The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-03-24
could not come, ana 50 I was invited.

had short notice, but that Is the test Of
true greatness. I closeted myself with
The Story Tellers Guide for two hours,
and then taking half hour with an
elocutionist was in fine form, with a
good appetite, at 6:os p. N. Removing
touch of sadness and gravy from the
back of my dress coat sailed forth.
"We had some sherry in the ante-room
while we took off our rubbers, and the
dinner was very good indeed, barring a
young man who had begun dining lit
tie too early in the afternoon and who
was therefore about an octave ahead of
the music all the evening. He burned
off one lobe Of his whiskers while light
ing his cigar, and it smelled so that
three of our guests went home little
lopsided and cast down. So did the
young man.
"He reminded me somehow Of a young
and budding ass / used to know, whose
father was at one time governor of a
western territory. The governor did not
know any too much. He did not know
hardly anything. Sometimes he would
almost know something, but would be-
come nervous and forget what it was
-"Once he found that he would have to
receive great man officially at his man
sion, and his wife was away. She was
on westbound train which would reach
the capital at about the time of the re-
ception. So he wired her, care of the
conductor, that she must arrive in full
dress.
"But how?
"She decided at once, for she was a
woman of decision, even if she did not
look well in full dress. She went to the
express car and asked to be alone. The
expressman said wherefore. She said
she was the wife of the governor of the
territory and would be alone. She de-
sired to dress. He hesitated but left,
telling her that when the train got to
Antelope he would have to open the car
to let off deceased party who was billed
to that place. She said she would be all
nicely dressed by that time.
"But she was not. Being woman,
and rather gothic also, she was delayed
somewhat, and as the train rounded a
sharp curve (of its own) now and then
she would fall out of her party dress
and have to climb back again and tuck
in shoulder blade or two ever and
anon.
$50 when the train got to Antelope,
and King Solomon's Temple Lodge, R.
A. M, had come down to the depot to
take charge Of the remains Of the
deceased brother, it found highly
middle aged lady dressing in the car,
and holding a long, tan colored wisp
of hair in her teeth, while she held an
other wisp straight up and groomed it
with wire brush.
"The Masons had band also, and
while this oompah-oompah orchestra
played dirge and the expressman hand
ed out the package for Antelope he kept
his back toward the dressing room. 1t
was sad sight. On the one hand were
death and the trappings of woe; on the
other, i'll concealed charms and the trap
pings of reception. But it showed nerve
and frmness, among other things, and
thu incident is still referred to by old
timers and pointed to with pride by old
settlers who glory in the days when even
officials were ready at all times to act
upon an emergency.
Speech last night, say............. SO 90
Dinner ...."............. % w
cigar. s.s..sss.......s.. III
Balance out. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 30
Brot forward .............. ....... 40
$50 to date / am square in the whole
deal, though have placed rather mod