The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1899-08-12
Sirnilia Sirnilibus
BY Charles Dwight Willard


THE Lowdens gave dinner recent
ly at which ten guests were pres
,ent. Little Roach told me about it, the
next day after it occurred, with q great
deal of. gusto. | fancy Roach is not
asked there to dinner very frequently,
nor anywhere else for that matter.
His excessive curiosity, and his dispo-
sitiop TO talk over affairs that are not
his own, makes people nervous about
him, and renders his conversation just
a little tiresome.
Now there was nothing unusual about
the fact that the Lowdens gave a din
ner Max did not dance, and Mrs.
Lowden dislikes cards, and neither of
them care much for music, so they
have compromised on the dinner, as Il
convenient method of entertaining
friends and of repaying social obliga-
tions. They keep an excellent cook.
and Mrs. Lowden herself, so her hus-
band once told me, watches every de-
tail of the event. Max is good Judge
of wines and an agreeable talker They
have friendships among no end of
clever people, and they are judicious
in their arrangement of their guests.
To be invited to II dinner At the Low
dcns is Ut once distinction and piece
oil good fortune, and | did not wonder
Ut the enthusiasm of little Roach.
II sat between Mrs. Gen. Quinn and
Count Won liaasse," said he, and we
talked"
"Who else was there?" | asked. look
ing about me, and planning the quick
est method of escape.
lie gave me the list, checking them of
on his fingers to insure a correct count.
AS he proceeded, | listened with more
and more interest, and when the tale
was ended, ii suddenly dawned upon
me that this was an event of most I'M
usual character, and one that | must
know more about--but not from Roach.
There goes my car" | exclaimed,
and was presently put down four blocks
out of my way.
Max Lowden and | are old friends,
and our fathers were business asso-
ciates half century ago. l was con-
tident that if | gave him II chance, he
would explain the mystery of this din
hCI, anu Bllolth ~ toh ~" Sooi
he and Mrs. Lowden would be at home
of an evening. l had a handful of new
opals to show them. Not tonight, nor
tomorrow night; but the next, and l
'''would be most welcome"
In the meantime | met another of
the guests of that extraordinary din
ner. a Mrs. Hoppin, whom ] know but
slightly. | knew her husband, how
ever, IA subdued, crushed, much-mar-
ried-looking individual, who occasion
ally wanders unhappily about the
rooms of the club where l live. i was
making call, and there were a good
many people there, and | was talking
&c somebody, or trying to talk, for the
jncessant twitter of Il small voice a
few feet away made conversation diff
cult.
"Yes, I met him recently at din
ner at Mrs. Lowden's," the voice said
it was the voice of Mrs. Hoppin. An
eloquently vacant look came into the
face of my companion. She was not
listening to me, which was well enough,
for ] was paying no attention to what
i said. 1T was charming dinner-a
most delightful set of people one al
ways meets at the Lowdens." 1 could
tell from the infection that the person
to whom she spoke was not so fortu-
nate as to know the Lowdens. "Let me
see; who were there? l am sure you
know them ALL" Then came that list
again, and for n second time 1 felt
the strange thrill that comes with an
unexplained mystery.
Mrs. Hoppin twittered on, her sharp
notes cutting their way through the
soft hum of the general conversation
about us. She really had never had
such charming dinner as that. She
must be excused for speaking of it, for
IL was like an event in ones life, don't
you know.