The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-11-29
A NARROW
ESCAPE
By SAMUEL E BRANT

" uen young MIS- M3rSlaIl came 10
l.. knowing that the start one makes
socially in a place counts for a good
deal she made herself agreea BILE 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.
1t 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 one. Mrs. Marshall could
stand TO be put in straitjacket cos
tune and listen to society gossip. in
Guiding private quarrels 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 Dabney in a solitary
corner at a 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
Mr.. Marshall. she told him in the be-
ginning what her designs really
amounted to. but he didn't take suffi
cient interest in the matter to remem.
Der the explanation
shall must pay for effecting an entrance
into L. society was the sitting In tight
slippers for several hours at dinner par
ties. Her feet were tender, and for
this reason her footwear was made of
light material. but even silken slippers.
made very small. binding the feet for
hours on stretch. will at last cause
pain. 1t was sitting thus at a dinner
party for an unusually long period that
brought about mishap to Mrs Mar
shall that came very near plunging her
to the foot of the 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 Mr.. Dab
ney was assigned to take Mrs Mar
shall out. Mr.. Marshall having been
honored by being assigned to the host
tss. Mrs. Marshalls shoe pinched. and
after enduring long period of suffer
ing she slipped it off. Mr.. Dabney.
who was a restless man. must needs
kick his legs about under the table till
he sent the slipper off to parts IN
known. When at last the innumera
BILE 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 cotillion.
| Mrs Marshall. who had for some
| time been feeling with her toe for the
| missing slipper. finding that without
! some eXpedient 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
| ject as not to notice the movement
| OF course tire gentleman kept his seat,
| too. and was all attention The lady
! watched out of the corner Of her eve
! The retiring guests and saw that no
| especial notice was taken of her re-
/ naming behind. AS soon as the 9th
! ers were all gone she Informed Mr..
! Dabney that she had lost her slipper
under the table and had Jagged behind
| to recover it Dabney started to get it
f, himself. but the lady stopped him and.
| getting down. CROPPED for the missing
article 1t was dark down there. and
! Mrs. Marshall was nearsighted. She
! t1I xr-ifh
Then AR. Dabney's gallantry got the
better Of his discretion. and down he.
too. vent 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
| clared that they. too, wanted "anoth-
err Suddenly the dining room door
WAS thrown open. and a merry party
entered Mrs Marshall, realizing the
horror of the situation of being caught
under the table with her cavalier.
! " hiSpered to him:
For heavens sake be still"
Mr.. 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 heard him say:
What the deuce became Of Dabney
and Mrs Marshall: They didn't leave
/ The dining room with the rest of U.s."
They must have gone out by anoth
/ er ioor." suggested one of the women
Drink her down" said the host,
! "anf Wen 90 and look for them They
/ must have gone up that stairway. |
d"p't allow any scattering in my
house" he added jocnlarIy.
The rpvpl"r~ tossed off the brandy
/ and ran laughing np the staircase
! y ~"ru aS the iaSi one had diSap
. ,aH"-d Mrs Marshall scrambled or
/ ,i~d r;iI, ike ii deer 10 an unocrupied
--.r~ir room followed hy Nj Iabney