Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-03-21
MR.. WYSP AND HIS WIFE
THE BACHELORS DINNER.
az HELEN 8 NTH DAYTON

Isabel Wysp's attitude toward the
dinner invitation from two of Henry's
pacheior friends up at their place"
was that OF the professional toward
'he amateur. amused tolerance. 1t
WOULD be a lark, an adventure. and all
'iie lunhN attempts at housekeeping
would be no end of fun. 1t would be
u nice object lesson to henry. she also
tho'isht. to show him from what u pa
.hetlc pretense OF home making she
,ifd rescued him. Before his marriage
HenrN mad shared a housekeeping
hpaft,hent with these Very two and
Isabel had always resented the pleas
n yarns Henry spun about The ex-
periencc.
I'm glad Dick and Ed have made up
'helr quarrel and are going to set the
sun out OF storage Il keep house
us1lh' Henry said. It'll seem just
like old times"
MI they are So keen for Il home.
why don't they get married?'' asked
lsapel. ~ was the sort of question to
Wilch one never expects an answer. so
she went on: The way those two enjoy
our Plain little home dinners and rave
apout Things almost tempts me to turn
matchmaker"
They've got the same old house
keeper we used to have" said Henry.
as II that fact dispensed with amy
doubt about the comfort of his two
bachelor friends.
Isabel shifted. She could imagine "a
Thousand and one ways in which two
helpleSS men could be taken advantage
or. Men We're so easy going. If they
wanted her TO give them the benefit of
her knowledge of neutrality-suspicious.
be-done. she'd sort of take Mrs. House
Keeper in hand-oh, Very tactfully. of
coarse-and see that their place was
run properly. ED. himself. had said
1hat she'd have to put them wise to
amy new fangles i'm housekeeping that
had come lp recently.
~ was Isabel's idea to stop on the
way to the bachelors dinner and buy
some flowers for the table. Men never
think OF such things and you couldn't
EXPECT a ~housekeeper to put on little,
honey frills like that" she said. I'm
known to Henry she a tucked a soft
SILK busting cloth into her bag-"just
to whlsk things up for them "a lit
tie
Upon their arrival Mrs. Muffin, the
ho~usekeener. opened the door: Isabel
thought she WAS the neatest looking
person she had ever seen. Henry and
Mrs. Muffin continued to talk about
Ole times while Isabel went ON into
the living room. Ed and Dick jumped
up from the two most comfortable
c~hairs-eNcept all the other chairs in
the roonn-taat had ever been made in
q world over run with Uncomfortable
chairs. 4 fire burned in the CRATE. Il
canary bird who seemed to be under a
perpetual delusion that il was always
morning, sang in a cage. Plants
doomed in the windows. Everything
was shining spick anG span-and they'd
been there a whole month.
old junk looks natural" said Henry.
Walking AROUND looking NJ the familiar
objects that had once meant home TO
him.
How do you like it, Isabel?r asked
Dick. M
Il loathc it,, rsabc,
promptly. No single man has any
right to such am artistic cosy place.
I'm SIRE all those nice girls on the
mantle shelf agree with me"
some OF en- used to belong to Hen
ny, answered Ed, wiclSedly, nodding
toward the photographs.
How funny they look with big
sleeves, said Isabel sweetly. II won
der If you've noticed how severely
mantlepieces are being treated now?
just candlesticks-or "a very few pieces
OF b~ricabrac-no cluttered effects"
With a solemn air Ed took down most
of the pictures and put them behind
some books on a shelf.
Here. you loafer.." protested Dick
You've taken down all of Henry's and
mine and left only your own. Take
yours off too, and I'll get some candle
sticks
You may each have just one" said
Isabel. Ma YOUR own selection"
THAT what's always been our from
BILE sighed Ed. That's why we are
two poor. lonely. old bachelors worry
ing along in these uncomfortable
quarters W. call home"
"Uncomfortable.' repeated Isabel,
sarcastically Nov let me select the
two | think would best adorn a man
tlcpiece-or a home" When she trinm-
phantlN held UP two pictures for their
inspection they shook their heads.
I>tl.t' ~, a.. IL q 49,, ~ 40. - -