes in the room was focused on my
back. I had a primitive desire to strike
the patronizing smile from Mrs.
Smiths face as standing by the presi-
dent, she watched my progress toward
her. I have always had dread,
amounting almost to an obsession, of
having people stare at me. 1t was hard
enough for me to undertake the lee
lures without having this ordeal thrust
upon me.
But knew that this my first appear |
ance before women whom I had been
engaged to instruct, was no time to
show any resentment, so I steeled my |
self to calmness and presented a cour-
teous if unsmiling demeanor to Mrs.
Smiths smile of greeting, and intro
duction to the president. Mrs Bent I
$50 sorry to have been unable to
greet you," she said, with mechanical
courtesy, but I was unavoidably de-
1ayed Really, however, there was moth
ing for me to say to you. OF course you
have your talk all ready, and as soon (
as the business meeting is over the
members of the history course will
come forward. Mrs. Bent will introduce
you, and you can go right on with the
work. Is there anything you need for
your lecturer"
IT must have a large blackboard a
pointer and some white and colored
chalk" I said with decision. I had
made up my mind that the best way to
deal with Mrs. Smith was to be as
uncompromising as she wass IT can get
along without them for this opening
lecture. but I must have them here
before the next. The necessary maps
will provide. A school publishing
house I know will lend them to me, de-
liver them here and take them away
again. provided they can be safeguard
ed while here"
"Of course they will be safe here"
Mrs. Smith retorted, and if you will
order the blackboard and other things
sent up. 1 will arrange for their pay
ment with you. Now if you will just
take this seat and wait until the bus
mess meeting is over 1t will be a short
one. for our meetings close always at
half past 4 and of course you want
plenty of time.
When Check Time Came.
sank into the seat she indicated
and tried to collect my scattered ideas
in order to be ready srhen the time
came for me to speak.
Mrs. Smith arose, and in a careful
modulated voice read the minutes,
which to do her Justice were written
in remarkably clear and concise FASH
ion. They were adopted with the US
uaI mechanical formula. and then