Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1904-07-23
COOSEBERRY
[Original.l
81 don't believe that"

are tnerc any SoOSeDeTrleS Ill lnc
house?"
"Were to have gooseberry pie for
dinner. father. Mother made one yes
terday"
"All right" said the father. You
can prove it at the table"
1t is Il well known fact that certain
vegetables are poison to certain peO-
pie Frank Andrews had told Mr..
Dutton that he could not eat gOOseber-
ries without producing rash on his
body. Frank and Bessie button were
devoted to each other, and her father,
who wished to dispose of her hand to
suit himself, was annoyed Mt the stu
alton. During dinner he sat without
speaking, now and again casting dis
satisfied Chances at his daughter and
her lover till the dessert was brought
OIL. Frank ate large piece Of goose
berry pie. and in less than half an
hour rash began to come out first on
his arm. then on his neck and face.
"Singular," said Mr.. Dutton thought
fully. Il wouldn't have believed it."
81 am sorry sir" replied the young
man, that l can't as readily satisfy
you as to the truth of all my state
mcnts. l wish 1 could prove Mr.. Cros-
by Cotton a humbug. l would gladly
suffer the discomfort of the rash to do
So
Now, the man Mr.. button had pick
ed out for his daughter was this same
Crosby Cotton, who had returned to
the east from the far west with for
tune. He was not refined man, and
Bessie button detcsted him. Her ia
Their was not quite satisfied that Cot
ton was as rich as he pretended to be,
and this, with Bessic's repugnance,
had delayed him in forcing the match.
Cotton in order to inspire confidence
gave n dinner to IL number of his
friends, the buttons being present; also
their especial friend, Frank Andrews.
Mr. and Mrs. button had always lived
very plainly and were people to be
easily impressed with little display.
When the dinner came off 1t appear
ed to Mr. button that the hosts great
wealth had been lavishly used to set a
splendid table Frank Andrews, who
was more used to dinner parties, no.
ticed that the chicken salad was made
of veal, and fillet de sole was con-
cOctcd of very ordinary fish called a
founder But he made no comments,
nor could he very well do so to his
friends the buttons, because he was
not placed beside them at table.
1t was evident that Mr.. Dutton was
very much impressed with the enter
tainmcnt The host sat at the head OF
the table, his red face glowing. On his
right sat Mr.. button, on his left Mrs.
button, and next to her father sat Miss
button, casting longing eyes at Frank,
who was placed at the other end Of
the table, but opposite. With the
soup was served white wine, which
Andrews tasted and pronounced Cali
fornia;" then red wine, which he
slipped and pronounced also "Califor-
nia;" then Il sherry, which he slipped
and pronounced also "Calfornia."
Nevertheless he held his peace. He
cast occasional glances at the other
end of the table and saw that the host
was rolling his wine under his tongue
and smacking his lips, at the same
time eXpatiating OH its merits to Mr..
Dutton
''This chablis," he said, II imported
myself from Paris. The clarct l pro-
cured from the stock of French con-
nOisseur in wines who lived in BOr-
deaux. Fortunately | was on hand
when his wines were sold and put
$1,000 in hundred bottles. The sher-
ry bought in Lisbon. But don't waste
your taste on these. Wen have some
champagne presently, the celebrated
Champagne Rosa, which was made in
1880. l bought it right out of the Gel
lar where it had lain fifty years"
Frank Andrews was beginning to
boil with Indignation. 1t was perfectly
plain to him that the man was playing
on the ineXperence in such matters Of
his guest as we'll as his credulity and
was succeeding to his hearts content.
for Mr. button was all smiles. thinking
how nice it would be to marry his
daughter to this nabOb and live on
such meat and drink for the rest of his
life.
Finally there was popping Of corks,
followed by a delicious gurgle, and
fOaming champagne was In the glasses.
The host held his glass by its slender
stem between his thumb and foretn-
ger, bowed to Mr.. DuttOn, then to the
rest, and the nectar was quaffed.
Frank Andrews tasted of the Wine and
set his glass down with a frOwn. In
deed the effort to capture the father Of
Bessie button by such cheap means,
together with certain admiring looks
of the host to the young lady, had
finally excited Andrews to the point Of
explosion. But there was another rea-
son why he did not like the cham
Iagne.
Mr.. buttons cheeks We're beginning
to get rosy, his tongue trit1e thick,
while his lips We're parted in salts
fed smile. Mrs. DuttOn was cOmpli-
mentIng the host on the sumptuous-
ness of his feast, especially the variety
of his wines. Then when for a moment
the ripple of chat lulled something
happened Frank Andrews was OBJ
served holding up his arm, which he
had barred to the elbow, and displaying
It to the assembled company.
"Gooscbcrry"' he cried.
There, true enough, was the rash Of
the goOsebcrry, and the DuttOn family
knew that instead of champagne they