The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1908-03-20
WHEN CAME
By Constance Smedley and Pearl Humphrey
Copyright


~
Spratt was on his holiday, and con.
seauent anarchy reigned in the serv-
ants hall. The cook took this oppor-
tunity Of becoming so insufferably in.
solent that she had to be discharged
al a moments notice; and the parlor-
maid went to bed with a gathered
foot. The housemaid, the kitchen
maid. and the page foregathered riot
ously in the kitchen; and Mrs, Martin,
thanking the gods that the stables
were not disorganized, drove OF to
catch the 1920 on a seryant-hunt in
town. Nelly, left alone, spent a de-
licious morning, stunning The
Cingalee," under the name Of practic-
ing; romping with the dogs ito give
them EXERCISE" reading From Sea to
Sea" as studying geography" and
otherwise finding dutiful names for
pleasurable occupations.
At 1870, somewhat rumpled after
a race with a fox-terrier, in which he
had had the courtesy to circle round
and round her by way of imposing on
himself a handicap, she sat down to a
meal of the ascetic kind, which always
results from domestic upheayals. Cold
ham, cocoa, and cheese were spread
before her, when, raising her eyes, she
beheld a wagonette loaded with people
driving up to the door. Nelly recog.
nized the entire Gerney family, accom-
panied by some visitors. When the
Assyrians came down like wolves on
the fold. they must have produced an
effect somewhat similar to the sensa-
ton experienced by Nelly as she hur-
ried upstairs into her bedroom, and
hastily began to change her pink cot
ton morning froch for a more careful
costume. Elise had gone up to town
with Mrs. Martin, anf Nelly could find
nothing. She felt positive that the
Gerneys, in the drawing-room beneath,
could hear her agitated footsteps and
the opening and shutting Of many
drawers, and would inevitably con-
clude that she was of the type of girl
who is unpresentably untidy in the
morning. She came to the belated con-
clusion that 1t would have been o
polite, and in better taste, to have
gone down In her pink cotton, even
though 1t had an ink-spot on the cuff.
When she entered the drawing-room
at last, flushed and apologize, and
wearing the wrong belt put on crooked,
Mrs. Gerney and her party were full of
embarrassment. They were sure they
were putting her out, and were so
sorry, Mrs. Gerney, an old friend OF
Mrs. Martin, hut very slightly known
to Nelly, explained that, with their
visitors (here she interpolated some
mystic phrases which might have
been i~ntroductions) they had driven
over to see the ruins of the castle, and
had meant to descend on Mrs. Martin
and ask for some lunch. knowing that
she kept open house. They had no
idea she was away, and could not
dream of staying and putting Nelly
out.
Tc this, of course, Nelly demurred.
They really must stay; it would give
her so much pleasure; and Mrs. Mar
tin would never forgive her If she let
them go away. "If you will excuse me
for a minute" she concluded, Il will
Just see that luncheon is served Soon"
With these smiling courtesies on her
lips, and doubt and despair at her
heart, she raced to the servants hall,
where the housemaid was UNANIMOUSLY
presiding over the dinner of the
kitchen-maid and the page. Dressed
in a little brief authority" she was
haughtily brandishing a carving-knife
above a roast loin of pork, when Nelly
appeared in the doorway, full of per-
plexity. She glanced from the pork
to the hot sunshine outside, with a
rather dubious expression; but she
could find no alternative, and babe the
disappointed trio dine off cold ham
and serve their W succulent dish In
the dining.room. Then she fled into
the garden for flowers, finding her
choice much restricted by the neces.
sity for keeping out of sight of the
~drawing.room windows.
In the meanwhile, at the end Of a
%protracted half-hour, her guests we're
becoming stupefied with embarrass.
ment and hunger. They felt that they
were an occurrence of much incon.
v~enience to their iuttered hostess, but
they could not now leave any more
than Nelly could let them go, ardently
as she and they all desired it.
Things improved when they we're
ushered into the dining-room. The
table looked charming, with the flow.
ers freshly gathered. Nelly sat at its
head, and endeavored to keep the con.
versation up to the standard usual at
Mrs. Martins luncheons. When the
pork appeared, her efforts fell quite
fiat. 1t was hot, and the party were
tired with sightseeing, and just in tune
for sweetbreads or salmon and mayor
naise, or some such dainty. To be
offered hot roast pork in such circum.
stances was very disappointing. Mrs.
Gerney, who had a horror Of pork In
any form, sat with her plate steaming