Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1892-05-20
CAT HOME"

the birthplace of such social gather
ings. The recipe for an AT Home"
is simple. Take out all the small ta-
bles books and TRIES that make the
room look homelike. arrange the
sofas and chairs against the walls,
order in more lights and more flowers
than are deemed sufficient for ordinary
home eyes and noses exhibit your
lion and lioness let your guests be
more numerous than your cubic feet
OF space. cook them for an hour in a
gas-heated atmosphere-and the de-
sired result is attained.
| do not often attend such festivities,
as my lot is cast in the country; but
once year | stay with an elderly
cousin in South Eaton Place and she
takes me prescribed course of
theaters, concerts. and AT Homes :"
much as later in the year she adjourns
to Homburg or Kissingen, and goes
through a course" of baths aud
tumblecs of highly favored water.
1t is 1.-THE thing" to do. so she does
it. with large expenditure of time,
money and pasteboard. Pasteboard
is the ammunition that carries the
| outworks. storms the stronghoids
| and is left afterward with other
debris, when the battle is over -
metaphorically speaking.
When make my yearly appearance
in fashionable society l look around
with amusement at the heads of the
young ladies of the period. One year
their amber chestnut or dusky tresses
according 20 your favorite novelist)
fall in loose knots at the nape of the
neck, the next they creep slowly up
the head and cluster in sausage.li like
curls on the extreme top next a
birds nest then n pineapple resting
at an anglia of forty-tive degrees.
Once more | am an on-looker at
Lady Etheldredas ''At Home" l
know my host slightly; he took me
into dinner last week at Cousin Eliza
beth's house, and for two hours we
discussed the weather. the menu and
fair trade, or free trade-l forget
which. | know my hostess gold
colored dress as we'll as l know her;
she wore it on the same occasion but
| do not know their guests.
The noise in the large drawing
room reminds me of the parrot house
at the Geological gardens, but perhaps
that is only because am not human
macaw or cockatoo myself Cousin
Elizabeth has wandered off with an
elderly diplomatist am henmed in by
fashionably stout young matron and
an attenuated young man. 1t is i'm
, tn 1
and listen to their conversation. Peo-
pie do not usually confide secrets at
the top of their voices.
so he went to Australia, " the
young matron finished her story i'm
pressively.
But whyP" urges the young man.
who has evidently not been attending
mo one knows exactly. lie was
really clever you know. wrote books"
lin tone OF awe) land went every
whore. He was private secretary to
Disraeli or Gladstone or somebody.
and the girls father quarreled with
him about politics. and forbade him
the house. And she was patient
Grizel-sort OF daughter, and-let him
CO."
land Crofton went to Australia"
the young man repeats thoughtfully.
''He was in my year at Cambridge
and my first friend. / should like to
see him again; some one told me he
was coming home"
The conversation interested me- SO
another girl mean middle-aged
woman-had been sacrificed TO her
fathers within. She to politics. / to
trade. When Neville Surtees asked
me long ago in that pleasant May
term at Cambridge. to be his wife.
had consented gladly readily; but
when he asked my father to give his
consent. very serious blow await
ed us.
who is Neville Surteesp" ASKED
my father bandly; Il will never give
my only child to nobody. The Sur
tees are in trade, the son is to be a
partner? No matter that he is clever
and an unpaid secretary TO cabinet
minister all the more fool he nv
dear for doing somebody's dirty work
without getting paid for it. If you
marry Surtees Dulce, you will never
have farthing of my money, and
what is more. you will never see my
lace again. So choose between us.
You know | mean what say"
How well / remember his look his
eyes gllttering, his whole face set in
lines of obstinate immovability. Yes
knew that he meant what he said
and calling to mind the lesson my
mother taught me before she left this
weary life, namely. that 'honoring"
your parents included loving" and
'obeying' them, I-sent Neville
away.
What matter that my heart broke?
He could not have cared. for all these
weary years he never sent me ono
word OF remembrance not even when
i become free.
heard through other friends that
/ he had thrown up his secretaryship
and brilliant literary career. and had
gone abroad as manager of a colonial
branch of his fathers business. but
never anything more. Never any
thing more,
There he is! There is Croftonm
The voices break in on my reverie
and look mechanically at the door
way. Standing there. head and Shout
dcrs above his ne ghbors. is tall
man. his face browN and deeply lined.
heavy dark mustache partly hid ng a
determined mouth
1t is Neville Srrteesl
A curious sort of singing noise
comes in my ears and all ut once the