The Progress. (Shreveport, La.) 1892-1900, 1892-08-27

"She says you may hev 1t and wei
come" was the message, land she told
me to bring out all Miss Mayhew's best
chany and to rub the silver and see to
the fine tablecloths and napkins. She
thought you'd want the two tables put
together just as they used to hev them
in Mother Mayhew's time ut Thanks
givin. and she says you amt to buy
nothin as we hev store of in the house.
l didn't mention them extrys-ice cream
and chicking-for | knew 1t would
worry her. She looked real pleased
when spoke about the tea; tlutterin
red come into her cheek, and her eyes
were bright and she seemed trembly
and excited. | guess she's got real hos
pitable feelins, as much as anybody ]
ever knowed. She'd hev been CHAD &c
ask folks to the house all these years since
her mother died, only when she come &c
plan about company she sunk night
down weak as water"
Mrs. Whitcumb was paying but slight
attention to AIMS remarks, mumhled.
too, as they were. in her throat, as she
put away the dishes on the pantry
shelves.
III tell you, Ann" she said, coming
out of her calculations about floating
island and plum cake, I'm going to
send out cards as they do in cities-New
York and Boston and other big places;
Mrs. Josiah Whitcumb, at home at the
Mayhem house, on Thursday. Tea at
six o'clock, in one corner, you know. i
don't know as they've got that style yet in
Littlefeld. shall mail the caro-. today,
and the tea party on Thursday will
come in handy. The washin and ironin
will be out of the way, ami sweepin not
till Friday. shall try not to do much
underfoot, Ann; I'm pretty good cake
and biscuit baker, and IL you can man
age to let me have the kitchen stove"-
Ann cut her short with a character
istic speech. II shall do nil that com
ports with my part of the house, Mrs.
Whitcumb, and you can hev full swing"
Sister Martha loved the hustle of prep
aration. She was now i'll her element AZ
she tied on her bonnet, and stepped
away down town to procure visiting
cards. She smiled visibly as she thought
of the ease with which the kitchen GER
berus had swallowed her sop. The re-
mainder of the day she occupied her
sister-in-law's deserted sitting room,
busy writing cards of invitation. She
had made out list like any other fash
ionable lady who means to he very ex-
elusive and select. The cards were to
be severely limited to those among her
Littletield acquaintance who, in her
own phrase, had paid her attentions.
There were the minister and his WIFE
On a previous visit she had been asked
to a sewing circle at the parsonage; and
Deacon Folsom and lady, and the Stoves
three maiden sisters, and Miss Hattie
Warren and her old bachelor brother.
At last she came to the name of Bligh
on the list. She hardly knew why she
had put it there. A kind of dare devil
impulse, she sur1nised. had ilnpelled her
to write it down. The captain was an
old acquaintance and near neighbor.
and why should she not ask him to her
tea? Yes; she would. He might swear
some when he got the invitation. She
thought she could see him glowering at
it before he chucked it into the fire.
The card was written and lay before
her; in the left hand lower corner, Tea
at six o'clock" in the opposite corner,
"R. S. V. p" Mrs. Whitcumb did not
know rightly what those magic letters
stood for, but she had seen them on
invitations and she was de- |
termined to have the very latest |
wrinkle" at her tea party. Slowly she |
the envelope, Captain George
Bligh." There were other Blighs in
and she meant there should !
be no mistake. She sat and nibbled the
end of her pen, conjuring mp pleasant
images of the discontinue of the people /
who would find themselves left out in
the cold. The Woods, who lived over
the way, and the fuckers, who lived |
next door, neither of these families were
on the list; neither Of them had ever Of |
fered her the hospitality of so much as Il
family tea or a picked up dinner.
Mrs. Whitcumb anticipated the flip |
this unwonted invitation to the old May |
hew homestead would give to the stag
nation of a certain circle in Littleheld. |
She relished the modification of the
Woods and fuckers in advance, and pic