The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1921-09-30
A MISTAKE
LOUISE M. ADDISON.


wish to announce before l begin
this tale that lack OF tact Is the
saddest human defect. AT all times
| Il is embarrassing. In some instances
1t Is criminal. For example take the
case of my cousin, George Whihietree.
When he left, about twenty years
ago, for parts unknown, we were
heartily glad to be rid OF him. he
was a tall, stumbling, dreamy sort or
fellow, who divided his time pretty
evenly between fishing and experiment.
ing with machinery Of various kinds.
Never did anything worth while, II
remember. Never gave us any warn
ing that some 'day-but i am getting
ahead of my story. Anyhow we were
glad to see the last of him. The only
one who regretted his departure was,
! believe. my brother AL, who has al
ways been rather sentimental, and ac-
tually shed tears when George went
away. l understand, too. that they
corresponded more or less regularly af-
terward.
Now. / have always maintained that
the only way TO get along comfortably
In the world is to associate with the
proper people. And in order to do this
1t Is impossible to burden oneself with
unimportant and unadorable relations.
They are handicap. When am
alone with them | don't mind recognize
ing some of my poorer, less fortunate
h,,s i,,f N nnnnlA
of standing l cannot be expected to
greet them with enthusiasm. If, fol-
lowing my theories, / made a very
natural mistake, the fault is not so
much mine as 1t Is my cousin Georges,
and is entirely due to his deplorable
lack of tact.
My wife and / were giving dinner
to a few carefully selected guests.
Everything was going on wonderful
ly well. The food was delicious, the
wines excellent, since i had spared
myself neither pains nor expense In
procuring them. And old Judge Gruff,
whose favor was particularly valuable
to me, appeared in the best Of humor.
And on this particular evening Cou-
sin George decided to infiict his pres
ence on me, after an absence Of twen-
ty years. / confess l was much an
noyed when the butler whispered that
a person calling himself George Whit
fetree was in the library and Insisted
on seeing me. With difficulty l con-
cealed my irritation, excused myself
to my guests, and walked into the next
room, where found George; little
grayer, little more wrinkled than
of yore he was, but. If possible, dream
Ter and shabbier than ever.
OF course / spoke trifle sharply.
And didn't notice the hand he held
out
"Sorry. George, but I haven't time
to do anything for you tonight. Have
company to dinner. Cook will give
you something to eat In the kitchen.
If there's anything you want come
around in the morning, and"
He looked at me with a steady stare
that irrilated me still further before
he answered.:
Thanks, old boy, but I'm afraid
won't be able to come around in the
morning"
"Sorry. Good night" And that was
the last / saw Of him.
1t was quite early when was awak-
} ened the next day. My brother Al
wished to speak to me over the phone.
"Well what Is it?" / asked GROSSLY,
for was tired after the dinner of the
previous evening.
"Say, JIM" AL was saying, George
is back from California;"
"Well, how would that interest me.
He had the nerve to come here last
night In the midst Of dinner I was
giving to Judge Gruff, and"
I could hear AL laugh before he an
swered. "Say, you bag of wind, you
pompous, empty-headed son-of-a-gun!
Do you know Judge Gruff means
precious little to George Whiffletree?
The Judge knows him and Is going to
call on him IL George has time to see
him"
"what are you talking about?"
demanded.
81 mean what say. George is worth
couple or millions, and you'd better
watch your step. He's pretty impor-
tant person where he comes from.
"But." stammered. ''he was dressed
so shabbily and he didn't say word
about"
"About being rich, hey? should
say not But he's got the dough, just
the same. II may interest you to know
that I'm going back with him. He's
giving me real job. with real money
attached to It,"
OF course II Is too late to mend mat
ters now, and my wife is very angry
with me. It seems that George ac-
cumulated vast fortune through
some invention or other, and that he
IL acquainted with some pretty good
people out West. However, can only
repeat that If ] have made mistake
II IS very natural one, for which
Georges lack Of tact is chiefly re-
IL