Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-11-07

ney Hammond and Miss Olive. his
sister; Mr.. Converse and Miss De
Melville; Mr.. Blake and Miss Mere.
dith, constituted the merry group
which at the conclusion of the opera
mingled in the fashionable mob, and
after the usual delays and annoy.
ances found themselves in carriages
speeding toward Fifth avenue.
There was crush of carriages in
front of Delmonico's. 1t was the
night hour when New York attains
the height of its feverish activity,
The avenue was alive with swift-mov-
ing equipages. An army of lackeys
was busy receiving the arriving
guests. Inside the massive doors. the
strains of an orchestra throbbed in
on air OF heavy perfume. The glare
of light from thousands of electric
globes was reflected from glass and
marble, but subdued by palms and
masses Of roses.
A table had been reserved for MT.
Hestor and his guests-brave in its
array of linen and flowers, and its
glitter Of cut glass. As Mr.. -Hestor
entered the hall he was recognized
by scores of friends and for a few
moments held an impromptu recep-
ton.
When this social duty was ended,
Miss Edith LIE Roy took prompt
charge of certain details-as was the
wont of this viyacious young woman.
Mr. h,, L
to Sidney Hammond. Miss LIE Roy
had no idea of consenting to such an
arrangement.
"You are the host, Mr.. Hestor,"
she said, "and you must take the
head of the table, Miss Meredith
will sit at your right, and Mr.. Ham
mond will take his place next to her.
! am not going to permit you and
Mr.. Hammond to monopolize each
others conversation. can trust you,
Miss Meredith, to keep Sidney and
Walter from entering into any dis
cussion of their dreary schemes for
reconstructing the universe"
The dinner went on merrily amid
general conversation in which
imitless number of topics were in
troduced, discussed, and dismissed.
Terrapin followed bouillon, and can
vas back ducks were served with some
rare old Burgundy. The spacious
dining halls had in the meantime be-
come crowded, and the orchestra en-
countered noisy rival in the laugh
ter and conversation which mingled
in a harmonious blend from hun
dreds of tables. Dainty preparations
of shell fish gave place to a salad,
followed by a glace, which Miss LIE
Roy pronounced "a dream in old
rose" While the ladies discussed
bonbons, the gentlemen lit cigars or
cigarettes, and wooed the god of Nic=
otine with all the ardor which fol-
lows the enjoyment of SO sumptuous
a repast.
While Miss lie Roy was energeti-
cally defending her favorite French
author from an attack unwittingly
made by Mr.. Blake, her plans so care
fully arranged at the opening of the
dinner were disrupted by Sidney.
Hammond. who readily persuaded
Miss Meredith to change places with
him. Miss lie Roy smiled her scorn
when she discovered this duplicity
md PROMPTLY announced social
boycott against the ungallant Hestor
and Hammond, who already were alb
sorbed in a quiet conversation on
topic which seemed of special inter-
est to them.
Sidney Hammond was college
mate of Walter Hestor. He was the,
stroke oar in the famous crew which.
humbled the pride of the rival uni.
versity. Unlike many of the athletic.
heroes of the institutions of learn:
ing, Hammond combined the frame Of
a muscular Apollo with the brain of
the scholar. He was even more hero
with the professors than on the cam
pus. The text and reference books
prescribed in the curriculum served
but to stimulate his thirst for re-