The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-11-30

| up from Manassas junction to spend
the day with his family, and that was
where the trouble began.
He was an eminently respectable old
man, and when he had gotten himself
after much grooming and the assist
ance of his wife, the cook, into an old
dress suit of Mr.. Grimm's, he looked as
if he knew the proper thing to do,
| which was far from the case. His wife
had been doubtful from the first. "He
kin drive a lerrige jest lovely, Miss
| Maria" she said, but he doan know
| nuthin' bout waitin.'''
But Fanny can drill him." Miss
Maria had said, airily, as she set out tc
Thanksgiving services in company with
her husband.
Fanny. dressed in new gown and
with a huge white cap on her very
black head, admitted the guests with a
have befitted servitor of fifty years.
Fanny had woeful misgivings. Jupiter,
her father, had not proven . very apt
pupil. He asked many strange ques-
tions after he had insisted that he un-
derstood everything. The buffers
pantry was too small to hold them
both or she would have remained by
her parent during the ordeal; but she
stationed herself at the foot of the
dumb waiter to admonish in stage
whispers if necessary.
Jupiter wiped the perspiration from
his brow with a red bsndanna and car
ried the silver tureen. With the ex-
ception that he put his thumb in Mr. de
Posts soup and then wiped it dry with
his bandanna, that portion of the ban
quet progressed favorably. But when
the raw oysters were served he tools a
plate of macaroons from the side
board, and, doubtless installing them
for a new variety of crackers, gravely
offered them. The hostess flushed vio-
lently and tried to distract attention
from her husband who. though he said
only few words to Jupiter, had looked
such unutterable things as to cause
him to drop the dish on the sideboard
with a bang. Presently he barely
grazed tho minister's head with the
turkey platter. Feeling that energy
might compensate for the vacuity ex-
listing in his mind, Jupiter proceeded to
ply every one with the dishes on the
table. Sailed almonds and bonbons
careered about the board with light
ming rapidity. He even grasped the
trust seemed to seize him and he
dropped the dish. He was breathing
heavily and each moment his unwonted
apparel seemed to grow smaller for
him.
The hostess strove bravely to appear
as if this was daily occurrence in every
well regulated household, and that a
stream of gravy extending across the
cloth and down breadth Of her best
gown was merely an adjunct of
Thanksgiving. The host forgot all the
speeches he had intended to make in
praise Of the president-electa and all the
subtle antennae of diplomacy that he
was going to put forth to the minister
by way of starting affairs. He could
only feel rather than see, for he scarce
dared look up. That Mr.. de Post and
the executive-elect's cousin were stor-
ing fund of anecdote that would re-
gale many a dinner table-he had
caught sufficient of their exchange of
glances to rest assured of.
AS for the minister, his kindness Of
heart was as prcverbial as was his
sense of humor. If he laughed rather
more heartily at his own stories than
was his won't both host and hostess
were thankful to him for diverting
some small degree of attention from
Jupiter aimless and comical gyrations.
Jupiter, you have not served the
tomatoes" said Mrs. Grimm. Mr..
Grimm felt the perspiration start ont on
the back of his neck; he was wondering
what new catastrophe was in store.
AS for Jupiter, he smiled blandly. Here
at least was something he could engi-
neer. "Tomattuses.' he ordered of
Fanny. A great whispering ensued,
then came a pounding on Che dumb