The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1909-08-05

the way her soft eyes followed him,
was In love with that card playing i'm,
itation of man.
BY this time, the arrivals having
all arrived, received their scorc-cards
and found their places with the help
Of an indigo bunting, purple martin.
four screech owls and belted king
fisher detailed for the task; the ilut
ter subsidized somewhat, though not the
chattering, for play had not begun.
| retired to the outskirts of the
scene to get comprehensive view
OF my aviary A boy bugler blew rev.
ellie, and they were of. They were
good for two and half hours. dur.
lag which | must sit and watch for
something to make a story.
A voice suddenly raised above the
general clucking sent my self.abase.
ment flying and made me sit up and
take notice at once. Like shot
was over In the corner where tho
connection was, but II proved TO be
only a tritllng difference of opinion
that was soon settled.
sim, the game was beginning to
warm up. BY the fourth round vari.
Gus expressions that anyone familiar
with euchre knows, we're stealing over
most of the wOmcn's faces Some got
the prize-hunger In their eyes, others
bent over the cards with the eager
look of those who play for excite.
ments sake, while still others-well,
they were wasting time gambling for
mere bric.a.brac and trinkets worth
only few dollars
AS for the Only Man, amused mr,
self by inyenting suitable titles for
him. He was the Belle of the Bah
the Flower Of the Flock, and couldn't
decide between the Jack Of Hearts
and the Two-spot
The room as well as the game was
warming up and the air-how these
women stayed in it from choice was
beyond me. Several windows were
opened by the hotel attendants, but
the players nearest them complained
of draughts and they had TO be closed
down.
The sixth game closed and the won.
en- jostled each other to get in their
places for the seventh. Mrs. Sparrow
glared at her new partner Mrs Gray
Owl, who played sleepily. and Mrs
Hawk wore the look OF martyr when
she found herself for the third time
opposite Mrs. Bluejay. who, it trans.
pired, had never played euchro before.
and had come innocently expecting to
be shown how. She was.
At last Taps" sounded and then
the real excitement began; what had
gone before was merely preliminary.
Before the last note of the bugle had
died away the prize table looked like
a bargain counter. No third.rate dc.
partment store ever held u more eX-
cited. eager.to.bethereti first. bound.not.
to.getlcft crowd than that collection
Of gorgeously gowned women wearing
jewels enough to have dccked an In.
dian temple. And the Only Man was
in the thick of the fray. In vain the
prize committee and the hotel attend.
ants who had been called In to help
preserve order tried to keep the won
en- back. For a moment 1t looked as
though there would be Il wholesale run
on the prizes; but at the crucial mo.
ment Mrs. Catbird's commanding voice
made itself heard.
Ladies. ladies, remember you arc
ladies!"
The throng fell back an inch or
two slightly disheveled and less than
slightly ashamed.
Once under control, the crowd was
managed, though with no little difil.
Guilty, and the prizes were finally dis
tributed. While they waited the i'm
patient ones RECALLED one another with
their woes.
My dear, dislike quarreling, espe.
cially over cards, but you cant let
people walk over you
NO, of course you can't" This
was from my dear little bluebird, who
looked worn out.
The last prize left was case OF
mineral water
"Oh. don't want that" said the
woman who was entitled to it, in a dis
appointed tone.
I'm take 1t, then" says the next one
on the list. and up she steps and
claims the case. My, wasn't the first
woman mad as wet hen, thought
The Only Man won the silk stock.
ings. and the old maid got the smok.
ing set. Perhaps. who knows. 1t
proved n mascot?
On the way to the cloakroom Mrs
Catbird stopped me.
Now deal gently with us, won't you,
sweetheart" she entreated. Some OF
these women acted shamefully about
the prizes, but you know euchres are
given To raise money, so we cant be
80 particular about the people to
whom tickets are sold. But you will
be kind to us, won't you?"
] smiled Oh, meant to be kind
all right. as surgeon is or dentist.
meant to give each one OF those
women chance to see herself as she
looked to the only sane person there
when the game broke up.
My, how good the fresh air felt
when ] got outside!
Still, that euohre was a great