The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-10-19
PROFIT IN WEEKEND VISITS.

w udt w you SuPEOoC oAG dHSWSA
ed me when | invited her up for a
week - asked the woman who was
playing dummy in the last game.
"She had the audacity to write that
she did not think it would pay her to
come for such short time
The game was finished and after
the scores were settled the women
arose from the tables, which were on
the piazza, and walked over to stand
to pick out their prizes, which were
wrapped in white tissue paper and
tied with pink ribbon.
"Isn't she naive?" remarked
coarse-faced woman with greedy eyes
who was carefully feeling every pack
age in order if possible to discover
what was in it before she made Sc
lection. "Could anything be more
ingenious than to be Mortified because
people stop to consider whether or
not visit is going to pay them !?
Why shouldn't they? Such ideas be-
long to the black walnut period of So
ciety when no hostess dared to name
the day when you were expected to
leave and guests used to stop as long
as they wanted to-"
Then she found prize to her taste
and walked over to the tea-table,
where she continued the conversation.
"Why, at the house where am
now I always come on account of the
mineral water. They always have
on tap kind that does my gout more
good than anything else in the world.
It's terribly gh-priced, but here it
is put in the rooms all the time and
costs me nothing. A week or two
up here does me lots of good, because
I take regular cure.
81 know lots of people who make
visits for the same reason. I don't
mean to say that they think of moth
ing else, but they do keep such at
fractions in mind in addition to the
good time they expect to have. It
helps, too, in deciding, when there
are several invitations.
"Take my Cousins house, for in
stance. Heaven knows it's dull
enough up there, and there isn't
man in the neighborhood under 10
years old. Yet always go there in
November when they ask me. Mary
has a French maid one of the old
fashioned, trained, thorough kind,
wonderful seamstress. She mends
lace in way that would cost no end
of money in New York. So I take
all the lace gowns I have been drag
ging around all summer and there in
a week she makes them look as good
as new. All it costs me is the S. that
I give her, and save lot on it.
Sometimes the rule works the other
way. Certain houses are too expen-
sive for the invited guest, and he de-
cides to go elsewhere rather than run
into danger.
II can't go there" said man, put
ting down letter at his club, "altho'
I am perfectly certain that I should
have very good time. In fact, it
was fine last October. But they don't
play any bridge there, and the trip
costs $40. Then there are the butler
and the valet, which brings the ex-
peEse up to $I4, and there is always
likely to be dinner at his brothers.
house, which means lot more money.
Although there is no bridge for money
in this house, the brother who has the
adjoining place has a roulette table
that he brought from Paris. 1t plays
about 20 per cent. in favor of the
house. The brothers. wife always
banks and it is a delight to see the
eagerness with which she clutches
the profits. I have never seen her
win less than SIS, and if there are
many persons at dinner she scoops in
a great deal more. It is hard work
for the family to wait until coffee is
through, they are so anxious to get
at roulette. One can have very
good time at that place, but it is
costly. I guess I'll pay my way
down to Atlantic City over Sunday.
That'll be cheaper.
"They do valet you well, though" "
said a friend who also knew the house.
81 always sort of feel that 1 have
worked out saving in that way.
That fellow they have up there is a
wonder and always take along with
me a great trunk full of clothes. I
know it must give them decided
shock when they see it and think that
1 have come for an extended stay.
But l run that risk. I did feel NOR
titled one day when the baggage
wagon left the trunks on the road in
front of the house and mine, for a
stop of three or four days, looked as
big as a small house. / knew per-
fectly we'll that would be expected
to appear in dazzling series of toi-
lets, but there were only two suits
there fit to be worn and the rest had
been brought along for REPAIRS
81 never take Clothes" drawled a
sleepy voice from behind newspa-
per. Don't know anybody who does
'em up we'll enough to pay. I do
know man, though, who pipeclays
shoes better than anybody else I ever
saw. He's the valet with friend of
mine down on Long Island. Takes
any kind of old white chamois shoe
and makes it look all right. I Ialways
put lot of shoes in my trunk when
I 60 down there. One day the host
happened to come into my room for
some reason and saw seven pairs of
white shoes lined up against the wall.
They were as white and creamy as if