Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1893-05-06
A PERPLEXED HOST.
A TURKEY DINNER AT WHICH THE
BIG TURKEY WAS ABSENT.

How Crowd OF Country Lads spoiled
Nicely Planned Feast-sfysterlous Dis
appearance of q Roast Turkey - The
flight of "a Tender Morsei.
A gentleman noted for his originality
made the following improvement to the
old saying, There's many slip 'twixt
the cup and the saucer" the other lay
In speaking of disappointment friend
of his had experienced in losing his dim
ner through missing n 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 General
Shields hotel, on the West Chester pike
A company of twelve Philadelphans in
| terested in real estate developments had
gone out in the country for the purpose
of 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 o'clock.
The order put the proprietor III his best
humor and the entire establishment into
an unusual furry Of exciting prepare
ton. The hostler hurried to the nearest
farmhouse. where he purchased the
finest turkey to he had. and carried it
back TO the hotel in triumph. Taking
il into the stable he dispatched aud
plucked it in great haste. Everything
was excitement in the large kitchen from
the time the order was announced until
late in the afternoon. when the last dish
4. 4 IL. 4
room.
The news Of the gentlemen coming
spread through the village, and every
one felt duty bound TO 20 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 felt 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
a hatred for one thing more than any
other, that thing was claw hammer
coat. which he said belonged to society
gentlemen and not To IA 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 n 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
: q large dish the turkey. done to- a 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
y sill of the window through which tine
= boys were peering, and began rearrang
ing the table to make room for the
% turkey.
I No sooner had he turned his back 10
Y the window than one of the boys softly
l. and quietly raised the sash, while an
y other grabbed the turkey from the dish
and fled across the hotel yard toward
the old stable. followed by his coinpan-
ions. After making room for the large
!" dish Dave turned around, stepped to the
: window, raised the dish and placed it in
% its position in the center Of the table.
- never noticing that the bird had flown.
p Going TO the sidebOard he picked mp the
supper bell and gave il violent ring.
y thus notifying the host that dinner was
ready.
: This way, gentlemen; this way.
= please" spoke the proprietor to his
! guests: "step this way. gentlemen
= leading them through narrow passage
from the bar TO the dining room. Nc
y sooner had he reached the dining room
= y than his gaze fell upon the empty plate
~ when he exclaimed, David where in
- the name of General jackson is that
: turkey
:. :, Poor Dave! Never was man taken
" more by surprise. When for the frs;
!. time he noticed the broken platter III.
:" broad smile vanished. In an instant hi,
; jaw fell and his large eyeballs stared
:. most frightfully, while his whole fran.
= shook with terrible tremor. All h.
could say in reply TO the abrupt and EN-
phatic question was, Don't know. sir
1t was dar. it was dar, and hurrying t.
the kitchen stairs he shouted down
OF you. Pheby, whar in debts dat tur
ps KEY
no .Go erlong now, you's got II up da
ie' long ergo" The disappearance was no
only mystery to the waiter and cook
81 but to the proprietor as well, who IN al
no apologize manner asked the guests L
Oh repair again to the barroom while
" thorough investigation could be made
~ Every one in the house, including TN
hs hostler was questioned and cross ques
re toned. yet no light could be thrown o.
" the mystery. After wasting an hour Il
ee trying to find the missing bird, and afte
- consultation with the guests, fried han
~ and eggs were substituted for the turkey
~ II was not till two hours later. whe
~ the guests were about to depart, that tn
proprietor learned what had become q
the turkey. One Of the boys. more boil
than his companions, came back to III
ne hotel to see how the joke worked, an
ne thinking the story Of the birds disaI
nj pearance too good to keep, told IL to ON
al of the men that were lettering about tn