The Press., 1893-02-09
A PERPLEXED HOST.
A TURKEY DINNER AT WHICH THE
 BIG TURKEY WAS ABSENT.

How a Crowd of Country Lads Spoiled a
 Nicely Planned Feast-Mysterious Dis appearance of a Roast Turkey The Flight of Tender NTorseI.
 1 A gentleman noted for his originality made the following improvement to the old saying, "Theres many slip 'twixt the cup and the saucer" the other day in speaking of a disappointment friend of his had experienced in losing his din- ner through missing train-a dinner to which he had been invited and at which he had been selected to respond to one of the toasts.
 The simple missing of the dinner was more than set off at the old c neral Shields hotel, on the West Chester pike A company of twelve Philadelphians in terested in real estate developments had | gone out in the country for the purpose z looking about for profitable invest ments, and had sent word to the proprie- | tor of the old hostelry of their coming and ordered an old fashioned turkey din ner to be ready at 6 o'clock.
 The order put the proprietor in his best humor and the entire establishment into an unusual furry of exciting prepara tion. The hostler hurried to the nearest farmhouse, where he puA,hased the finest turkey to be had, and carried ii back to the hotel in triumph. Taking it into the stable he dispatched and plucked it in great haste. Everything was excitement in the large kitchen from the time the order was announced Il til late in the afternoon, when the last dish was ready to be carried to the dining room.
 The news of. the gentlemen coming spread through the village, and every one felt duty bound to go to the hotel and see them, and none took greater interest in the affair than the boys. They had finished their chores unusually early and were promptly on hand long before the hour of serving the supper Of the entire community none fe.. his personal importance more than Dave Peters, the colored waiter.
 Dave was of portly build and prided himself in his appearance, and if he had hatred for one thing more than any other, that thing was claw hammer coat, which he said belonged to society gentlemen and not to waiter, conse- quently he held to the old fashioned roundabout jacket. Just before the time for announcing that dinner was ready number of the village boys stood peering through one of the dining room windows, watching Dave arrange the different dishes on the table and ad- miring the display made by the twelve napkins in as many cut glass goblets.
 After viewing the effects of the table with a countenance beaming with satisfaction, Dave strutted toward the door and disappeared by descending the stairs leading to the kitchen, and few moments later reappeared, carrying on large dish the turkey, done to d lovely brown and beautifully garnished with carved roses, sprays of parsley and eel cry tops. Walking toward the table he found that no room had been left for the central and chief adornment of the table. Taking the situation in at a glance, Dave saw his mistake, and hur- riedly set the dish down upon the broad sill of the window throug gh which the boys were peering, and began rearrang- ing the table to make room for the turkey.
 No sooner had he turned his back to the. window than one of the boys softly