The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-09-12
"A FAMILY PARTY
BY Eva Williams Malone.
Copyright, 1901, by Authors syndicste)
Copyright, 1901, by Authors syndicste.l
att HERE they go!"

There who goes?" Mrs. LIE
Grand raised her eyes rather languidly
from her Battenburg and vouchsafed
a nonchalant glance in the direction
indicated by her friends bejeweled
digit.
''Who goes? the Family Party of
course! It's perfectly sickening to see
Alfred Ralston prancing around with
those two infants. Wonder if it's his
latest device for renewing his youth"
This from Miss Harcourt who, at
twenty-six, had just given turning
out party" to renew hers! Ralston,
the ancient, had rushed" her during
the entire last season; and his antics
with the infants" proved less divert
ing to Miss Harcourt than, judging by
appearances, they were either to him
self or the infants.
Mrs. LIE Grand, fresh and enticing at
thirty in her widows weeds, smiled Sc
renely upon her unwedded friend and
said in that provocative way some
women affect:
"Why, Alfred RalstOn is not such
relic of antiquity as you would have us
suppose. He was barely on his prime
val legs when you gave that first with
acute emphasis on the word) debut
party of yours! That would make
him-let me see-he can't be much over
thirty-five. A mans just in the glory of
perfected manhood at that age.
mans always young, so long as he isn't
married-it's different with a woman,
yon know; the more she isn't married,
the older she is! It's frightful how the
momentum of woman's years does in
crease after she passes twenty-five;
unless she writes her name with a Mrs.
prefiXed. In that case, she can smile
at Time. She has demonstrated the
fact that she could, and she did, and
the rest doesn't matter"
While this edifying conversation
went on within the serene little
widows Fifth Ayenue-but not New
York-home, the incongruous party
that had provoked it, passed out of
sight. "The Family Party" as they
had come to be called, never lowered
long over the same fower-patch.
When they went abroad, they went in
search of honey; and, if one blossom
refused to yield it, there were always
plenty of others, you know-if only
one does not mind the necessary fight.
And, to "The Family Party" the flights
seemed the very best part of the fun.
They smiled upon each other in the
most freshening manner - the two
girls upon the one man, the one man
upon the two girls. He tossed pretty
verbal bouquets back and forth with
the finished grace of past grand
master in the art.
Lucky dog is Ralston!" commented
one of his friends as the trio entered
an uptown cafe and formed triangu-
lar group around ia ble-"look at him
now! Tete-a-tete with the two very
prettiest girls that have come out this
season. I'll venture he's making des-
perate love to each one of them at this
very moment-right in the hearing of
the other, too! And, instead of resent
ing it, as women generally do divided
homage, the sweet creatures actually
seem to enjoy the play. Inever could
quite fathom that sort of a game. |
tried it once; and, bless me! if both
the girls didn't give me and each other,
too, the G. B. in less than week! But
Ralston! by Jove! that fellow ought
to go to Salt Lake City! Wouldn't he
rush things out there-provided the
Mormons didn't eXpel him from pure
jealousy"
No wonder that the men marveled
and rebelled to see one of their num-
Der monopolize with such daring
grace so aff1uent a shore of youthful
charms and beauty. One of the &rls,
tall and 1.-THE, was the very spirit of will
lowy grace-with eyes that would have
put twin pansies to shame, and COM
plexion that her dead black costume
only rendered more glowing.
The other, fair as the first, but with
the brown eyes and golden hair that
one rarely sees in harmonious union,
save among the daughters of the south.
Each one was beautiful in her way
and each sparkled with the dew of
LIES young May.
''Do you know" said she of the
pansy eyes, that mother declares she
doesn't think our Family Party a all
proper? She thinks we need
chaperone."
"A chaperone! What an aspersion
upon mel" exclaimed Ralston in mock
indignation. "Have I lived and suf-
fered the pangs of badness and bach
elordom through all these years to
have it now cast in my teeth that I,
even I, am not fit and proper chap
erone for two spotless, unshorn
lambs? Am I. Alfred Saxton Jerrold
Ralston, a wolf in Sleeps clothing that
] should be thus traduced?"
He was splendid specimen of manly
beauty, and his pretense to decrepi-
tude was the veriest bravado. The lion
never feels himself quite so much the
king of the forest as when he poses as
the humblest of beasts.
Papa said it couldn't hurt so long
as there were three of u.s." protested
Brown Eyes. "He said you wouldn't
dare to make love to me while Lavice
was around; and you couldn't kiss
Lavice while was looking!"
"Your father is wise and reverend
seignor; and, if he wants my vote for