Little Falls herald., 1909-08-20

corner Of the room to look like q cell
In Holloway, having vainly tried to
induce her husband to appear as
policeman.
Mrs. Blenkinsop's latest invitations
had the single word "Rubaiyat" writ
ten in the left-hand corner Of the card.
What will it be like, m'dear!
asked Mr.. Blenkinsop, apprehensively.
Very strange and very beautiful,
George!" answered his wife.
"And amusin'?" ~
"No-Persian!"
The spirit of old Omar Of Naishapur
has visited West Kensington. The
Rubaiyat at-home is over.
Willie Trevor and the pretty Miss
Copsley agreed that it was ripping.
The visitors arrived punctually. Mrs.
Blenkinsop, who is tall and wears eye
glasses, received them in an Anglo
Persian costume-Persian to the
waist, British about the skirts-with
silver f1ligree ornaments and high
heeled slippers.
She asked the young people, on en-.
tering the drawing room, to sit on the
floor. Willie Trevor and Miss Copsley
promptly took their cushions into a
corner. Willie murmured that they
didn't want to get in anybody's way.
There was small platform, COW
cred with Turkish rug. Mrs. Blen-
kinsop mounted, and the audience
,, clapped.
Il am going to read the Rubaiyat of
Omar Khayyam," she announced. "And
want you all to join with me in a
. spirit of revelry. We will drink to-
gether with the astronomer poet of
Persia-George, dear, tell ANNA to
bring in the wine."
! Her husband obeyed and the parlor
maid appeared with tray. There was
claret cup and burgundy. The guests,
who had become intensely solemn, al
lowed Mr.. Blenkinsop to fill their gob-
lets, with the exception of one woman,
whose strict temperance principles
obliged her to ask for lemonade.
Mrs. Blenkdnsop then opened hand
somely bound edition Of the Rubaiyat
and put on her reading spectacles and
most becoming crown of artificial
purple and white grapes. .....
Have you heard Omar Khayyam be.
fore" whispered Miss Copsley to
Willie Trevor.
"No-have you?" answered Willie.
"Of course, heaps of good times! I
do wish had copy of my own"
Willie made mental note of the
hint, and the Copsley girl innocently
mentioned her favorite color in book.
binding.
Listen, Willie!" she said. "You
ought to make the most of your oppor-
tunities."
May II" queried Willie, and he
, smiled expressively into her eyes.
How absurd you are!" she ex-
claimed, blushing for no accountable
reason.
Come I'LL the Cup. and in the Fire OF
Spring
The Winter Garment of Repentance fling!
At this point, Mrs. Blenkinsop, keep
ing her finger in the book, raised q
0Ao0o VI GA0A 0t " u0I uQS. g.
Nov, pleased" she said with smil-
ing signal. .-.-s. -. :...
The guests obediently followed her
example. . . a@
Rather souri," observed the lady
, who was total abstainer to her
neighbor, referring to the lemonade.
Mrs. Blenkinsop read on steadily,
: and feeling of gloom crept over the
company. They fought against it val.
iantly. One young man, determined to
make the thing co.. quaffed jocosely
at the wrong time, was reproved by a
/ severe frown from his hostess.
When she dashed in to the verse
! beginning, "And if the wine you drink,
i the lips you press" there was a lit.
! tie agitation over Mr.. Blenkinsop try
! ing to persuade his aunt to have her
! goblet replenished.
mot on any account, George! I'll
! pretend!" said the aunt, amiably.
'The ruby vintage drink" continued
F.. the fair reader.
"Only half glass, Mr.. Blenkinsop!"
! pleaded another lady, in an audible
=, whisper. e.. ...........
| The gloom intensified. The visitors
with exemplary patience, slipped at the
, same second whenever Mrs. Blenkin.
sop gave the signal, like well-trained
! supers.
I've enjoyed it awfully! It was
jolly" said Willie Trevor, jumping w
to congratulate his hostess when the
end came at last.
| It was the truth. He had been whis
pering to Miss Copsley, to say nothing
Of holding her hand, from the first line
to the last.
/ 1.-THE Greek classics will never be
equaled," observed Mr.. Blenkinsop'a
aunt, slightly confused between Ho
| mer and Omar.
my little room has been turned Int
q Persian garden said the gratified
Mrs. Blenkinsop.
"Omar Khayyam In West Kensing
toni" exclaimed the temperance ladJ
with enthusiasm, az she drained hel