The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1908-12-23

~ II | LudL III JOWu WueCe
MR the divorced must ever
be reckoned with when
dance and dinner lists are made out
there is always some thoughtless host
ess and sometimes a mischievous one,
and the chances were that he and Mrs.
Jack Ruthven would collide either
through the forgetfulness or malice of
somebody or through sheer hazard at
some large affair where destiny and
fate work busily together in criminal
copartnership.
Their encounter was all mistake.
born Of the haste of needless and eld-
erly matron celebrated for managing
to do the wrong thing, but who had
been excessively nice to him that win
ter and whose position in Manhattan
was not to be assailed.
Dear Captain Selwyn," she wheez-
ed over the telephone, I'm short one
man, and we dine at 8 and it's that
now. Could you help me? It's the
rich and yellow this time. but you
won't mind. will you?"
He explained to Mrs. L. West Min
ster his absurd delight at being asked.
Then he sent for a cab and sauntered
into the dining room. where he was re-
ceived with undisguised hostility.
"She's been civil to me-" he said:
Ejeunesse oblige, you know, and that's
why u
"There'll be q lot C Ccbutlntest
What do you want to 20 for, you era,
robber?" protested Austin. a lot Of
water bibbing, olive eating, talcum
powdered debutantes"-
Eileen Strengthened up stinly. and
Selwyn's teasing smile ana his offered
hand in adieu completed her indigha-
tion.
"Oh, goodby! No, ! won't shake
hands. There's your cab now. | wish
you'd take Austin too. Nina and l
are tired of dining with the premature
ly aged
''lndeed we are" said Mrs. Gerard.
$50 to your club. Austin, and give me
a chance to telephone to somebody I'M
der the anaesthetic age
Selwyn departed, laughing. but he
yawned in his cab all the way to Fif-
ty-third street, where he entered in
the wake of the usual laggards and,
surrendcring hat and coat in the cloak
room, picked up the small. slim envel-
ope bearing his name.
The card within disclosed the infor-
nation that he was to take in Mrs.
Somebody-or-other. He made his way
through great many people, found
his hostess, backed off. stood on one
leg for moment like reflective wa.
tarfowl, then found Mrs. Somebody
or-other and was absently good TO her
through a great deal of noise and some
Spanish music, which seemed to squirt
through thicket of palms and bespat-
ter everybody.
Wonderful music" observed his
dinner partner with singular original.
ity; $50 like Carmen"
rs it?' he replied and took her
away at nod from his hostess, whose
daughter Dorothy leaned forward from
her partners arm at the same mo.
ment and whispered: II must speak to
you, mamma. You can't put Captain
Selwyn there because"-
But her mother was deaf and smil.
ingly sensitive about 1t, so she merely
SbOoSSu "hoI iGplJ uGI
"It's all settled, dear. Captain Selwyn
arrived a moment ago" And she clos
ed the file.
1t was already too late anyhow, and
presently, turning to see who was seat
ed on his left, Selwyn found himself
gazing into the calm, flushed face OF
Alike RHthven. 1t was their third en-
counter.
They exchanged dazed nod of rec
Ognition, a meaningless murmur, ant
turned again, apparently undisturbed
to their respective dinner parties.
A great many curious eyes lingering
on them shifted elsewhere in reluctan
disappointment.
AS for the hostess, she had for on'
instant come as near to passing heav
onward az she could without doing i
when she discovered the situation
Then she accepted it with true humor
She could afford to. But, her daugh
ters. Sheila and Dorothy, suffered
acutely, being OF this years outpu
and martyrs to responsibility.
Meanwhile Selwyn, grimly aware o.
an accident somewhere and perfectly
conscious OF the feelings which mus
by this time dominate his hostess. wal