The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-03-23
MRS. Ptkington's Book Tea.
BY DRUID GRAYL.

ways intend to be lord of a barren, cur
tailed heritage, l hope"
by Jove, no." sighed Harold. "But
there's my book you know"
Bother your book; let's get on to the
other books" said his sister, who, hav-
ing planted her shaft home, was content.
Now, I've told you that Miss Singleton
makes quite a craze of the amusement
| mention her name again only to show
its possibilities; for she's really clever.
For instance, last time we met she wore
narrow letter A, in scarlet, which ran
from top to bottom of her dress. Guess
what it sgnifed."
The Scarlet Letter. I should say"
responded her brother promptly.
Just what everyone else thought, but
quite incorrectly 1t meant Innocents
Abroad; do you see? In no sense A
broad. Wasn't it cIever?"
There was an ingenuity about it
worthy of a better cause she ought to
be writing burlesQues where puns are
welcome. I thought they were ousted
from modern society"
Net in a case such as the present
stupid responded Mrs Oden, with true
sisterly frankness. con another occa-
sion she wore a card with a grub inside
a corncob painted on it. Can you guess
that?"
q can't" remarked her brother 'Gt's
beyond me. I quite perceive that I am
the untutored savage you made me out to
be"
1T meant Within the Maze See.
maize and maze? Clever again. Ad-
NIT it"
Another pun
Its inevitable. What is a rebus but
a pictorial pump
4 always thought there was a differ
ence between a riddle and a mere conun,
drum.
well, as you're so clever, perhaps
you'll invent yourself and me something
! distinctly novel. 1 haven't won a prize
yet; my poor lite puzzes have been.
| solved straightway I've been 50 despair
! ing that 1 almost went on one occasion
! with my blouse inside out to represent
! The Seamy Side You may dress for
the title or wear a mere label, as YOU
! please, you know"
I'm very glad you didn't" said her
! brother, Indignantly. He shared the old
fashioned prejudice against a woman
making an undignifed exhibition of her
| self
But, when he came to consider the laws
of the game, he found himself more
hampered than he expected. AS his sis
ter had said, the pun asserted itself per-
slstently 1t was hours before he could
solve the difficulty apart from this form
! of wit, and even whe he had hit upon
a change, the result did not strike him
as being at all satisfactory. However,
he led to neighboring house, like a
lamb to the slaughter, carrying in his
pocket a blank label for himself. whilst
his sister wore a picture of a semaphore
! with the danger signal showing, sur
rounded by moths
He was introduced to his hostess and
to several other ladies present, incIud-
! ing the heiress, who was certainly en-
| thusiastic, not to say tiresOme-she was
| so saturated with the business in hand
that she appeared to know nothing Of
the works whose titles she was so glib
with.
Look around, do, Mr. Carstairs," she
said; "are you puzzled? I am not. See
! that lady with the word ebb in a knot ?
That's The Ebb Tide, I'm positive
Fine novel," said Carstairs; contains
some of Stevenson's best work, 1 think.
Do you? That scene"
| I haven't read it," she Interrupted
1t takes me all my time to study a Ii
| brary catalogue to keep pace with nv
! competitors. Isn't it an interesting pas-
! time? Much better than gossip and mu-
! sic. We are to have music teas soon.
| though, and then play teas; then. of
| course, l shall have to look I'D music
| sheets and play bills. That girl over
there with the letter o sewn on her
shoulder has not puzzled me. The title
! IS I've an o. Ivanhoe,' you know
where does the aitch come in?" ask
er Harold bluntly.
''Oh, it doesn't do to be so particular
| as that. I'm afraid you are awfulIy Pc
dantic, Mr.. Carstairs. Still, must say
that l like to preserve the exact sound
myself. Now, for instance, on one occa-
sion L wore dana small Indian COP
per coin, you know, the fortieth part of