Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1906-04-21

one morning. when Billy and l were
lingering over our rolls and coffee
I Betty came in with n tragic air and an
open letter in her hand.
Listen to this she exclaimed
Eleanor Cuyler is coming to New
York to visit her aunt. aud she says
she simply must see us because she's
always wanted to visit the shores Of
Bohemian"
Tile shores of whatT' said Billy.
I'm sure there's nothing Bohemian
about us"
THAT'S just it." walled Betty, "but
Miss Cuyler doesn't see if that way.
She's daft about people who do things.
and she says she never met any. so
she begs that she may come TO dinner
some night. quite informally. and be
one of us. She thinks that because
Kate writes and you're an artist and
we all live in a little flat-I mean apart
ment-we are-well. we are queer and
unconventional"
who is this Eleanor Cuyler?" said
Billy. with a frown.
shes a Philadelphia girl Kate and !
met when we were in the mountains
last summer. She was awfully nice TO
us in ever so many ways. and now It's
our turn to do something for her. It's
no use suggesting the matinee or a
luncheon. Eleanor's rich as Croesus
and tired of all that. and there's moth
ing else we can afford Oh. don't
see what we're going to do And Bet
ty puckered her brows in despair.
DO" cried Billy. why. it's -as
plain as day! Satisfy her craving for
the unconventional! If we're not Bo-
hemians, we can at least put up a good
imitation Of the real thing. We can
ask the Englishman. Harry Rockmin-
ster-hell add a continental flavor.
And there's Perry Eastwood; he can
sing stein songs better than any one
ever knew. Wen get Cynthia TO come
and recite, and Worthington to bring
his violin. They can pretend they're
professionals. Cynthia will be an ac-
tress just starting on her career. and
Worthington a struggling musician
struggling is the right touch. isn't IL?
And-let's see-this is Monday. Write
and invite Miss Cuyler for Wednesday
evening. Bohemians aren't supposed
to give much notice when they ask peo-
pie TO their parties" And Billy looked
over ut me and laughed.
While Betty was brilliantly writing
her note l went TO explain things to
Aunt Pattie. Aunt Pattie has moth
cred us ever since we were children,
and nothing we do ever surprises her,
so she fell in with our plan at once.
But l couldn't be a Bohemian II
rried. ?, she declared. -aaasp T0nfc.
how to act. and I'd make you 1-.iils
cradle and myself too. You can easily
excuse my absence"
But you'll miss all the fun" l OBJ
jected
Aunt Pattie's eyes twinkled. "0h.
mean to be there. she cried. "Since
we have no maid I'm going to serve
the dinner myself"
In vain we all protested, coaxed,
commanded. Aunt Pattie was firm in
insisting that as Miss Cuyler had new
er seen her it could make no possible
difference. Yet somehow 1t did to me.
for ! could imagine with what horror
my Englishman might look on such
proceedings Even after had writ
ten to him and explained the circum-
stances / was tormented by misgiv-
ings, for. although he didn't know it.
his good opinion mattered more to me
than anything else in the world.
All Wednesday Betty and worked
like majors. We had always rather
prided ourselves on the artistic ar
rangement OF our little parlor Now.
in order 10 make 1t look Bohemian, we
had banked it with all the bizarre and
startling things we could lay our hands
on. Billy's delicate water color sketch
es were jostled by fambOyant posters.
theatrical photographs adorned the
mantel. and sundry pipes and ash trays
Uttered the table. 1t certainly looked
queer: but. as Betty and l confessed to
tNl SfiN e. We AAAAAtA 4 AbNAAg wa AN-
mure IN gray gown. ana | wore my
black net was just fastening one
of Harry Rockminster's roses in my
lair when the bell rang.
There she is cried Betty hyster-
icaIly. Now, don't act as If anything
unusual were happening"
Eleanor Cuyler was enthusiastic in
her greeting. and she was still telling
Of her joy in seeing us when we cross
ed the threshold Of the parlor At
sight of the room she smothered a lit
tie gasp. which showed that our work
had not been in vain. Then Billy came
forward. and the loose blouse and soft
tie which he wore for the occasion
madp him look rs II he had stepped
straight out Of the Latin quarter. But
Miss Cuyler wasn't any more surprised
at his appearance than he was at hers
Somehow neither Betty nor had told
linn what beauty Miss Cuyler was-a
childish little beauty with huff of
golden hair and deep blue eyes that
opened very wide when anything as
toniShcd her.
- -f..-.g.,g ....,T TT..,,... rs,.r.