Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1909-02-25
THE
INTERRUPTED
BANQUET
By RENE BAcnE

street.. / could not remember having
seen that particular house before. My
recollection had been that there was
a vacant lot just there. But l must
have been mistaken, for the dwelling
before me was substantial enough,
though old-fashioned, with high front
steps and large windows A trifle out
of repair 1t looked, by the way, and
even noticed that two or three panes
of glass were gone. On the whole, the
mansion presented a somewhat mourn
full appearance, as IL fallen from an
old-time responsibility into condition
of decay and decrepitude.
! am sure that 1t would never have
occurred to me to enter, had II not
been that the young lady who accom-
panied me turned and deliberately
mounted the steps towards the front
door. OF course l followed. She did
not ring the bell; for, in truth, there
seemed to be no bell to pull. But the
portal was Aoiselessly thrown wide
from within, and we entered. ] looked
In vain for the servant who, l sup
posed, would receive our cards; but, TO
ny surprise, Mabel walked straight
ahead through the wide hall, without
hesitation, appearing quite familiar
with the place. There should have
been a light, I thought, though 1t was
only two o'clock In the afternoon; for
the interior of this strange mansion
was very dark, and could only make
out in an indistinct sort of way the
faces that looked down upon me from
some old portraits, obviously fine
works of art, as l passed.
Mabel had introduced me to most
of her friends, for We had been en-
gagged for six months and were to be
married very soon; but she had never
spoken to me of these people, who,
perhaps, were rather out of the fashion
and had been forgotten. AS these re-
Elections passed through my mind, we
assembled a broad staircase to the sec
ond floor, and then 1t was that heard
a sound of revelry which came from a
room which / correctly judged to be
the dining room of the house. The
heavy oaken doors of the room were
slightly ajar, and through them was
cast strong beam of light that fell
full upon an object which startled me
for an instant. 1t was a headless hui
man figure. A second later | smiled at
my own alarm, inasmuch as the figure
was nothing but a suit of old armor
without the helmet.
If | had had chance, should have
questioned Mabel, in order to make
sure that our unannounced entrance
was not an intrusion; also, might
have asked why, after starting out
for days yachting trip, we had re-
turned so early and for so strange an
entertainment. But either query would
have been out of place just then.
Very likely, l thought, she had some
surprise in store for me-a lunch
party, maybe, arranged by some
friends In our honor; for quite a series
of dinners and other entertainments
had been gievn to us in celebration of
our engagement. Moreover. all that |
have related took place within less
than a minute and a half and in an
other moment l found myself in the
large and brilliantly lighted dining
room. If the rest of the mansion was
dark, there was no lack of illumination
here. ! was fairly dazzled by the
numerous lights, clusters of which. ar
ranged in silver candelabra, helped to
adorn long table, at which twenty
five or thirty people were seated.
To my establishment, not one of the
people present seemed to take the
slightest notice of our entrance. Near
one end of the table were two vacant
chairs together. Mabel quietly took
one of them, and /, deeming the time
hardly proper for an explanation, seat
ed myself in the other. Soup was i'm
mediately placed before us-evidently
we were not very late-and / took two
or three spoonsful of It, 1t struck me
as being singularly tasteless.
The courses followed each other in
the usual mechanical fashion. What
there was to eat / do not remember
with any distinctness, for was so alb
sorbed in wonder and in studying the
other guests that took little notice of
the viands. Opposite me was funny.
looking old lady in white silk, cut low
at the neck to such a degree, thought,
as would have been more appropriate
to a younger and plumper person. ]
particularly recall the fact that she
wore camellias in her hair--a fashion
which | had heard of as belonging to
a generation ago. 1t was palpable. too
hat her front hair was false Withal
he was most agreeable and amiably
isposed, as | presently discovered
,om her conversation. She was the
rst person who addressed any remark
me, abruptly making some inquiry
lbout my grandfather, and stating in
the same breath that she was from
Philadelphia.
At her left sat gentleman of rather
more than middle age, as | judged,
with a remarkably pink nose and a
,reat expanse of shirt-front, who was
evoting himself so assiduously to his
late that not word escaped his lips.
n the other side of the old lady with
e camellias was an extremely thin