The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-01-02
That
. .
Invitation

That's funny" said Mrs. Crockett.
Mrs. Hamilton Hurlburt Dickson re-
quests my presence at bridge Mon
day afternoon and she requests 1t In
the most expensive engraved old Eng
lish, too"
why funny?' inquired Crockett.
temporarily suspending the reading Of
the sporting page. did you expect
her to pick the letters in pin or
make a transparency OF it,"
Mrs. Crockett turned up her nose at
him. 1T is funny" she said. because
| have not the slightest idea who Mrs.
Hamilton Hurlburt Dickson is-have
you?"
Crockett laid down his paper. "Never
heard Of her." he said.
"But think, Jimmy" begged Mrs.
Crockett. WAS she on your list when
we sent our announcement cards?"
"She was not" sang Crockett In de.
scending scale. ITO the best Of my
knowledge, she isn't the sister or
mother or relative OF anybody l know
or ought to know. Why should she In
vite you?"
well, as to that. why shouldn't
she?" bristled Mrs. Crockett. And
it's to be at the Northedge club. and
I'm dying to see the inside of that
club. It's two weeks OF. SO 1t must
be q big party"
swell, why don't you go?" asked
Crockett. you've got the ticket let
ting you in"
go to a party given by an utterly
strange woman" demanded Mrs.
Crockett. Il have heard of women
who were social climbers inviting
women they wanted to get in with.
even II they hadn't ever met them.
Maybe"
Darling" interrupted Crockett, IL
am loath to blast your sweet illu
sions. but why should anyone as ex
pensive as Mrs. Hamilton llurlburt
Dickson looks TO be from her invi
tatiOn card be sitting up nights plan
ming how to get acquainted with a
perfectly sweet lady living in $l5
| Nat and able TO afford one tailor gown
a year?'
"All this" said his wife. comes
from having a legal mind. But sim
ply don't understand! II Is address
ed 10 my full name and the address
is right"
Mrs. Crockett stuck the card in her
dressing mirror SO it would be handy
to ponder over. by diligent search
she found that Mrs. Hamilton Hurl-
burt Dickson lived on boulevard
quite near, and she walked by the
house without getting any further
clews. Every night she told Crockett
that she simply must find out about
the invitation, SO she could either &C.
cept or decline II.
I'D hate to offend her by declining
II II II really is some one ought to
know" she walled. "But. Of course.
| don't want to thrust myself upon her
II she doesn't know me! Consider
how awkward It would be. Jimmy. for
a perfectly strange hostess to meet
perfectly strange guest. and neither Of
us have the slightest common ground
| to stand on! We can't even ask how
l -.~h osho.,. eo,,,;1;cS oro hocanso No
don't know who belongs to the fam
lilies! They say that Northedge club
is perfectly beautiful. OF course I'm
not SO crazy to go that want to ac.
cept this invitation. still-and there's
my new velvet dress. and this would
be such a good chance to wear it,"
well, 60 on and go!" urged Crock
EFT.
"Oh. I wouldn't dream Of such q
thing!" cried his wife. "But do you
think 1t would be awful II did! II
she's asked me she should take the
consequences. shouldn't she! OF course
shan't-but, then-don't you think
that last hat I got looks particularly
well with the velvet! I'm just dying
for q good game Of bridge-rve got to
write my acceptance or regrets today.
that's al there 10 to IT,"
That afternoon. as Mrs. Crockett sat
down at her writing desk. her sister
in-law came in. She saw the card
from Mrs. Hamilton Hurlburt Dickson.
and reached out a casual hand, when
Mrs. Crockett told its story.
"Oh, that's meant for me-" she said.
Mrs. Dickson is q bride. and I'm a
friend of her mothers and her moth
er is in Europe, and she didn't know
my front name, SO she looked in the
telephone book and when she found a
Crockett on this street she thought the
flrst one must be I. l wouldn't have