The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1909-09-09
distracted running about the birds
seemed %peaceable and to be enjoying

distracted running about the birds
seemed peaceable and to be enjoying
themselves.
l heard the gray parrot topped with
pink feathers, who took tickets, tell
wren Of a woman that she had
stayed up till one o'clock the previous
night getting the score cards ready.
why didn't you have your com.
mittee do that?" inquired Mrs. Wren.
Weren't they willing to work."
"Oh, yes, l had a fine committee"
Mrs. Parrot replied, "and we had lots
of meetings, but we didn't seem to
get a great deal done; there was al.
ways SO much to be talked over. But
1 didn't mind. I enjoyed working.
especially for charity, only l wish I
didn't feel SO tired with the entire re-
sponsibility of this affair on my shout
ders. 1 think it's going TO be a great
success, though. don't yua?"
Mrs. Wren, also Mrs. Crow and
Mrs. Green Parrot who row made up
the group, all agreed that the euchre
couldn't help being a success with Mrs,
Gray Parrot at the head and front.
1 went to look at the prizes which
were arranged on a long table at one
side Of the room. There were 70, one
for every four players; the Mrs. Hawk
who was guarding them proudly told
me this. They included everything
from stems to silk stockings. There
was a box for the opera, and a smok-
Ing set.
At the moment of observing the latter,
[ looked up to e a man emerging
from the crush about the doorway.
At first 1 thought he might be a re.
porter, but not after l could see more
of him than the top of his head. He
was a dollhouse specimen of human.
ity, clothed in irreproachable after.
! noon dress, and he was going to play
cards all Of the glorious fall after.
noon with $50 women, or, to be exact,
279-he would make the two hundred
and .eightieth. He was young too.
and looked able to swing a golf club
or even do a vans work in the world,
me women swept down on him In
p%latoons; only n little chickadee
stayed away, and she, I could see by
the way her soft eyes followed him,
was in love with that card-playing i'm
itation of a man.
By this time, the arrivals having
all arrived, received their ~score-cards
and found their places with the help
of an indigo bunting, a purple martin
four screech owls and q belted king
fisher detailed for the task; the lut
TOR subsidized somewhat, though not the
chattering, for play had not begun.
I retired to the outskirts of the
scene to get a comprehensive view
Of my aviary. A boy bugler blew rev
ellie, and they were of. They were
good for two and a half hours, dur
ing which 1 must sit and watch fol
something to make a story.
A voice suddenly raised above the
general clucking sent my self-abase
ment flying and made me sit up am
take notice at once. Like a shot
was ove in the corner where tn,
commotion was, but it proved to b.
only a trifing difference of opinion
that was soon settled.
Still, the game was beginning t.
warm up. BY the fourth round varl
GUS expressions that anyone familia
with euchre knows, were stealing owe
most of the women's faces. Some go
the prize-hunger in their eyes, other
bent over the cards with the cage
look of those who play for excite
, ment's sake, while still others-wel
they were wasting time gambling 70
mere bric-a-brac and trinkets wort
only a few dollars.
D AS for the Only Man, l amused my
self by inventing suitable titles 70
him. He was the Belle of the Bal
the Flower Of the Flock, and l couldn'
decide between the Jack of Heart
!, and the Two-spot.
The room as we'll as the game wa
warming up, and the air-how thes
women stayed in 1t from choice wa
beyond me. Several windows wer
opened by the hotel attendants, bu
the players nearest them complaine
;, of draughts and they had to be close