The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1895-02-28
A STORY Of TEACUPS.

There is almost always in every fam
ily some one thing that is it's special
pride. In yours it may be choice bit
of painting; IN mine, let me whisper,
it is a rare old book with Illuminated
covers, and in the Jennings family 1t
is, and has been ever since have known
them, . delicate set of blue India
china.
The Jennings live in roomy, old
fashioned farmhouse, with broad
porch and high pillars, fronting on
the lake. 1t was this that suggested
their taking summer boarders. Mr..
and Mrs. Briarley discovered them
first and knocked at the door and
begged to be taken in. and Mr.. and
Mrs. Jennings hadn't the 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
is SO crowded that the gentlemen talk
about hanging themselves up in trees
for the night. and some of them have
gone SO far as to hang themselves
up in hammocks out on the broad
veranda.
Although MrA Jennings is proud of
her blue china she does not faunt it
before the eyes of her less fortunate
boarders, whether for fear of exciting
their envy or that absent-minded Mr..
Van Duyne. the artist. should tip over
his tea and knock off 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 it is only on fittingly rare occa-
sions that the rare china is placed at
our service.
The FIRST time / saw it was on Mrs
Briarley's birthday. When the bell
rang for tea, and we all came rushing
in from the orchard, the rocks down
by the lake and the hammocks on the
veranda, every boarier stopped short
and gazed with delight upon the white
cloth, and the dainty, aristocratic
blue and white china with its faring
cups, deep saucers and fat little
plates Mrs. Briarley looked pleased
as q girl, and Dolly. who is her seven
year-old daughter, seized Mr.. Van
Duyne by both hands and they pro-
ceeded to execute some sort of wild
fantastic dance across the whole length
of the dining-room.
l really don't know what would have
become of Mr.. Van Duyne if it hadn't
been for Dolly. 1t is my honest opinion
that he would have starved to death.
He never. under any circumstances,
heard the bell-he was always too
deeply engrossed in "a Study of the
Rocks" or The Coming Twilight"
Dolly had constituted him her special
charge. and at the first sound of the
teabell she started forth to hunt him
up. Dolly was general favorite with
all of Us, and the only child about. l
used to wonder sometimes if she didn't
get lonesome, but she seemed very
well content with us grown-up folks.
and at times would take her dolls and
go off by herself to her ''play
she called it, in a field somewhere ad
joining the orchard. Mrs. jennings
frequently gave her cake and cookies
for tea parties to be held with her
dolls in her playhouse. 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 a
picture of it" But. dear me! if Mr..
Van Duyne had painted all the pic
lures he meant to paint, or, for that
matter, finished all those he began,
there would have been sufficient to
furnish an art gallery.
But, pictures or no pictures, he and
Dolly were the best of friends, and the
night of Mrs. Briarley's birthday We'd
with each other in their lavish admir-
alton OF the blue china tea set.
Either there were no birthdays after
that or no one of SO much Importance
as Mrs. Briarley, for ordinary china
sufticed each meal Then MIR. Briariey
was suddenly called home on business.
and Mrs Briarley and Dolly went with
HIM.
1t was rather lonesome after this.
and everything moved along in a very
calm, uneventful sort of way until the
day OF my birthday. l don't know
how in the world they found out
that it was my birthday, un-
less Mr.. Van Duyne saw it in Dolly's
birthday book" But, as l fourd out
afterwards, Mrs. Jennings had been
planning surprise for me. There was
! birthday cake baked for me, and the
blue china was to appear in my honor
-until-but see here, I'm going to tell
it to you just as it came to me-
was sitting on the veranda in the
hammock, feeling pretty hungry, for
it was just half an hour before tea
time, when Mrs. Jennings came bust
ling out the front door, looking very
hot and worried. and sank down in the
chair at my side.
Miss Wright" she exclaimed, what
do you suppose has become of four of
my blue china cups?''
-Four of your blue china cupsr' l
echoed. staring at her Can't YOU
find them?"
No can't" che answered, in a voice
that sounded as if she was Just ready
to cry.
'oh, well, never mind" 1 said
soothingly. 1.-The girl must have mis-
placed them"
DO you think SOP" she asked. BRIGHT
ening up little, and then in a tone of
despair: But I've looked Just about
everywhere. I've been hunting for a
<,-,S 81,