The Topeka state journal., 1897-08-07
THAT DINNER.

should have grand dinner at q certain
time and place. The time selected was q
few days of and the place a sawmill
somewhere near the Dismal Swamp canal.
OF course the people who were to get up
the dinner were the necessities of the occa-
sion, but all this could be obviated by the
officers, who could buy the eatables and
hire the plates, knives and forks in Nor
folk. The idea was voted 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 men
were two of tine widest men in the COM
mand. They were young DR.. Theodore
Runkel and Carr Rapp.
1t would be useless to tell of their es-
capades while on this expedition. Suffice
to say everything was provided in hand
some style by the purveyors, and in due
time the dinner was ordered for certain
day. The dinner was to take place at 6
O'Clock. In tho meantime the officers sat
about and talked of their proposed feed, "
and the time for them to sit down was
only too far removed for comfort. They
were hungry for a homelike dinner once
more
About 12 O'Clock on the day of the din
ner a group of soldiers might have been
seen-in fact, they were seen-loitering
about in the company streets as if waiting
for something to turn up. At O'Clock
1t evidently had turned up, for the soldiers
could be seen in the streets no longer.
Now let US proceed to the sawmill, where
the dinner was prepared.
OF course no men were about, but the
women folks had been most industrious,
and chicken, ham, potatoes and strawber-
ries and things had been prepared galore.
A large dining table had been spread be-
meath the sheltering branches of sturdy
oak, plates had been laid for over dozen,
and now all was ready. Only the guests
were wanted.
Carr Rapp was tall, good looking SOL
der, but he found it impossible to wear
stripes for any length of time on account
of certain peouliarities not necessary to
mention. His general get up as we'll as
his looks had made him quite favorite
with the ladies, and when he proposed to
eat a good dinner he had the favor of the
ladies in his mind, and he believed they
would grant his request without a muir
muir. The boys accepted the invitations,
and that was the reason why they were
not found in their company streets during
the afternoon. Somewhere about O'Clock
the ladies of the sawmill had the pleasure
of welcoming Rapp and his entire party.
They had come for dinner. Was it ready
yet? For they were somewhat in hurry,
and who knew but what the rebels might
be upon them at any moment.
The dinner was served in fine style, and
the boys enjoyed it as only hungry soldiers
could. They finished up with beer and
cigars, and then, thanking the ladies for
their kindness, accidentally upset the table
as they arose and spilled what was left on
the ground. Then they departed, but not
before the women had commenced to think
that perhaps there might be something
wrong about them, but they never for once
thought that they had given the wrong
people the right dinner. At any rate the
dinner was ordered and paid for. That
was all they needed.
Now for the other fellows. At half past
a jolly party of officers of the Fifty
eighth came riding up to the sawmill
The table had been righted, and everything
looked as it had before, but it wouldn't
bear close inspection. The women now
saw that something was indeed wrong,
but they held their tongues.
"Now, fellers," cried Captain Ripka as
he dismounted from his mule, "here's the
place where we get our money back, and
if any man doesn't enjoy it why he's
shad." How the captain did rub his
hands and caper about while he spoke
The anticipation of getting a good dinner
had fairly set these men beside themselves,
and the way they behaved was like little
children. They wandered about and look
ed at every thing, and then asked the cap
tain how soon the dinner would be ready.
"In few minutes" said Ripka. But
while he spoke he was wondering why 1t
was so late, why he and the others had not
been called long before. In the meantime
the women were sure a mistake of some
kind had been made, but at last the old
lady came forward and spoke.
''What do you gentlemen want?'' she
asked. Every man who knew Captain AL
Ripka will see his face at this particular
instant. 1t was jovial and laughing most
of the time, but now it wore a look of
wonderment.
'tWe have come for our dinner" said
he in surprised accents, 1.-THE dinner we
ordered. Is it not ready YETI If it is not,
we'll wait few minutes
By this tina the other officers had clus-
tered around, and the captain was watched
with absorbing interest.
1.-The gentlemen have been here and
eaten the dinner" quoth the lady sadly.
"Whof'' ''Which?'' "WhereP'' 'sWbatP"
followed in quick succession from dozen
voices. The lady tried to explain, but she
couldn't satisfy a dozen hungry men.
Then she looked toward the ia BILE, and the
eyes of the officers followed her eyes.
Then, as if the whole thing had been pre-
concerted, they made a rush for the table,
only to find it bare of food. Then there
was swearing done that would have put
to shame the army of Flanders. The dis
appointment was heartrending, and Cap
tain Ripka's position was that of man
in a slough-the more he endeavored to
get out the deeper he got in.
But there was no help for it. The din
ner had been consumed, and now nothing
was left to tell the tale except that there
is many a slip 'twixt cup and lip. 1t had
disappeared and loft but the table and the
empty plates. Nothing could be- done to
mend the matter, but one officer suggested
that they eat sawdust from the mill, so
that they might not return as hungry as
they had set out. The proposition was not
accepted, but the officers returned to camp
sadder if not wiser men. To punish
Rapp for his share of the dinner would be
to expose themselves to the ridicule of
their fellows, SO they did nothing with