Pocahontas star herald., 1908-09-18
"Hullo, Mr. Terhune," she said,


lusty young voice
"Gentlemen rankers all are wo-a-an
till an ear.splitting shout from Agatha
Second drowned the song comnletelv
"O-h.h,h, Freddy shrieked the
young lady, with lung power that
equaled Vincent's.
| shivered with indignation at tho
liberty "Freddy!" indeed!
At the third shout he heard her and
stopped singing to rend the air with
an answering cry
For goodness sake, what are Won
so long about?" she called. do hur.
ry up"
Coming" roared Vincent, clatter.
ing down the two flights of stairs like
wild horse, and hurried out to
Join Agatha Fifth, my hands over nv
ears Young people are so noisy nova
days.
Several evenings later Agatha Fourth
had arranged to give a progressive
dinner party She was to be the hos.
tess and the rest of us were her
guests. 1t was an eveningdress affair,
and must say as we sat down to din
ner never saw a prettier group of
girls.
Then the fun began. Agatha
Fourth's idea in having a progressive
dinner party was for each OF the girls
to move up one place with each course
so that they could all have turns sit
ting by us. 1t was delightful; really.
] don't know that I ever attended
jollier dinner party. Vincent kept
quoting from the Mad Tea Party in
"Alice in Wonderland" and the girls
laughed at every single thing he said.
Mrs. Armistead, am ashamed to say,
was moi present; her head ached and
she hai dined In her room. | am not
naturally noisy or riotous, but the
laughter and jokes of those six girls
were so infectious that was obliged
to join in with them. Vincent sat at
one end Of the table and l at the 9TH
er, with three girls on each side of us.
The secretary, of course, was not
present.
Agatha Fourth had decorated the
table with some of the yellow roses
and wild fern that grew near the cas-
tie Agatha Sixth and had found
them many times in ear wanderings
and, by the way, she was looking es-
pecially lovely that evening. The girls
all wore shimmering white gowns, sim
liar in design, with silver ornaments.
but Agatha Sixth's gown was cream
color with ornaments of gold, and well
did II become her dark beauty.
We had reached the very end Of the
dinner, and had just made the last
change Of places which left me with
my favorite AGATHA Sixth on my right
and Agatha Third on my left.
Suddenly, as the talk died down
and a certain contented silence fell
upon us, Vincent rose 10 his feet, and
bowing to US formally, began to speak:
Ladies and gentleman" he said.
making the last word pointedly sin
gular, while the girls all laughed, u
think you are all with me when pro;
pose vote of thinks to-to-er--our
hostess"-Q felt that he had nearly
said Agatha Fourth!")-"our hostess.
for giving us so delightful an enter
tainment" He bowed to Agatha
Fourth and went on:
IF all progressive tea parties are
termed mad hope may attend many
such. But as | look around me, gem
tleman and ladies' fair, across the red
glow Of the candle that turns the roses
TO redder gold, and as l gaze upon the
youth and beauty here assembled, the
like of which I have never before
looked upon"-he made a courtly an
clination Of his head that included
every maid at the table, and they all
sighed heard them-"as / look upon
this noble room, this exquisite table
and think Of the graciousness OF such
hospitality, | am inspired to propose
toast in which I feel confident you
win all Join me-" At this climax Vln-
cent raised his glass above his heau'
To the real Agaths!" he cried 10
the real Honorable Agatha!"
There was an instant OF dead 81
lence and then to my surprise my
left-hand neighbor, Agatha Third, rose
to her feet, and, with qulvering lips,
started to say something But she hau
hardly time to rise before the other
hye girls sprang to their feet, ana
raising their glasses, Agatha Thiro
with the rest, they cried with one
voice: ITO the Honorable Agatha
and although II seemed to me that
Agatha Third had very nearly let the
cat our Of the bag by rising, as II 10
acknowledge The courtesy, yet by tne
promptness Of the other girls the day
was partially retrieved. and Vincent
and ] were still somewhat at loss
as to the identity of our fair anu
wealthy hostess
| asked Vincent afterward what ne
E'ade Of Agatha Thirds behavior
II looked 30 me-" said that young
person, as if those girls had them
se'yes SO much 10 command that they
"ouls never betay the secret they ~
guarding no natter what you did
But didn't you see Agatha Thira
get up before the others did?' l salu,
exoitedly "sho gave herself away. l
zen you WilfTed she's the real non