Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1898-05-19
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aRANnA's LUNCH PARTY. !
Why 1t Wasn't An Unqualified Social {
Success,


IN one OF the prettlest houses IN the
most fashionable part of the city
They haven't always been rich, and
Miranda and her mother are just now
wiggling upwards by the most eX-
hausting process into the charmed
circle of the upper five hundred. Well,
the charge of the famous five hundred
is nothing compared to the eXactions
of this ONE; and anything like failing
to come to time or getting a setback
in this perilous business, is calamity
of which less ambitious people can
have no conception.
Miranda has her good points, and l
dropped in to see her the other day.
20, Phyllisw she exclaimed the first
thing. We've had such a vista
tioni7'
pulled down my face and tried to
look becomingly dolorous.
mo, no one is dead, she exclaimed,
seeing my expression. But | was
just wicked enough to wish once she
was. It's Aunt Calista. Sues been
here. o, it was dreadful. You know
she's papa's lalf sister that lives
down in Pennsylvania, and | hadn't
seen her since ! was a child"
Miranda knows THAT / know that
family from beginning to end, and
she never tries to keep anything from
me.
TON has been sent out there sum-
| f,,y, - Ia b.
be on farm when he's out of school,
you know"
Tom is Miranda's twelve-year old
brother.
"Well. last Wednesday we gave a
lunch party to ten ladies', and just
before it was time for lunch to be
served, who should walk into the
drawing-room, bag and baggage, but
Aunt Calista. She had on a dress
made of that wine eolored goods, cot
ton and wool, that you see marked
ten cents yard, hanging outside
cheap stores. 1t was ruffled up to
the knees with three wide bias
tiounces bound and gathered till they
| set out like an irish woman's cap
border. A very short overskirt com
pleted this part of the costume, and
over the whole was one of those start
| ling scarlet shawls with a Paisley
border, that used to be fashionable
about the time I was born. She wore
with this bonnet trimmed with
green ribbons, and her hands were in
cotton gloves a mile or two too large,
the kind that lie around in sort of
| loose drapery over the back of the
hand, and hitch up over me big bone
of the wrist. Oh, Phyllis, every time
| think of that rig I almost faint
Yes, it may seem very humorous
to you"-by this time I was making
the vases in the cabinet ring with
very boisterouS laurnter-"but YOU
Just imagine such an apparition stalk
ing in with a handbook inside of a
calico cover, drawn up with a corset
lace, and one of those forlorn carpet
covered bags that | didn't suppose
could be found anywhere for love or
money at this day; and Mrs. Wander
marcken, and VIII Terrance's bri.e.
and those awfully swell Leloys, and
Mrs. Brown Fields, from Washington,
all looking on.
We'll, she came in without one
word of warning, and the first thing
she said after standing still and
staring a minute at mamma was:
Vail now, 7 want t'hnow if that's
Marthy. Sakes alive! We hev changed,
heven't ye? but I'm powerful glad to
see ve.'
Then mamma tried to get her up
stairs to take off her things, but no,
sir, she wouldn't go an inch.
" I ken jest lay 'em off right here
she said. Pm sortCr beat out gittin'
here, an I ken set right down an
visit with yer friends a spell What's
goin' on?-a quiltin' or parin' bee?
Gittin' rather late for dryin' apples
now, I shud think
"Then poor mamma had to intro
duce her to the ladies'. and 7 didn't
dare to raise my eyes to look at them.
I just wanted the earth to open up
and swallow me at that particular
minute. BY this time she was UNITY
ing that horrible calico cover, and
began to dive down inside for some
thing. Well, it was a cap and rather
the most remarkable one I ever saw
in the way Of cheap cotton lace and
artificial flowers. She took off her
bonnet. and, just as she was about to
put on that cap, she spied me.
Bless my heart! if that amt
M'randy? I'd known We emmy where
by the photograph Tom brought ont.
My! Marthy, don't she feature Zekle
morn more, every day o. her life?
Though I did use to say, fore she had
that left eye Strengthened, she was
going to favor Mandy-she that mar
ried Cyrus Rupps down in Greenville.
Law! Mandy's got ten children. did
We know it? An her biggest girls
helm kept company with by Jake
Smell. he as was 'dopted by Elder
Beech: an Elder Beech's got an aw-
| full bad foot, let n stick o. WOOL fall
, on it. an told him, says I've know
7 Jest dropped in there on my way
from Hammer Perkinses; Hammer al
ways did set such store by my hop
Yeast, an I'd Jest been maxim some
fresh. Hammer never was very spry
about homework. an o my! how that
house did look, but faint everybody
that ken git their washin' out afore
9 o'clock, an if they can't they're Jest
ms the Lord made EN- I spose-but
says I TO Elder Beech. says I now
never heard o. nothin' better'n worm
wood n vinegar. Now when Zekle,
your father'-looking at me-'was a
dom chores for Deacon Begrow. Jest
nfore he was bOund to-