Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-09-01
Here is a situation every one likes to

Here is situation every one likes to
be in:
To be at a meal or show or in general
conversation with two other persons
| each of whom talks to the other about
subject one knows absolutely nothing
about.
This, Of course, is bad manners, un-
doubleday, but 1t is very common, and
likely to happen among people who
ought to and do know better.
You chance to be with one friend
when an acquaintance Of his comes
along whom he has not seen for sew
eral years.
They get to talking about the folks
back home"
The first thing you know you are en-
tirely out of the conversation, forgotten
in the stream of "reminiscences Per-
sons you have never heard OF become
the center of conversation.
Happenings utterly unknown to you
| suddenly become Of amazing Importance
to these others, who talk and smile as
i if they had found perennial mine OF
| conversational material.
The worst form Of this bore, perhaps
lies In shop talk.
1t might seem that when three per-
/ sons are together, any two of them
| might refrain from talking about some
thing or other in which the third l.
| not interested.
Perhaps women are the worst of.
tenders One Of them invites two other:
to go to a movie with her. 1t happen;
that one of these has a husband whose
line of work Is the same as that Of the
husband Of the lady issuing the invi-
tation.
The third girls husband is in a to.
| tally different line of activity.
No sooner do the three get seated al
the theater than the two start in or
their mutual subject, making the thirc
wish that she had not come at all.
This is an all-too common occurrence
as most people know from having ex-
| perienced its Ill effects at some time OF
other. Occasionally it is difficult fol
the victim to feel that the thing is MOI
intentional. At least. no particular
pains were taken to refrain from 1t
the one-Sided conversation is "a sort o.
insult.
1t is an insult, because it leaves one
| out in the cold, when one is actually
sitting in. 1t inflicts the pangs Of soil.
| tude on perfectly innocent person. i
| literally gives the unoffending thirC
| person the cold shoulder.
| Mostly this two-way conversation /.
not done maliciously, let it be admitted
J 1t arises because two people have some.
thing in common which the other doe
not possess with them.
Ordinary courtesy, however, woulC
dictate that they hold such material IL
allegiance. or at least explain enough OF
| 1T to the other to permit him an in.
| telligent grasp of the situation. Thi
| latter course Is seldom successful, il
| must be admitted.
The matter under discussion, beinE
| personal between the two. is not o.
| the sort which a third person can dis
cuss sensibly, and most people ar,
aware of the fact.
Why are you so quiet?" one Of the
! guilty may ask
II the third person were as rude a!
haven't any manners"
But that, of course, would be i'm
polite!
The person who gets caught in on
| of these two-way conversations, viii
/ vow never to let himself get caught
| again, If he can help it.
Often he cannot help it.
The third person enters, and the day
is lost
Then all he can do is try to lool
Indifferent, perhaps drum on the table
| or attempt to change the conversation
Turning the conversation is one Of
| the great delights in life. More time
| ought to be put on learning it. NJ
| doubt a helpful book could be written
about 1t, for there are many situation!
when knowledge Of this art comes II
mighty handy.
In those embarrassing situation
which arise at times in all groups, ant