The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-02

door and looked in at the snug little dining
room. All was ready. The light from the
candles came softly through the red tulip
shades. sparkling here and there in ruby
high. lights from the glass and china. The
round table in its appointments suggested
rather a masculine than a feminine gath
ering. The favors beside each plate were
diminutive briar pipes rin little red plush
cases, the centerpiece, i'm the form of
masculine slipper. was filed with yellow
bachelor buttons and fern. There was a
cluster of glasses. also. beside each guests
plate that called out expression of
rather shocked surprise as the guests filed
through into the room. And. to cap the
climax, by the side of the hcstess's chair
was a receptacle for cracked ice. from
which protruded the necks Of sundry bot
ties.
The hostess enjoyed the reputation OF be-
Ing very up-to-date young woman, but
this at first blush seemed to be a little
ahead OF time. The first awkwardness dis
PEELED. fun was soon going fast and furi-
ogs. The guests were. one and all, friends
OF long standing. and entered into this new
freak OF the girl who was different with
zest.
In the midst OF the buzz and laughter
ms on her tall figure. Her fine shoulders
and head shope to advantage against the
dark mahogany panels behind her. and her
grey eyes sparkled with fun and with the
manifest spirit OF mischief. She cleared
her throat ostentatious]y.
Friends and fellow-maidens.'' she be-
gan, her fingers playing about the stem
OF her gold-inlaid wine-glass. Probably
Won all inv vxybe he
hidden motif of this curiously appointed
luncheon lies. More properly, what in the
name of goodness. 1 wanted to risk what
foIks-will-say. by following out an idea
suggested by my brother. You all heard OF
Jim's dinner last week? Jolly affair. So
jolly that made up my mind that there
could be no more harm In my giving one
OF the kind than there was for him. Now
you perceive at once that this is nothing
more or less than she feminine of stag
dinner Given in honor OF that all-im-
portant Birthday that marks for us women
the parting of the ways"
Here there was general excitement among
the guests and Interruptions OF What
birthday. What ways?'
The speaker Strengthened. raising slen-
der hand inpressively for silence, Mine
mine, my dears Certainly
A remarkably handsome girl. with a fluff
of bright hair around her delicately
turned cheeks, smiled rather maliciously,
but the hostess went on calmly.
The great geodistic ridge of woman's
life that shunts girlhood off on one side
and middle age on the other-the Thirtieth.
my dearsr'
Here she raised her glass in a buzz of
comments. After the toast was drunk she
went on with mock seriousness:
II wanted very much to fill my table with
thirty young women of my own age in
honor OF the day. But she looked at the
daintily appointed but. tiny round table,
but obviously, with my facilities for en-
Pertaining. it would be impossible. Instead
of filing. / should have been heaping it
up But therei The real point at issue was
that IL was impossible to dig out that
preposterous number of young ladies with
unanimous birthdays from my calling list.
You understand, Of course, that whoever
was to come. the first point was that they
should be Of the same age
Here several faces took on startled ex-
preston. The owner of the one framed in
bright fun exclaimed indignantly, age!
What age. Lzzy?"
There, Adelaide" continued the tall girl
calmly. keep your powder Thirty! I
am thirty. Adelaide Van Burden, and you
are. too. You needn't take the trouble to
tell this select assembly that you are not.
because we all know that you are. We are
friends here. and from this dinner you
may return to the world twenty-two.' But.
Adelaide. If you will just shake your memo
ry box up you will recall certain secret
and strictly forbidden occurrence in the
room of Alice willibert here, that took
place twelve years ago by the calendar,
with slumber robe over the keyhole and
cream pufrs. caramels and peaches a
sheet on the fioor, reinforced by chocolate
made in a tin cup the gas jet"
Here shouts OF laughter interrupted her.
She went on:
IT make no pretense that the present re-
Treatments can compare with that delect-
able feast. because you know as well as I
that they do not Still, / think my point
Is proved. Adelaide van-Burden stand up.
Are you-or are you not thirty?''
The girl of the golden pompadour took her
defeat good naturedly and 'motioned for the
speaker to proceed. The tall girl glanced
about on the or two faces whose ex-
preston was still not quite loving. Per-
haps, after all. this was carrying original
fly a little beyond the, stretching point Of
friendship But she went
rs there any other young woman here
who claims 'twenty-two? No? Then we are
unanimously thirty. Naturally, as that
other event took place in celebration of the
startling discovery that We ali had the
sayre number OF birthdays to our credit
seemingly to our discredit now. Such, you
see. Is the magics two-step of time. You
will notice. then that the only material diff
ference between US is, that for my part
am thirty and frank about it, while some
Of you are thirty and not frank about 1t.
Jim says a man Is as old as he feels; a
woman as old as she looks You will no
tice, then. that not one OF US is past twenty
i've to the world. Age stitch not heavily
upon us yet. But we have passed beyond
the boundaries of gisgles; we have reached
the outskirts OF toffee; we have passed
thence into the realms Of"
cleopatra. Madam Recamier Helen
Each new name was greeted with clap
ping and enthusiasm, but the hostess broke
I'm soto voce:
cosmetics. steam baths. beauty doctors.
the realm Of
''Wrinklesi" vociferated the tableful loud
ly md indignantly. "She's going to say