The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-04-19

mentor and utility chaperon." Mrs.
DeMille was known in the papers as
the leader of the fast young married
set. She was one Of the cleverest
and best looking young women in town,
and her husband was one Of those who
did not have to be invited too" Mr.
DeMille lived at the club and visited
hts home. Some one said that he was
so slow and his wife SO fast that when
she Invited him to dinner he was usu-
ally two or three days late. Alto
Rether Mrs. DeMille was decided
acquisition to Brewster's campaign
committee. 1t required just her touch
to make his parties fun instead Of
funny.
1t was on Oct. 1S that the dinner was
given. With the skill Of a general Mrs.
Dan had seated the guests in such
way that from the beginning things
went off with zest. Colonel Drew took
in Mrs. Valentine, and his content was
assured. Mr.. Van Wrinkle and the
beautiful Miss Valentine were side by
side, and no one could say he looked
unhappy. Mr.. Cromwell went in with
Mrs. Savage, and the same delicate
tact-in some cases it was almost in
deiicate-was displayed in the DISPOSE
ton of other guests.
Somehow they had come with the ex-
pectation Of being bored. Curiosity
prompted them to accept, but it did not
prevent the subsequent inevitable lassi-
tude. Socially Monty Brewster had yet
to make himself felt. He and his din
ners were something to talk about, but
they were accepted hesitatingly, halt
ingly. People wondered how he had
secured the cooperation Of Mrs. Dan,
but then Mrs. Dan always did go in for
a new toy. To her was inevitably at
tributed whatever success the dinner
| achieved, and it was no small measure.
Yet there was nothing startling about
the affair. Monty had decided to begin
conservatively. He did the conven-
tional thing, but he did it WELL He add
ed a touch or two of luxury, the faint
est aroma of splendor Pettingill had
designed the curiously hayward ia
BILE, with it's comfortable atmosphere
Of companionship, and arranged it's
1ecoration of great lavender orchids
and lacy butterfly festoons Of white
ones touched with yellow. He had
wanted to use dahlias in their many
rich shades, from pale yellow to
orange and deep red, but Monty held
out for orchids. It was the artist, too,
who had found in rare and happy:
moment the massive gold candelabra-
ancient things of a more luxurious
age-and their opalescent shades.
Against his advice the service, too, was
Of gold-"rank vulgarity," he called it,
| with it's rich meaningless ornamental
ton. But here Monty was obdurate.
He insisted that he liked the color and
that porcelain had no character Mrs.
Dan only prevented a quarrel by sug-
costing that several courses should be
served upon Sevres.
Pettingill's scheme for lighting the
room was particularly happy. For the
benefit Of his walls and the four love-
" Monets which Monty had purchased
at his instigation he had designed a
ceiling screen of heavy rich glass in
tones. Of white that grew into yellow
and dull green. It served to conceal
the lights in the daytime, and at night
the glare of electricity was immensely
softened and made harmonious by
passing through it. 1t gave a note Of
quiet to the picture which caused
even these men and women, who had
been here and there and seen many
things, to draw in their breath sharply.
Altogether the effect manifestly made
an impression.
Such an environment had it's inf1u-
ence upon the company. It went far
toward making the dinner a success.
From far in the distance came the
softened strains, Of Hungarian music,
and never had the little band played
the "Valse Amoureuse'' and the "Valse
Bleue' with the spirit It put into them
that night. Yet the soft clamor in the
dining room insistently ignored the
emotion of the music. Monty, bored
as he was between the two most i'm
portant dowagers at the feast, wonder
ed dimly what invisible part it played
in making things go. He had vagrant
fancy that without it there would have
been no zest for talk, no noisy competi-
ton to overcome, no hurdles to leap.
As it was, the talk certainly went well,
and Mrs. Dan inspected the result of
her work from time to time with smil-
ing satisfaction. From across the ia
BILE she heard Colonel Drew's voice:
| ttRrawsfer ovi6anflv OI,iootc tn q Iopp
siege. He is planning to carry us by
assault"
Mrs. Dan turned to Subway Smith,
who was at her right-the latest adj
dition to her menagerie "What is
this friend of yours?' she asked. 81
have never seen such complex sim
plicity. This new plaything has no real