Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-01-18

HOLIDAY HUNT BREAKFAST.

Mr.. Percival Satterlee was anxious
ly considering a communication which
he had just received as he sat over his
breakfast ait the club. 1t was AN in.
vitation-one which hundreds OF
young men in New York city would
have given half they possessed to re-
ceive. Sattcrlee himself would not
lrave parted with it for a good deal.
Yet the receipt of IL had embarrassed
him not little.
The paper was dainty and bore the
magic distinction implied by an en-
yraved crest. The invitation read as
follows:
Halliday Hall, Long Island.
"Dear Mr.. Satterlee:
Eve are down here for a few weeks
of the foX-hunting season, and Mr..
Halliday and l would be pleased To
have you make one of our house party
for ten days from next Wednesday.
Mr.. Halliday desires me to add that
the Meadowmere hounds will meet al
our house on Thursday, and that he
has arranged Ito mount all his guests.
Hoping that you may be able TO
come, 1 am. Very sincerely yours,
LANlNlA hAlLblDA1.
1t was a poser for poor Satterlee.
On the one hand was the undoubted
opportunity to meet again and make
ardent love TO the rich and beautiful
Miss Halliday. upon whom he had
danced attendance during this. her
first season in town; on the other
Satterlee had dreadful doubts and
misgivings as to his horsemanship.
and the invitation seemed to threaten
fox-hunting and hard riding between
every line. Miss Halliday herself Sat.
terlee knew to be an ardent sports
woman, who rode to hounds and was
said to break her own horses, while
her father, who was celebrated in his
youth as gentleman jockey, was
considered one of the hardest riders
OF the Long Island hunting set. AS
Mr.. Percival Satterlee's experience in
this direction had been limited to one
ride in a riding school, upon which
occasion he had come dangerously
near falling off, it was no wonder that
the thought of the Hallidays' house
party made his face pale and caused
his hand to tremble so that he could
not open his egg.
For, to tell the truth, Mr.. Percival
Satterlee was desperately smitten
with lovely Diana Halliday. She was
indeed a charming bit of femininity
apart from the prospective thirty
thousand year-with the sweetest
disposition in the world. In person
she was rather tall, slender, with dark
blue eyes and an abundance of rich
wheat-gold hair. 1t has been said that
Tins was her first season "out," and
during the first half of it, ALREADY
elapsed, she had half the eligible
young men in New York at her feet.
Satterlee groaned. II was just be.
ginning to make some headway," he
muttered. And now they must gel
up this precious scheme to compel
me to make am ass of myself One
thing rs very sure he snapped, I'll
Diana ever marries me I'll soon put
an end Ito this fox-hunting nonsense
AT first he thought of going dowr
to Halliday Hall and frankly acknowl
edging that he couldn't ride. Their
he remembered how frequently he had
boosted of his Craftsmanship to Mis-,
Halliday at dinners and dances
Clearly that would not do. Finally
ne had almost decided to decline tn,
invitation altogether, when Dick Mid
dleton entered the room.
why, hello, Percy" cried Dick;
you seem to have something on youl
mind. What's your trouble?"
I've just had a line from Mrs. Hal
Gday," said Satterlee, striving to con:
ceal his triumph, for Middleton. wa.
one of his hated rivals for the favor OF
the fair Diana. "She wants me to
join her house party at Halliday Hall
next week"
BETTER go, old man." returned Mid
dleton promptly. Good house-good
people-good sport-I1l be there" hs
added by way of a final inducement.
Satterlee gasped. The fact thai
Middleton was invited too was a bit
ter blow, but it settled the question
Tor him. Moved by a sudden inspira
tTon he hastily finished his breakfast
and going into the reading room
Penned the following to Mrs. HALL.
day:
my Dear Mrs. Halliday:
1t gives me great pleasure to ac
cept your very kind invitation for
next Wednesday. l regret to saw,
however, that my part in the snort
10 follow will noe be a conspicuous
one, as had the misfortune to spraiu
my bride wrist badly while hunting
in Pennsylvania recently. Perhaps
the accident may prove a blessing.
as 1 trust it will enable me to enioy
more of your society during my stay.
Very truly YOURS
"PERCIVAL SATTERLEE."
This last is a final stroke" said
Sarterlee to himself, smiling at his
own ingenuity. as he sealed and di.
rected the missive.
Halliday Hall presented spirited
scene on the following Thursday. EN-.
tensive preparations had been made
and were nov being perfected for the
hunt breakfast. which its hospitable
owner had rendered to the members
OF the Meadowmere Hunt and his
neighbors. Halliday Hall was a spa
cious mansion, built very closely upor
the lines of an English country house
and the house party assembled there
was by no means a small one
Satterlee, his left arm supported il
q sling, was almost the last member
of the house party to appear in tn,
breakfast room, where a large NUN
Der of DeODle were already assembled