River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-03-22
THE LION OF
THE EVENING
BY BEATRIx MALLAM
lCOpyright. 1905. b. Joseph =. Bowles.,

Il want something to stir me up, said
Teddy Rranscombe to his special friend
and crony, Jack Leyden, otherwise Ell
Iison Ward. author of the fashionable
novel Dust to Dust"
Jack Leyden lazily put out a hand,
opened q bracket cupboard that was
within reach of his comfortable chair
and distracted. therefrom spoon. He
held it out to his friend.
''Oh! how extremely funny you are
this evening, my boy!" said Teddy.
"You must really save such brilliant
Jokes for your next book. Think of the
trouble you'll have to find another!"
There, there" said Leyden, sooth-
ingly.
''Beastly sell your going to dinner
party tonight" continued Teddy.
perhaps you'll do my dinner party
for me instead?" suggested Leyden.
you're welcome to it, for of all the slow
institutions a dinner party where you
don't know a soul is the worst"
what, when you are the lion of the
EVENING"" said Teddy, enviously. Sud-
UGA1J uG Was ill dAlNCs GA yO0 W.
Leyden-I've an idea. CNo?" inter-
polated the other in so gentle voice that
Teddy flowed on undisturbed.) A rip
ping idea: You know how often we've
been mistaken for each other?"
Teddy" and Leyden sat up in his
chair, ''if you are about to suggest the
extremely original idea that you should
go to that dinner party as the famous
novelist tahemD Ellison Ward, allow
me to tell you on good authority that
Queen Anne is dead"
Teddy looked crestfallen.
''But listen," he said, persuasively,
walking up and down the room. after
all there's nothing new under the sun.
And, d'you know only yesterday great
giant of a fellow came up to me and gave
me resounding slap on the back with a
hearty: Well, Jack, my boy!' We've
both got blue eyes and lightish hair, and
vera pretty much the same build, and
you only know your hostess. and that
very slightly, and I'm sure not to meet
anyone I know"
But you haven't even read the book
properly through, have your" asked
Leyden of his scatter-brained friend.
ooh. that's soon remedied. You lend
it 10 me for one hour, and I'll engage to
be letter perfect by the end of that time. /"
81 don't see how you are to manage it, I"
said Leyden. weakly, but Teddy was
half way down the stairs.
III.
'You must let me introduce you to my
daughter, she is most anxious to know
you." said Mrs. Leland co Teddy in her
most gracious manner.
AS the latter followed his hostess
acrosspthe room he felt, to use his own
picturesque phraseology, ''that he was
in for it now and no mistake" However,
since retreat was impossible, he re-
solved to pull himself together and to get
as much fun out of it as was possible.
AS for the book, he had read it through
most thoroughly, all but the last chap
ter, which he had only time to glance at,
but he could certainly guess at most OF
what it contained.
Mrs. Leland came to stop before a
pretty dark girl standing in a little
circle of people.
"Elsie," she said, "this Is Mr.. Jack
Leyden, who writes, you know"
Teddy bowed. He resolved that moth
ing should make him commit himself to
any fact about that book. He would
be very lawyer for caution.
However, either Miss Leland did not
think it in good taste to begin about his
book, or she felt shy.
How thankful Teddy was! Seems to
me I understand what gratitude really
feels like, for the first time!" he thought.
But just as he was in the middle of a
relation of one of his most barefaced ex-
ploits. and just as his auditor was giving
him most interested and bewitching
glance out of her violet eyes, who should
he see across the room but great pal Of
his, by name Harry Ross.
"Why, Teddy, who'd have thought OF
meeting you here?" cried his friend.
Teddys smile of welcome was truly
diabolical to witness.
81 say, Ross, you know" he said with
what he fattered himself was admirable
self-possession, II wish you wouldn't
call me nicknames now, it was all very
well at school" This was accompanied
by an expressive frown, for had not Mrs.
Leland distinctly introduced him to her
daughter as Mr.. Jack Leyden?
Ross face expressed bewilderment.
He could not imagine what Branscombe
meant by grimacing in that awful way
at him,
why Bra" he was beginning, when
Teddy seized his arm and dragging him
away, said in low tone-men can't
whisper
I'm Jack Leyden tonight, Jack Ley
den remember" And as the other stared
blankly at him, everybody began to go IL
to dinner, and little Mrs. Leland was at
his elbow again saying:
''You will take my daughter in
AS soon as they were seated at the
dinner-table Teddy took a glance at the
lady on his left. He gained an impress