Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 57, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1917 — Cured [ARTICLE]

Cured

“Never again as long as 1 live will. I tell an untruth,” declared Marjory, emphatically, throwing herself in a heap on the "Not even the whitest of white lies., That’s positive.” "And the reason for this beautiful resolution?” inquired her married sister, in whose house Marjory had taken refuge. ~' r ~- - “It’s not. from any moral Bcruples that I have registered this\ vow,” sighed Marjory, reveling in the- wickedness of her confession, "but simply because I have, come to the concluleion that lies, don’t pay.” “Tell npe what happened when you forsook the truth,” safft the interested sister.’ “This morning the thermometer read 101 degrees in the shade, and there wasn’t any shade,” related Marjory. “I had just returned home from a strenuous house at Dorothy’s bungalow, much the worse for wear. Simply exhausted and hating everybody, I‘flung the contents of my suitcase Into their respective places, -pumped Into my kimono, pulled down the shades, locked my door, tErew myself on the bed, and sighed of contentment. “Then the telephone rang. Such a long, vicious ring, too. As I went out into the hall to answer it I said to myself: ‘lf that is King George, and if he qpks me to go in an aeroplane e *wjth hini, T shall refuse. I wouldn't accept an invitation even from Bob himself, today.’ ** ‘Yes, this is Marjoryl told the telephone. ‘Oh, Tm dreadfully, dreadfully sorry, Puss, but I won’t be.home this afternoon. You were coming jRo spend the afternoon with me? What a shame that I can’t be here! I am just going downtown this’minute. I have some important shopping.’ * That’ll what I shamelessly *told her. “‘Going downtown?” Puss said over the ‘phone, ‘How perfectly grand! You dear, sweet thing, I know you will match some Irish crochet lace for me. We have the dressmaker here. I’ll bring the sample right over.’ , j “Then before I could say ‘Peter Pepper’ that awful girl had hung up the receiver! “Mildred Morton Morse, maybe I wasn’t angry! I was furious. Here was a whole afternoon spoiled by having to rush downtown in the broiling sun to match a sample of lace, for* a girl whom I see only about twice a year, and whom I don’t care two straws for! “As there was no one to open the door for Puss and her sample, I had to dress in a perfect whirlwind rush — and I looked it, too. When I got downtown. my irnt #ras over one ear. my veil was over the other, my sailor collar had worked Its front view to the rear, my white buckskin shoes begged for a shine, my gloves sympathized with the mistreated shoes, and my hair was done in a wad on the top of " my head in a most original and unbecoming manner. The perspiration rolled in rivulets off my face. I looked hideous, that's all. My one and only fervent wish was that I might meet. no one I knew. “Well, as I stepped off the car I ran,fetraight into Bob, Bob’s mother, Bob’s father, Bob’s two sisters and Bob's grandmother. They were all coming from their Michigan home for some sort of a family reunion, or something. Bob has been so anxious for me to meet his family, and I wanted to make a good impression on them because —well, Bob is Boh, you know,.,

“There I stood like a scarecrow. Bob looked at me wonderingly as he ‘lntroduced me to his tribe. It,seemed to me that there were hundreds of them. Tho they all said, ‘We’rfe plhased to meet you, for we’ve heard so much about you,’ I know, they were thinking, ‘What under the sun can Bob see in that awful girl?’ “I said goodby as quickly as I could and rushed- away, disgusted with Bob, his family, Puss, myself and the whole wide world in general. Hurrying to the lace counter, I discovered that I the miserable sample, so I couldn’t get the lace. Then I jumped on the car, and here I am awreck. I come to you for any oomfnrt you. may have in stock. “Please ’phone to Puss for me. Tell her that I didn’t gef the lace because I lost the sample. And that l ant glad of it. Tell her that I didn't have any downtown shopping of my own this afternoon. Tell her that if she had a molecule of sense she wouldn’t want to Inflict herself on innocent people in such ho* weather. Tell her that If Bob breaks our engagement It will be on her conscience, and that I bate her anyway. • "The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth for me! I can see already that I’m going to be unpopular.” - ■- —.-