Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-04
ANDSTILL HEWAS NOT HAPPY


the surprise of his life last week. He is
still walking around with a vacant express
sion of countenance. occasionally shaking
his head and muttering TO himself to the
great surprise of those of his friends who
catch him in the act of doing these things
and who don't know the reason therefor.
The mans wife was away. She had been
away since the middle of June. He had
been writing her the daily letter while at
his office, although he made the letters
read if they were written in the sad
and doleful cleaning at home. About
three times a week during his wife's abb
sence he had been giving little poker
Solrees, with four or five of his down town
chums as guests, at his home The sit
ungs We're generally protracted until or
) clock i'll the morning, and the colored
man servant attended to the diShlng up OF
the wet things. That is to say, the colored
man servant took up his position down in
the basement, and sent the things up to
the dining room by means of the dumb
waiter, as they were called for. The col
ored man servant was a pretty good mixer
of drinks, too, and the host frequently in
terrupted the tenor of the game to eX-
patiate to his guests upon what jewel OF
man-of-all-work he had an opinion to
which the guests, slipping the products of
the man-of- all-workS mixing skill, cor
daily subscribed.
On Wednesday morning last the Mount
ItdSdul Iiidll SOl d ltllcI IIOlH WIG,
saying that she was tired of visiting, and
that she would be back in Washington on
the following morning at II o'clock.
Well said the man to himself ~
just have the boys up for one more little
round of jacks tonight and he dropped
in a their offices during the day and IN
vited them up.
They all accepted the invitation, and the
game in the dining room was well under
way at about o'clock. The colored man
Of ally work had taken up his station close
to the ice box in the basement and the
host was taking the damp articles Off the
dumb waiter with the customary frequency
81 don't think that the dumb-walter mas
worked hard since We've been mousse
keeping said the host. with a grin, as
he removed five neatly constructed scotch
high balls from the waiter. 'There'd be
something doing if the lady of the mousse
hold should accidentally find out now ana
to what purpose I've abused that dumb
waiter during her absence. By the way,
fellows, my wife's coming home in the
morning, so you'll all have to clear out about
midnight. SOS the man can clear away the
wreckage and make everything look IN
apple-pie order here and down stairs.
The game went on. Every ten minutes or
so the host would get up from his chair
and yell down the dumb-waiter: hey,
there, Rufe just repeat that dose, Will
you%' or Chase five more of those things
up here. Rufe. and don't put quite SO muce
ice in the glasses
Comm right along sun the colored
in two or three moments the host would
get up again to take the moisture-hled
glasses from the dumbwaiter.
Along toward midnight, when the host
and his four guests were about to start
the last five consolation jackpots, one OF
the guests said to the host:
Say. can that jewel of yours down there
make julepS?.
He can make any old thing replied the
host.
Got the materials down there for juleps?"
Got the material for any old thing" re-
piled the host. why, do you want
julep?'
Yep" said the guest and then the three
other guests chimed in and said they'd Ike
to hit up juieps as nightcaps themselves.
YOU down there, Rufe!' yelled the host
down the dumb waiter shaft, have you
got any mint down there?'
''Yessuh." replied the jewel of a man
servant.
We'll, get out those tall. thin tumblers
and shake us up five. of the mintiest juleps
that you know how. And say. spread your
self on EN-, Rufe, and hurry EN- along.
''IeSSuh,' said the voice al the bottom
Of the dumb waiter shaft and five minutes
later the juleps We're served and pronounced
great by all hands. The last jackpot had
been played, and the host and his guests
We're leaning back in their chairs, slipping
the remains of their julcps before breaking
up, when the tinkling strains of a mando-
lin came up through the dumb-waiter shaft.
The instrument was being well played, and
the guests cooked up their to listen.
That's kind of an all-round duck you'v
got down there, amt he?' said one of the
guests to the host Have him come on up
here and play us a tune.
Il didn't know RUFF could play the man
dOlin-never heard him before said the
host. looking somewhat surprised. Hes
been with me for two years, and this is the
first time I've heard him play the thing.
My wife plays the mandolin to make your
hair curl, though, and l guess Rufes
picked ii up from hearing her play. Funny
/ never heard him play before. though.
Then the host went to the dumb waiter
shaft and yelled down:
Hey, you, RUFF, fetch that thing up here
and play US something
The music down below ceased but there
no immediate reply.
You hear me, Rufe,'' said the host down
the shaft.
".lh, don't know how tub play de thing,
sub" came Rufe's reply, finally, in a sub
dued tone of eXpostulation.
The dickens You dunt-what do You call
what you've been doing?' said the host.
Bring it up here. and let's see what you
can do"
There was another pause. and then the
jewel of a man servants voice came up:
DE mdndnlinll be up in minute. sub"
Then. after another short pause, the gem
of man-of-all- said in aSOntZed
whisper: ''Ah, dun couldn't help it. sub"
The hosts face took on "A puzzled ex-
preston over this last remark of the man
servants, but he didn't have any time to
figure out what it meant. There was the
swish of slken skirts on the stairs !eadiag;
to the basement. and the hosts wife, sli
smiles. walked into the dining room with
her mandolin in her hand. The hosts face
was a picture, but the four guests all rose
and made their bows.
Were the juleps good?" asked the hosts
wife amiably, and the four ga5sts looked
at each other and then at the host. grinned
and said the juleDs were the best they'd
ever had in their lives.
Il did put too much ice in the high balls
at first. though. didn't II" asked I..e hosts
wife, looking around the circle question
ingly.
The four guests looked at each other ard
at the host again.
''Er-well, good night" they said back
ing out into the hall and picking up their
hats and walking sticks. and then the door
closed upon them.
The host sat down and rested his jaw
in his hand when they had gone. His wife
locked at him quiZZcaly.
''Well?" said she.
''Well?" said he
After about an hour. he ELECTED the fact
that his wife had decided to come home
and surprise him that evening, and she
had entered by the basement door, with