The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1906-01-27
4MANY HAPPY RErusre !,
TIE Formal Dinner Party ~
Honor Of q nirtA u

/
TIE Formal Dinner Party ".
Honor Of . BirtAday. u
Judge Edgell hurried into ii.
a. usual at half-past six, threw :. .'a ~
coat washed his hands and h. ~ u''
Into the dining room. At the thrs .saea
ne recoiled in surprise. A bl,,a ''a =.
light dazzled him. The best =. "
and glass were laid out c..%
burned at the four corners Of tha
BILE. Cut flowers filed the room ~ v -.
fragrance that extinguished tha
usual smell Of cooked food. 'e
At the table his wife bloomed H.
a young girl. Her best gown az uhi.'
wolfe trimmed with lace-her metAa,,'
wedding lace-showed her fine thro..
and arms. His little daughter sat y,.s
the selftconscious smile Of partv ~.
rectness, wearing blue ribbons =, A..
"ptgtails," and his son beamed h.
hind a great deal of glisteninp sh,,t
front. His older daughter was ans,
giving a last touch to, the. sidetcsrd
She was the most serious Of all IN ~.
grave oficiousness.
Goodness! Well! What, vno,.
coming? Have l forgotten a dlrn.,
engagement? The Bryces aren't com.
ing till next week" =
THE week after next" corrected ri,
daughter, soberly.
Then who? What? Ny, what .
handsome spreadr'
Daddy" observed the youth In III.
white shirt, II thought judges seye,
got surprised at anything. and Der.
you are like a minister at slipper
party"
my son." said Mrs. Edgell, you
are not quite old enough to make com.
ments Of that sort on your parents
Charlie" she said, turning to her bus
band with cool but gentle smile, you
need not dress; there is not time.
This is rather a special event, but
will not explain until dessert. Sit
down, dear, and enjoy it with u.s."
Judge Edgelps training as lawyer
taught him not to ask futile questions
Of his wife. He sat down, ate one
good thing after another, admired his
wife, talked with his son about foot
bali and school, and came completely
out of the abstraction into which the
lingering memory Of cases IN cour.
sometimes plunged him during meals.
When angel cake and colored Ice
creams came in. the handsome sady
across the table smiled and said:
Charles, Don Carlos"-it was the
name she had used playfully In Their
youthful courtship, and threw him
back twenty-five years-"Don Carlos,
this is a birthday celebration
"Oh, it isn't mine, mama" came
from the little girl. Il had two last
winter"
mo, my dear, it is mama's."
'Mama'sw cried Judge Edgell
Then, az his SON would have said, b
"tumbled." Everybody, he certainly
had forgotten the dear lady's birth
day. The self-contained If not veneer
able Justice left his seat, strobe round
to his wife and kissed her heartily
The woman glowed. The elder daugh
ter brushed away a tear. Seeing the
tear, the small daughter began to cry
Mr.. Edgell looked distressed, and Dis
more manly son pooh-poohed at tho
fuss. That's a nice way to end
good dinnerp'
my boy" quoth the father, 1T Is .
good way to end a dinner which mas
in it a little repentance, and 1t Is
good way to begin now for other aln'
ners, about one a year. No, we VOL
wait a year. This one does not count
Tomorrow night we'll have rea'
birthday celebration for mother anu
she shall not have to superintena 1t
Well have a caterer to do the >oO'
It Is a poor stick Of a husband Wn0
makes his wife get up her own D|llr
dav celebration. YOUTHS Companion