The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1911-04-21

Patricia Woodkirk sat idly turning 4
the leaves of current magazine. |
She felt particularly incident; her at
titude WAS almost lazy. Nothing on |
the pages before her brought 40 much |
as an alert glance from her eyes.
Presently, she turned back leaf to |
look again at the likeness OF man.
The face was none other than that OF |
George Washington.
Patricia stared at the face. and as
her eyes remained on the likeness
they gathered reminiscent express
sion. Not that Patricia had known
The illustrious general for though
she was known In Meadville by the
very young set as an old maid. she
Was. In reality. in her very early
thirties.
But the birthday OF Washington
had been chosen. once upon a time,
by Patricia Woodkirk as night for
Colonial dance. Her guests had
come in wigs and with powder and
patches, while she herself had been
dressed as Martha Washington. And
there had been George, too. Patricia
had quarreled with him bitterly on
that very night after the last dance
and had been too obstinate ever since
to admit 1t either to George Washing
ton or to any one else.
Patricia continued to live IN the
old homestead and 1t WAS in the very
room In which she now sat that her
merry party of young folks had con-
gregated few years ago. Most OF
them were married now and scat
tered.
| Her friends were largely among the
married couples of the town though,
not two weeks ago, Patricia had en-
tertained young woman In her home
and the taste of gay young life once
more had brought back her own bright
yirlhood
Corinne Unreasonable young girl
who had been Patricias guest-had
won no end of admiration from the
towns young men; and she. having
come from the city with her attrac-
tive, II frivolous, manners, found it
not a little interesting to add notch
after notch to her beau stick.
AS Patricia thought over the stay
Of her young guest she recalled sew
eral instances in which the young
woman had flirted with the acknowl-
edged beau Of one of the towns own
girls. Perhaps-in fact as Patricia
recalled it all now. she was sure
there were many uneasy hearts since
her departure.
iii have party on February
twenty-second!" Patricia almost said
1t aloud
She closed the magazine with a
bang and sat alert 'I'll ask all the
girls and boys to come and bury the
Ratchet. Well have formal cere
mony OF 1t and" her cheeks glowed
as the plan unwound itself In her
brain-"well wear powder and
patches"
Suddenly her face clouded agar
shadow
But" she said, half aloud.
Then. as II fearing she would e
back on an impulse she knew in
tuitively was good, she rushed to he,
3 desk.
, Sitting down, she wrote the first o
J her invitations In almost breathles
d haste. In 1t, she asked one Georg
: Washington to dress as George Wash
q lngton, and come to her party to he'll
& to bury the Ratchet.
r She folded. sealed and addresse
l. the note without so much as rereat
II Ing It, 1t seemed, when she stoppe
u for even an instant to think, such a
l awful offense against her famil
pride.
Is In due time she wrote the other IL
,i vitations and not single one wa
9 refused.
n 1T looks as II every one was an,
A Ious to bury the Ratchet" sie though
n as she read an acceptance from on
s, young person whom she knew ha
v, strayed from the side of his swee
y heart to worship at the shrine OF he
Is young guest. Corinne.
The great room of Patricia's HON
IL was lighted with severe-looking c,
e lonial candlesticks with straight. III
shaded candies, WHEN tue tOlOHlt
danes began to arrive. Men in sati
breeches with large buckled slipper
and heavy white wigs soon talke
u sedately with danes In sheer whit
nj hchus and voluminous skirts.
b. Patricia. herself. was beautifl
"a young Martha Washington as 81
OF stood to greet her guests in the san
NJ costume she had worn on night M
nj SO many years ago.
ne AS the evening wore on, each ma
nj guest was presented with hatche
w He was told that outside in the co
m servatory in tubs and flower box
m hidden away were numbers corr
ib spending TO the ones on the handle
lg of the hatchets II was his duty,
Patricia told each one, TO seek Il
proper girl and with her find Il
number In the conservatory Toget
er. they were to bury the hatch
~ with whatever ceremony they -four
a, most fitting for the time and place.
% When every man had found a 81