Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-12-31

Y
! He decided to do something quite
different from the conventional thea
| ter, restaurant dinners or automobile
parties upon which his reputation had
been built.
! After some little meditation he decid-
ed to entertain a very few guests at
dinner In his bachelor quarters. The
| first thing. of course, was TO gravely
consider those TO be invited. For some
time Madeline Gaylord's name headed
an imaginary list In complimentary
! isolation. Gradually, however, other
names to the number Of five were add
! ed. The date was next arranged for
and the invitations to "a most in
formal dinner" issued
| The most important feature being
! thus dismissed, Brabrook turned HIS
attention to the minor details incident
to a simple house dinner party. The
inventory Of his household assets prov
ed appallingly negative:
| No dining room table.
No table linen.
No dishes.
Plenty of wineglasses.
No silver
Two candlesticks.
Well, he could hire the table linen,
the dishes and the silver from a cater
er, but he preferred to buy It, 1t was
pity he had not allowed himself q
little more time for preparations. A
f11rt ,fch oil arori,,
| Realizing that no time must be lost,
Gerald first purchased a mahogany
dinner table, round and large enough
to seat six cozily. Elated over its ac-
QUESTION and congratulating himself
upon having had the remarkable fore
sight to invite just the right number
to surround 1t, Brabrook attacked the
next item on the list with vim Dor
dering upon enthusiasm.
"I'll ask Madeline Gaylord to help me
out" he said to himself confidently
and then Immediately retracted the
decision. No; he must do this thing all
himself. Simple as the affair was to be,
no woman should have the credit of
having engineered 1t.
With the help of very affable clerk
Gerald selected dinner cloth, napkins
and appropriate centerpiece. 1t quite
astonished him to find out how really
expensive such everyday essentials
were. He appreciated now for the
first time why brides were supplied
with "linen chests" as well as trous-
seaux.
| 1t must be great help to young
husband not to have to buy a lot of
such things all at once. The purchase
of the silver Gerald thoroughly enjoy
ed, and with very conscious pride he
ordered his initials engraved upon each
piece.
Gradually everything upon the list
was checked off, and he was free to
! give his attention to the menu. This
ments were soon concluded and left
In charge Of an expert chef.
As master stroke of informally,
however, Gerald decided to serve the
dinner himself. To this end he consid-
cred rehearsal necessary. Accord
ingly on the night preceding that for
which the dinner was scheduled he
rolled the new mahogany dining table
into the middle of his not overspacious
living room and reluctantly hid It's
polished surface under the damask
cloth.
A cut glass cigar holder. punctilious-
ly placed on the center, represented
floral decorations. Gle should have
American Beauties for the dinner IT.
self. Madeline liked them.)
In the midst of sorting out the shin
ing silver into sets Of six Gerald was
called to the telephone.
"Hellow he answered. "Who? Miss
Gaylord? Well. send her right up"
There was no time for trying to un-
derstand this most extraordinary hap
pening. Gerald could only conclude
that Madeline In an impulse of gener-
osity had come over to offer her as
sistance. But Madeline unchaperonedl
This II awfully good Of you, Made
line" he said, with warm cordially,
ushering her In. II am really In hole
over the arrangement Of the silver
Do the spoons 60 here at the right OF
at the top orr
"Just wait till I get my things or
i Gerald. and I'll hslp you." Madeline
interrupted gayiy. 'Oh. Isn't It going
to be funf"
| Gerald IN a bewilderment Of admira
tion watched the long coat fall from
MndelinoSa eraceful ehoulderu