The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1895-11-07
4 STORY OF TEAcUPS

There Ia almost always In eyery ram,
ily some one thing that Ia It's spscial
pride. In yours IL may be phoice bit
81 painting; in mine, let me whisper,
it is q rare old book with illuminated
covers, aud in the Jennings family II
island has been ever since Ihnve known
them. \ delicate set of blue India
china
The jennings live In . rocmy, old.
fashioned farmhouse, with = broad
porch and high pillars, fronting on
the lake. II was this that suggested
their taking summer boaruers Mr..
and Mrs. Briarley discovered them
FIRST and knocked ut the door and
begged to he taken in. and AIr and
Mrs. Jennings hadn'tfhe heart to send
them away. Next year they told their
friends, and was one Of them, and all
their friends told their friends, until
now every summer the Jennings house
ID SO crowded that the gentlemen talk
about hanging themselves up in trees
4 for the night, and some OF them have
gone so far as TO hang themselves
up in hammoclss out on the broad
verandR
Although Mrsl Jennings ID proud OF
her blue china she does not tiaunt 1t
before the eyes of her less fortunate
boarders, whether for fear OF exciting
their envy OF that absent-minded Mr..
Van Duyne, the artist. should Zip over
his tea and knock of the handle OF his
cup, or that Mary in the kitchen
should crack . plate with too hot
water, ] do not know. Certain it is
that 1t IN only ON httingly rare occa-
sions that the rare china Is placed At
our service.
The first time saw 1t was ON Mrs
Briarley's birthday. When the bell
rang for tea. and we all came rushing
ia from the orchard, tho rocks down
by the lake and the hammocks on the
veranda. every buarder stopped short
and Razed with delight upon the white
cloth, and the dainty, aristocratic
blue and white china with its fiaring
cups, deep sancers and hat little
piatek Mrs. Briarley looked pleased
as girl, and Dolly. who is her seven
year-old daughter, seized Mr. Van
Dnyne by both hands and they pro
ceeded to execute some sort Of wild
fantastic dance across the whole length
of the dining-room-
/ really don't know what would have
become of Mr.. Van Duyne if it hadn't
been for Dolly. Itis my honest opinion
that he would have starved TO dsath-
ne never, under any circumstances,
heard the beil-he Was alweys too
deeply engrosEed in "A Study Of the
Rocks or THE Coming Twilight :"
Dolly had constituted him her special
charge. aud at the first sound OF the
teabell she started forth 10 hunt him
up Dolly was general iavorite with
all of us. and the only child about. !
used to wonder sometimes il she didn't
get lonesome, but she seemed very
well content with MS grown-up folks,
and at times would take her dolls and
60 OF By herself 70 her playhouse, !"
ahe called it. in field somewhere adj
joining the orchard. Mrs. jennings
freqnently gave her cake and cookies
for tea parties to be held with her
dolls in her '.plavhonse.n Mr.. Van
Duyne was, / think, the only .'real
live person who had ever been in
vited to attend. He told me when he
came back that he meant to make .
picture of it. = But. dear mel ii Mr..
Van Duyne had painted all the pic
lures ne meant to paint, or, for that
matter, finished all those he began,
there would have been sufficient e
furnish m art gallery.
But, pictures or no pictures, he and
Dolly were the best Of friantis. and ths
night Of Mrs. Briarley's birthday vied
with each other IN their lavish admir-
alton of the blue china tea set.
Either there were no birthdays aftei
that or no one Of SO much Importance
as Mrs. BriarIey, for orilirary chins
suficed each meal Then M hriaricy
was suddenly called home on business
and Mrs BriarIey and Dolly went viii
him
1t was rather lonesome after this
and everything moved along in yer,
calm, uneventful sort Of way until In,
day Of my birthday. ! don't know
how in the world they found on
that it was my birthday, nm
less Mr. Van Duyne saw it in Dolly
..birthday book" But, Is sourd on
Afterwards. Mrs. Jennin x aad beei
planning surprise for mt. Th.rc wa
q birthday cake baked ior me. and Tia
blue china was to appear IN my homo
until hut see herr, m going TO tel
it to you just as II came TO me
was sitting on the veranda in tn
hammock, feeling pretty hungry, 70
it was gust half an hour before te
time. when Mrs Jennings came bust
ling ont the front door, looking yer.
hot and worried. and sank down in th
chair at my side.
s.Aliss Wright" /" she exclaimed. "wha
do you suppose has become Of four Q
my blue china cups?n
-Four Of your blue china cnpsr
echoed. staring at her Cant 70
find them?r
No can't. she answered. in voic
thataounaed as if she was just read
70 cry.
"0h, well, never mind" ! sal
soothingly, ''the girl must have mi
placed them
DO yon think SOP" she asked, brigh
ening UP little. and then in tone 9