The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1909-08-12

or even do a vans work in the world.
The women swept down on him in
platoons; only one little chickadee
stayed away, and she, | 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, purple martin,
four screech owls and belted king
fisher detailed for the task; the flut-
ter subsidized somewhat, though not the
chattering. for play had not begun.
l retired to the outskirts of the
scene to get comprehensive view
of my aviary. A boy bugler blew rev
ellie, and they were off. They were
good for two and half hours. dur
ing 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 the
commotion was, but 1t proved to be
only trifiing difference of opinion
that was soon settled.
Still, the game was beginning to
warm up. BY the fourth round vari.
! GUS expressions that anyone familiar
with euchre knows, were stealing over
most of the women's faces. Some got
the prtze-hunger in their eyes others
bent over the cards with tho eager
look of those who play for excite
ment's sake, while still otherl,-well,
they were wasting time gamb ing for
mere bric-a-brac and trinkets worth
only few dollars.
AS for the Only Man, / amused my
self by inventing suitable titles for
him. He was the Belle of the Ball,
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 wom-
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
PRED, had never played euchre before,
and had come innooently 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
bargain counter. No third-rate de-
partment store ever held more ex-
cited, er-to-be-there-first- bound-not.
to-get-left crowd than that collection
of gorgeously gowned women wearing
jewels enough to have decked an In
dian temple. And the Only Man was
in the thick of the fray. In vain the
prize committee and the hotel attend
preserve order tried to keep the WON.
en- back. For moment it looked as
though there would be wholesale run
on the prizes; but at the crucial mo-
ment Mrs. Catbird's commanding voice
made itself heard.
Ladies, ladies, remember you are
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 diff
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 can't lei
people walk over you"
mo, of course you can't" This
was from my dear little bluebird. who
looked worn out.
The last prize left was a case o.
mineral water.
"Oh, don't want that" said thu
woman VINO was entitled 10 IL, IN dis
appointed tone.
"I'll take it, them" says the next one
on the list, and up she steps anC
claims the case. My, wasn't the frs
woman mad as a wet hen, thought
The Only Man won the silk stock
ings, and the old maid got the smok
ing set Perhaps, who knows i
proved a mascot?
On the way to the cloakroom Mrs
Catbird stopped me.
Now deal gently with us, won't you
sweetheart" she entreated. Some o
, these women acted shamefully abou
the prizes. but you know euchres ar,
given to raise money, so we cant b,
, ] too particular about the people /,