Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1904-04-23
THEY HAD A PARTY.


In extending the invitation the two
young men had said that they felt
1t was UP to them TO do somethinsfor
their country. They had been enter
fained times without number by the
feminines in question, and all that they
had been able to do In return was 10
take them to the theater few times af-
terward, and what they wanted to do
now was to give them dainty feed in
their own fiat.
II was two weeks afterward, promptly
at eight p. m. that the young men came
for the girls They made the rounds Of
the houses solemnly and picked UP their
guests much as If they we're the carry
NIL for a smart kindergarten, and then
they solemnly wended their way to the
nat
shall we have supper now or later
on?" asked one of the hosts immedi-
ately.
Later on replied the widow, quick
ly She had had her dinner not an hour
ago, and when the terrapin and the
cartridges finally appeared on the scene
she wanted to have some appetite for
them
Thereupon they, as many as could, sat
on the chairs there were, while the
others sat on blankets, which were
gracefully festooned along the floor.
s'You see, we've never had womans
party before, and we don't like game
with more than six in it'll refer to a
game OF finch, of course-and that is
f1,< haxr f.1aJv els rba a re-
planned one of the men. IF you all
don't mind, | will have steamer trunk
brought in, and you can sit on it. Very
comfortable things, steamer trunks"
Then every one played hearts on
wonderful table that looked as innocent
as stage ingenue when 1t was turned
right side up, but by simple twist of
the wrist, presto! its wrong and wicked
side was revealed all fitted up with chips
and cards and the other implements
which go with the fascinating game of
poker.
They played hearts, but they thought,
even as they played, of the dainty sup
per awaiting them. One of the girls
whispered to the widow and asked her
If she thought they would have cham
payne. She said If they had she would
go right home, because her mother
wouldn't like it at all il she drank any
thing so intoxicating in mans fiat.
She said her mother had been of two
minds about letting her come, anyhow,
1t did seem so improper. and except that
she understood the chaperon of the
party was so strict (here she smiled at
the widow she wouldn't have thought
of allowing it,
The widow whispered Lack that she
was afraid the extrayagant boys would
have champagne, and that they could
only punish them by not drinking much
of it. q
- That was at ten p. M, and at 10: 10 the
worst was known, for the taller and
more MISUNDERSTANDING of the hosts
asked the other If it wasn't time to
produce the party" and upon the
other saying yes. he went out and came
in with suit case. Exactly what suit
case had to do with supper no one could
understand, unless, as the widow whis-
pered, it held bottles of champagne,
which would be awfully warm in such
close quarters.
The host who wasn't the taller of the
two cleared the table by the simple
process of sweeping the chips and cards
into basket. Then he turned the inno-
cent side of the table over and opened
the suit case. From it he took dozen
oranges, a lot of bananas, a box of
cheese biscuits. box Of other biscuits,
large piece of sweitzer cheese wrapped
in brown paper and some very oily but
ter
"Where'd you put the bread?" he de-
manded of his fellow.
I'm the linen closet among the pillow
cases. Get the beer off the window sill.
will you, old fellow"
The widow had borne up until the
word beer" was uttered. Then she col
lapsed and famed herself with her
handkerchief until she was requested
TO make some sandwiches. To see the
widow then. with the sleeves OF her best
violet creep de chine tucked up out of
the way OF the wicked cheese was quite
landscape. She cut and buttered with
diligence. but in a stony silence that
was more eloquent than language.
This is what l call comfortable"
said one of the hosts as he sat on the
rug with a sandwich in one hand and
bottle OF beer within convenient reach
(there were not glasses enough to go
around).
$50 do We" echoed his feminine
guests family.
"It is Bohemia ITSELF" said the other
host"
At II the widow said she must go
home. She had had a delightful time,
she said, but her physician wished her
to retire early every night, and so she
must tear herself away. She listened
while one Of the hosts told her he was
sorry that the cheese hadn't held out,
but that he was glad there had been,
plenty Of bananas, and she was only
aroused from her abstraction when this
Cd OH all