Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1906-11-09

| Il don't know-she and Mrs. Greg
DRY went somewhere to dinner"
Don't you know where?"
NO. sir-they didn't say"
THE DEVIL" said Walton.
The maid closed the door entirely
she didn't want to take any chances.
Tired and hungry, Walton got into
the cab again. He had to- have din.
ner-he'd go back to the club and
look up the neglected Ashton.
Station" he said, and they clat.
tered on again.
Half an hour later he arrived at
the club, and made his way anxious,
ly through the dining-room looking
for the erstwhile guest In the most
secluded part of the covered porch
a party of people laughed loudly and
made merry. 1t got on Walton's
nerves = all this gayety, and he
glanced at them peevishly. Then he
stopped and gasped. Mrs. Walton
was in the midst of her best story
and Ashton and Mrs. Gregory leaned
toward her in rapt attention. Walton
strobe to the side of the table, like
Lear about to break into the ban
ishment speech.
Well" he snorted
Mrs. Walton looked up at him
sweetly.
oh, here you are, dear Where
have you been?"
Where have l been? Where have
l been?"
Say how-do-you - do to our
guests, and join MS. Have you dined?'
That was the last straw. He bowed
to Mrs. Gregory and Ashton and sat
down.
No." he said, Il have not dined."
Mr.. Ashton said something about
your suddenly having remembered a
dinner engagement, and basely de-
sorting him"
We'll, you know why I deserted
him. The boy said it was urgent"
The boy-the boy?" she said,
vaguely. Il got your message to dine
with you at the club, so / picked Mrs.
Gregory up and came along to find
poor Mr.. Ashton about to dine with
the Bachelors"
And your wife was good enough
to rescue me from that dire fate"
Ashton interposed.
I'm delighted to hear it," said Wal
ton, grimly. And now if you don't
mind, I'll begin at the first I'm
starved and l feel that I've earned
something as reward"
If you'll get Mrs. Walton to tell
you her splendid story about the man
who couldn't find the dinner he was
invited to. you'll be doubly re-
warded"
NO doubt. Mrs. Walton is an ex-
cellent story. teller" he remarked.
solemnly, and something in his tone
sent Mrs. Walton into paroxysms of
laughter.
"Well?" said Mrs. Walton, after
their guests had departed. "Well?"
he repeated. all his ire returning.
Mrs. Walton began to laugh.
1t may be very funny for you to
send me chasing all over Elmwood
looking for an imaginary dinner, but
I'm unable to see it,"
of course, you are, you poor, old
martyr! You see, / thought the
Gregory dinner was tonight, SO l
arrived in state, to find Mrs. Greg
DRY sitting down to a lonely repast.
Mr.. Gregory having stayed in town.
Well, you know how awfully proper
she is, and what tease she is, and
| knew that If she discovered my mis-
take she'd be awfully embarrassed.
and I'd never hear the last of 1t from
him, SO l thought quickly, and said
I'd come to carry her off to the club
to dine with us. / hoped we'd get
there In time to head you off, but we
didn't, and poor old Ashton, who was
wandering about like lost soul, said
you'd been gone some time. I tele-
phoned the house, and Maggie said
you'd just left there. but as you didn't
know where you were going. she
couldn't call you up. So what could
do?" she concluded.
But to greet me, after a hot chase
like that, with pleasant smile and
coolly ask me IL l had dined."
We'll. dear, l couldn't let Mrs.
Gregory know"
Hang Mrs Gregory! Here / was
trying to get raise out of Ashton.
which he thinks the company can't
afford. and l was just getting him to
see my point of view, when that boy
called me off, You notice that your
dinner party will cost us something.
because I'll not get the raise. now"
"Oh, but you will"
What do you know about it?"
We'll, it didn't take me long to dis
cover that Mr.. Ashton's hobby was
rose gardening, and l told him that
1t was your hobby. too. l said it was
the sorrow, the only sorrow of our
lives that we couldn't afford to have