Evening star., 1927-10-20
SUB ROSA
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ny MIMI.
Danger of Knocking.
ny MIMI.

Yes, | know II my readers VIII say
Goodness, that woman Mimi has been
writing articles on the subject OF
knocking for the last five years. What's
the matter, Is she running out Of
ideaS?" But here I am again, per
siStent. patient and determined
You women have got to understand
the danger Of knocking each other,
No matter how loud or how hard ]
preach, there still seem to be Few
thousand young idiots who find their
greatest pleasure in knocking some
other giri-~usual|y with the idea ot be
littling her in the eyes OF man.
From time TO time I've 10 SAD
stories Of the folly of knocking Now
here's another, from perhaps niue
different angle.
We were SIX at dinner the other
nicht~dinner and show and night
club afterward We we're al dressed
up 10 kill and the men were atfrac'
tive.
The girls wero Grace. Betty and my
self. Grace is a flaming young thing
with more viv0cty than she knows
what to do with, a beautiful face, ana
a rather catty tongue.
Betty was q stranger Betty had
been brought along because Angela
wasn't available Angela had sent
.
nice Kid who hadn't been ont very
much and needed encouragement.
After one look at the poor child,
Grace decided she would not he the
one to do the encouraging.
Betty was small, shy and demure
She had a heavenly face, perfect
figure. sweet dress, hut they didn't
DO her much good, She lacked the
seIfconhdancc and poisa 10 put it over.
Grace hadn't the faintcst Intention
Of giving her sclf-contidcnce 30 attract
men with. Not Grace.
So she adopted that insuffAr7hle
manner which older girls sometimes
Use to YOUNG ones~an unpleasant mix
tnrr Of patronage and faint derision.
She called Betty "ehild She wink
cd AT the boys when Betty timdly ven
tpred n rcmark. She shricked with
laughter when the little girl unused 10
sonhisiicated prattle. opened her eyoS
wide at things she didn't understand.
And If looked fairly gloomy for the
Youngest member Of the party at the
finish Of dinner,
on the way on -Yffe Of the hoys said
10 ms: Gosh That poor Kid doeSn
get much peace with Grace, does she?
He was Graces especial Romeo. and
she might have had the sense to let
up if she'd heard him. But she ddn {.
At the lheater he sat next to the
stranger. and ] noticed that the Httle
girl seemed to be chatting easily
enough Grace didn't notice her al
all II might have been better for her
If she had,
We got to the night club At 1870,
and as the music was doing a Synca-
patton we we're ali on our feet, ready
to dance in q minute.
Retty was the first on The floor
Betty and Derek. Graces own hoy
friend Grace stared. looked at me
with raised eyebrows, and stepped off
with Johnnie.
Back At the table again. Retty
amazed us by laughing out loud, quite
naturally and quite happily.
Johnnie leaned across The table e.
ask about the Joke. Betty gave him
glance from her big. dark velvetT
eyes. and another good man was gone.
Grace and had all We could do to
get a dance after that. Tho men cf
the party seemed 10 want To line up n
battalion formation and cut in on the
poor little stra neer who had m.ralr}-
lousy become Il sparkling-eNed. flushed
young person. fun of chuckleS and vi
Vacity 10 match Grace's own.
of course, mllady Grace was I'm eight
different kinds 81 fits, but IL didn't do
her much good. She herself had
started all the trouble.
If she had let Betty alone. been
sweet and friendly to her. given the
little thing chance 1T having q good
time, it isn't likely that Derell would
have taken such particular pains to he
nice tO her.
lie might have danced with her. But
he wouldn't have made a dead set at
her, as he did He started out of piry,
and he ended because he was enjoying
himself.
When the other men saw him giving
the new girl terrific rush they
focked around the way men always
do--and the evening was Bettys.
Which, as I have said a hundred
times before. is just another trag;c
tale Of how little knocking pays.
tCopvrlght 1877
Mimi viii he glad 10 answer any Inquiries
directed 10 thfs paper. provided = stamped,
addressed en- .eioDe ls ncosea