Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1897-11-15
THAT DINNER.

/
GERS during tho rebellion.
One day Captain Ripka proposed to
some of bis brother officers that they
should have grand dinner at a certain
time and place. The time selected was q
few days Off and the place sawnill
somewhere near tho Dismal swamp canal
or course the people who wers to get I'M
the dinner were the necessities of the occa-
sion, but all this could 10 ohviated by tho
officers, who could buy the eatablcs and
hire the plates, knives and forks In Nor
folk The idea was voted u good one, and
preparations were made to carry It out
Men from Captain Ripka's company were
detailed to go to Norfolk and procure the
necessary things and among these mon
were two of tho widest men In the COM
mand. They were young Dr. Theodore
Runkel and Curr Rapp
1t would DO useless to tell of their o.
eapades while on this expedition Suffice
to say everything was provided in hand
some style by the purycyors, and in due
time the dinner was ordered for n certain
DAY. The dinner was to take place ut 8
O'Clock In the meantime the officers sat
about and talked of their proposed feed"
and tho time for them to sit down wns
only too far removed for comfort They
were hungry for "a homelko dinner once
more.
About 12 O'Clock on the day of the din
ner group OF soldiers might have been
seon-in fact, they were seen-ioterirg
about In the company streets as II waiting
for something TO turn up. At o o'clock
Is evidently bad turned up, for the soldiers
could be seen in the streets 10 longer.
Now let us proceed to the sawmill where
tho dinner was prepared
Of course no men were about, but the
women folks had been most Industrious,
and chicken, ham, potatoes and struwbcr-
rios and things had been prepared galore.
A large dining table had boon sDrps6 be-
meath the sheltering branches Of % sturdy
oak, plates had boon laid for over "a dozen,
and now all was ready. Only the guests
were wanted.
Carr Rapp was tall, good looking sol
dior, but he found 1t impossible to wear
stripes for any length Of time on account
OF certain rcculiarities not necessary to
mention. His general get up as well us
his looks Ind nude him quito u favorite
| with the lasies, and when he proposed to
cut a good dinner he had the favor of the
ladies In his mind, and no believed they
would grant his request without muir
mur. The boys accepted tho invitations,
and that was the reason why they were
not found IN their company streets during
the afternoon. Somewhere abunt o'clock
, the ladies of the sawmll had the pleasure
Of welcoming Rapp and bis cntiro party.
They had come for dinner Was 1t ready
YETI For they We're somewhat in IA hurry,
ind who knew but what the robeis might
be upon them at any moment
The dinner was served in fue style, and
the boys enjoyed it only hungry soldiers
! lao, n,,,, IL.
cigars, and then, thanking the ladies for
their kindness, accidentally upset the table
as they nrose and spilled what was left on
the ground. Then they Departed, hut rot
before tho women had commenced to think
that perhaps there might 10 something
wrong about them, but they nevor for once
| thought that they had given the wrong
people the right dinner At any rate tho
| dinner was ordered and PAID for That
was all they needed.
| Now for the other follows At half past
n jolly party of officers of the Fifty
eighth cuIne riding up to the sawnill
The table had been righted, and everything
looked as it had before, but 1t wouldn't
bear q close inspection. The women now
saw TINT something was indeed wrong.
bat they held their Tongues
Nov, fellcrs," cried Captain Ripka as
he disnounted from his mule, here's the
place where we get our money back, and
II any man doesn't enjoy it why hes
shad.' How the captain did rub his
hands and cnper about while he spoke!
The anticipation OF getting good dinner
! had fairly set these mon beside themselves,
and tho way they behaved was like little
children They wandered about and look.
cd ut every thing, and then asked the cap
tain how soon the dinner would DO ready
I'm u few minutes, said Ripka But
while he spoke he was wondering why 1t
was SO lac, why no and tho others had not
been called long before. In the meantime
the women were sure u mistake of some
kind had been made, but mt lnst tho old
lady came forward and spoke
what do you gentlemen wantP'' she
asked Every man who know Captain Al
Ripka will see his face at this particular
instant 1t was jovial and laughing most
of the time, but now il wore look of
wondermont.
I'VE have corr for cur dinner " said
no In SURPRISED Scents, 1.-THE dinner wo
ordered. Is it not ready YETI If it is not,
Wen wait Il few minutes
BY this time the other officers had Gins
tered around, anu the captain was watched
with absorbing Interest.
"Ihe gentlemen have been hero and
eaten the dinner, quoth the lady sadly
"WhoY Which, "Whcrog "WhatY''
followed in quick succession from t. dozen
voices The lady tried 10 explain. but she
couldn't sntisIy u dozen hungry men.
Then she looked tOvsr' tho table, and tho
eyes OF the officer. followed her eyes
Then, as II the whole thing hnd been pre-
concerted, they made u rush Tor tho tahlo,
only to find 1t baro OF foou Then there
was swearing doro that would have PUT
TO shane tho array OF Flanders The dis
appointment was heartrcnding, and Cap.
tain RipIn position was that OF u man