The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-24

ally went upstairs to dress she found to
her CONSERVATION, that it was nearly half
past eleven, and not a thing ordered yet!
Every moment now was precious. She
concentrated all her attention, and sitting
down by her desk took UP sheet of blue
paper and wrote down rapidly on 1t a list
Of all her wants-one for the grocer and
one for the butcher: Then fortune favor
ing her with the sight Of little Jack Rand
across the street. on his bicycle she called
him over and confided the list to his care.
"And be sure that they both read the
order carefully" she said. Take it on
to Cadmus when O'Reilly is through with
| it. You will not need to tell them any
| thing except that they are to send the
| things at once" <-j -: .-s
Yes" said Jacky, departing with swift
revolving red legs. As she saw the blue
paper in his hands a strong reluctance
seemed to hover over her, she couldn't tell
why, as II 1t We're somehow wrong to write
lists on blue paper Perhaps 1t was ex-
| travagant. There was a load off her mind
when Jack returned to affirm the faithful
performance of his errand, before she
started out for the luncheon. They had
all the things and they'll send them right
! up, they promised"
| There was no French after luncheon
that day. Her friend had tickets for the
persuaded Mrs. Calender to accompany
| her. The 6 o'clock bells were ringing be-
| fore Mrs. CALENDER had started to walk
home from the station, feeling thoroughly
guilty as she thought of her long Detection
from the affairs of the household on such
a day. #teE
The blue paper returned to her mind,
unpleasantly. mysteriously.
I She fastened into the kitchen, to be
confronted by scene of spotless order, a
brilliant fire in the range shedding g. red
glow over the hearth, and the white
| ~ ~S% To- n~r, go ~,
her hands folded and a. stony glare In her
eyes. -..,..- ~
| How Is the dinner getting on?" asked
Mrs. Calender nervously.
'There amt no dinner" said the cook.
"No dinner! What do you mean, Cath
arine?' =
! mot the sign OF thing has come this
whole blessed day, ma'am and me
| wattin' here with my ironin' half done in
the middle of the week. .~. )
| Mrs. Calender stopped, COMPOUNDED.
The shops were all closed at that hour.
So why, I saw Jack Rand myself, after
he had given the order!" she exclaimed,
and then-she knew: like lightning her
association with the sheet of blue writing
| paper was revealed to her; on the other
side of it was written the address of a
:. newcomer who lived across the track at
the other end OF the village. The mar
| keting had gone there!
/ 'Well, I never heard of such a thing!"
she commenced blankly, and, as usual,
/ laughed. t
It was but brief ten minutes later
i that her husband was presenting his
guests to her-they had come!
"Cynthia, I want to introduce Mr. War
burton and Mr.. Kennard. I have per-
suaded them to dine with US tonight
1T was awfully good of your husband
to invite us,'' said Mr.. Warburton, who
was the elder, pleasant faced and gray
haired, with the refined accent and &C
customed manner of a gentleman. II
hope we'll not Inconvenience you, Mrs.
Calender" S
mo, I hope we're not mountaineering
you.' murnured the other, who looked 19
and was 20, who spoke from somewhere
down in his throat and blushed with ev-
/ cry word. a~
mot in the least" said Mrs. Calender.
Immediately and intrepidly rising to the
occasion. There was an inscrutable de-
nance 1ns her eyes, however, when they
! met her husbands. which puzzled him un-
comfortably.
Mr.. Nichols wished us all to dine at
| the Waldorf Astoria he explained-Mr
Nichols was the senior partner of the firm.
But found. accidentally, that these
4 gentlemen We're extremely tired Of living
at hotels, and longed for little home like
dinner, by way Of variety"
We have been so much in your big ho-
| oNA1' ",
1T makes one very dull, after a time I
thlnk. You can't imagine, Mrs. Calender,
our joy when Mr.. Calender so kindly Of
fered to take us in. : It's so uncommonly
jolly of you both to treat us in this way
II remember that you said we were to
: have particularly good dinner to-night. SO
l didn't telegraph you when found that
they could come said Mr.. Calender
, when the party had separated to dress
, and he and his wife were alone in their
: own room. Nichols is very anxious to
have them pleased-I told you that before
: think: They're looking at machines
], and il they take the London agency for us
- it will make big difference. Why on
;, eartha DID You look at me in that way
= :, downhstairs?s Is there anything wrong?'
], NO; enothing is wrong said his wife
4 ironically; sexcept that we haven't any
a dinner to- speak Of. Chauncey, the ordc,
' went wrong in some way, this morning
and the marketing never came at ali
:: Just stand and take that in. If you l1a6
q only helped me at breakfast when I asked
u you to, 1t wouldn't have happered. I was
away all the afternoon, and, of course
n Catherine never sent for anything-jus.
:. sat and waited. There's nothing in the
, house but some cans of mock turtle sour
!, and tomatoes, and one can Of corned beef
: and a small one Of plum pudding Cath.
q crime is going to warm the beef in thu
q tomatoes. and make a sauce for the pud.
- ding. I'd die before I'd apologize before.
:, hand to those men.
- - Mr.. Calender whistled Good gracf
y, Gus! And to think we've come from tn,
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. for this. But don't Sc,
>, yet how it happened" he incautiousl,
\ objected. II should think you could hay,
= managed better in some way, CYNTHIA
!, But couldn't you kno,k up an omelet. O
= Welsh rarebit, or some sore Of a sid
. dish? Couldn't you borrow sornething?"
81 Mrs. Calender shook her head tragic
- ally.
= NELLY went to the Appletons and tn
~ Warnings: to see If she couldn't get som
- eyes, but they had only one left at eac
: place. It's no use, Chauncey we've go
i to do the best we can. I've put on m
y prettiest5 gown, and-did you bring tn
wine?"
Yes. and it's good said Mr.. Calender
with returning cheerfulness. He was gla
now that he had paid a price for it tina
was too large ever to be divulged to hi
wife.
''And the howers?"
what fowers?"
1.-THE flowers you said you were going t
bring me-
! my dear girl, never thought Of thel
from that moment to this"
"Then we have nothing for the cente
Of the table but that old crumpled-u
fernery'' she paused tragicaIly." There