The daily Alaskan., 1913-12-08
ANARROW
 ESCAPE
By SAMUEL E. BRANT

L.. knowing that the start one makes socially in a place counts for good deal. she made herself agreeable to every one. became familiar with only the best, was careful that her costumes were cut in the latest fashion, and, since the dominant circle admitted of cavaliers for their prominent members, she rather encouraged the attentions of Huntington Dabney.
 It must be admitted that keeping Mr. Dabney up to his duties as her cavalier was hard work His main &C., complishment was leading a cOtilliOn, and he was not known to have any secondary oue. Mrs. Marshall could stand to be put in a straitjacket cos tune and listen to society gossip, in- cluding private quaTels and the mis- hap of the last social climber who had fallen from an upper round of the lad der to the bottom, but found 1t tire some, indeed. to pretend to be flirting with Huntington Dabuey in a solitary corner at function in order to main tain reputation for being one of those ladies to whom husband and children are bore And it was the harder for her because she was devoted both to her husband and her children. As for Mir. Marshall. she told him in the be- ginning what her designs really amounted to, but he didn't take sult. cfcnt interest in the matter to remem- Der the explanation.
 Among the other penalties Mrs. Mar shall must pay for caccting an entrance into l.. society was the sitting in tight slippers for several hours at dinner par ties. Her feet were tender, and fof this reason her footwear was made of light material, but even siIken slippers, made very small, binding the feet for hours on a stretch, will at last cause pain 1t was sitting thus at dinner party for an unusually long period that brought about q mishap to Mrs. Mar shall that came very near plunging her to the foot of tbe social ladder and rendering her fall so unfortunate that she would not have been able to begin to climb again
 At the dinner in question Mir. Dab ncy was assigned to take Mrs. Mar shall out. MT. Marshall having been hOnored by being assigned to the host ess. Mrs. Marshalrs shoe pinChed, and after enduring a long period of suffer- Ing she slipped it off. Mir Dabney, who was a restless man, must needs kick his legs about under the table till he sent the slipper off to parts un' known. When at last the innumera hle courses had been finished and a pousse cafe put a close upon the feast the diners arose to go into another part of the house for a CotiIion.
 Mrs. Marshall, who had for some time been feeling with her toe for the missing slipper. finding that without some eypedlcnt she must go with the others in a stocking foot, so to speak, when the party were rising, kept her seat. talking very hard to her cavalier, pretending to be so wrapt in her sub feet as not to notice the movement Of course the gentleman kept his seat, too. and was all attention. The lady watched out of the corner of her e~e the retiring guests and saw that no especial notice was taken of her re maining behind. As soon as the oth- CTS were all gone she informed Mir Dabney that she had lost her slipper under the table and had Jagged behind to recover it. Dabney started to get it himself. but the lady stopped him and, getting down. groped for the missing article. It was dark down there, and Mrs. Marshall was nearsighted. She hunted some time without success. Then Mir. Dabney's gallantry got the better of his discretion. and down he, too. went under the table to help.
 The host had scarcely left the dining room before he proposed that the men return for a pony brandy. Several of the ladies whose heads were not easily overturned by spirituous beverages de clarcd that they, too, wanted "anoth- CT" Suddenly the dining room door was thrown open, and a merry party entered. Mrs. Marshall, realizing the horror of the situation of being caught uuder the table with her cavalier, whispered to him:
 "FOr heavens sake be still"
 Mir. Dabney Obeyed orders. What else could be do? The host poured the liquor and all were standing around the table ready to drink when those under it beard him say:
 What the deuce became of Dabney and Mrs. Marshall? They didn't leave the dining room with the rest of us."
 They must have gone out by anoth- CT door" suggested one of the women.
 Drink her down." said the host, and we'll go and look for them. They must have gone up that stairway. l don't allow any scattering in my house." he added jocularly.
 The revelers tossed off the brandy and ran laughing up the staircase, As scon as the last one had disap- peared Mrs. Marshall scrambled out