The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-06


 cold spread, suppose" said lack.
 But what about some hot soup to be- gin with? Griggs ask for the hot
 soup SIT. shall get two estimates
 Wlth the soup. and without it?'
 Ana day by day the luncheon had
 MaAed m importance and pomp. Now all was settled: the host would moi be
 shamed by beggarly board. Ii was
 to be hot luncheon with cold regalia. 10 De oone in tip-top style by Bob
 Drake of the White Hart at four sbilI-
 inss head for two hundred and fifty mead certain; l. e.. 50 pounds down any now ana per capita for chances"
 ehereatter. Jack of course would
 count heads himself, and check Bob's
 counting. Jack would also count bot
 tles' and guard them. and give them out etc. Bob was not doing the wine. VIII you. sir" asked Jack one day, VIII you change your mind and give them champagne after an?"
 have told you I don't"
 know. sir; but Griggs go on wor- rylng ma about it. They say it's always
 1TAspected' ana it's always efficacious. iney had 1t at their Herne Bay sale
 when the lots went off like hot cakes" HOW can q host. wishing his party 10 De a success, decline the advice of party experls! It was plain that Jack
 believed in the efficacy of champagne, although he was loath to lead his pat ron into unnecessary expense.
 Of course.' he said. ''one can get good cheap brands-rea1ly cheap, and yet quite good enough--all froth and sparkle, you know. There was an ex- cellent wine we used in our militia 1 Tor race meetings-Jodeler. That was tne name-not more than forty bob a dozen--Jodeler."
 However it was discovered that Jo- deler was now extinct. This good wine had been permitted to vanish
 from wine-merchants' lists: no more Jode1er procurable. But another
 brand, Rosencrantz, had come to the | tront-even better than vanished Jo- deler. Rosencrantz, Jack found, was | in all respects suitable to the occasion. Authorized by MT. Crunden he ordered
 large quantities of Rosencrantz, and
 he now always spoke of the coming
 event as Champagne Day"
 | Champagne Day will soon he here | now. Pricey- -picey. We are going to
 give them fizz, and then they are going | to paint the map red for us.y
 1 It was perhaps unfortunate for Jack
 that while busily making arrange
 ments for this great Saturday, he ! hould have been drawn into associa- l tion with some of his old companions. He was compelled often to go to the | White Hart, strictly on business, for l interviews with his caterer. Bob Drake I; | and here In the old haunt he met the old loafing friends. Here. from MT. | Ridgeworth, Charlie Padfield, etc, he | heard all about the Merry Girls !"
 dinner, and was limplored to be of the dinner.
 The Merry GirIs''' Company was about to pay it's tenth return living visit; there would be morning and evening performance by this talented troupe on the day of the sale: and their staunch admirers had decided to give the loved artist a dinner at the White Hart between the shows Miss
 Daisy Dolfin--that old favcrite--was
 no longer in the company, but her
 place had been taken by Miss Fay
 Flinders. who was as good. if not bet ter-"quite all right" Fay will be here. Jack; we shall all be here; and you must come. Jack. You really must just to show you're alive, and aren't quite out of your mind" But Jack said no: he could not accept anoth CT engagement fer Champagne Day. Then. as Mrs. Price would have ex- pressed it, was over-persuaded. | Padfeid, Ridgworth, and others, put l ting their stupid heads together, ar- rived at the conclusion that old Jack | really waited to come, but, poor beg
 gar, could not afford the treat; and
 with blundering generosity they offer | ed to relieve him of his share in the
 bill. We do want you, Jack--and
 we'll pay your shot for you. We'll | put you on the same footing as the 1 Merry Girls themselves. i Jack flushed, and said: Thanks. | I'll pay my own shot. Yes, I'll try to | come--and I'll stand the wine for the
 lot of you. I'll send 1t in, and you must arrange with Drake about cork
 age."
 | At the moment 1t seemed the right | thing to say and to do--the only way | of asserting his new dignity as | workingman--a money earning man. | He must show the old gang that he 1 did not need their patronage or pity;
 and in the most lcrldly manner he | sat down at Miss Grangers desk in the
 bar parlor and wrote to London order 1 ing on his own account another three l dozen of RosecrantZ to be despatched | to the White Hart. He knew he had | done wrong afterwards--immed
 afterwards as be hurried back to his l work he knew that it was desperately | wrong. It would postpone by several weeks the payment of his debt to | Crunden: it was his first false step, | first breakdown In his new career. He
 knew now that he had teen silly | ass. but at the moment 1t seemed im- possible to be anything else.
 Charles. the headwaiter. who na-
 turally had charge of the Merry | Girls" dinner was also to .he major1 | domo at the Marquee lunch con. In the evening before the sale day. he called | on Jack at Mrs. Gatess cottage.
 Eve just run up, sir, to say as all l is in trim for tomorrow" and Charles, | beaming endeavored to conceal the | surprise caused by the humble and 1 exiguous parlor In which he found | MT. Vincent sitting. T do hope we | shall have a success of 1t tomorrow. l sir. Anyhow the tent is knock out and I promise the food will he Al |. Weather seems safe. too. A l hard frost tonight sir and the glass | higher than ever. But, sir" and with A laugh Charles opened his ulster and glanced down at his greasy black trousers. "I do wish. sir. I could turn
 myself out lit smarter"
 And, slyly Charles explained how the | thought had come tc him that MT. | Jack. under his reverse of fortune and | in his new mode of life. might prob ably be discarding his ceremonious | dress suits Charles. impelled by thls thought. had gnne to MT Gregory in Water Lane, hut had there learnt that among apparel sold by MT. Vincent there were nc dress suits
 'I thought" saia Charles a7ologetl- | caIly. "ycu wouldn't he wanting them
 nowadays: and you sir. Icing fine l figure of man--like myself-your
 cast-offs would dc me proud, and nt
 me as A glove Now. sir If
 you could let me have suit-not to | give. but to sell-
 l aD