Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1913-01-10
LOOKING FOR DINNER
sy H. LITHoow.

Cunnin to infer that the entertainment
was to be in the least degree infor-
NAL On the contrary, Cunniff be-
heved that when the Drummonds did
anything they did it well. He was
judging from their automobile and
Mrs Drummonds gowns and their
general air Of prosperity. for. al
though he knew the family rather
well, he had never been at their
house.
Say" Cunnin asked Brown who
likewise was to be a guest at the
dinner, where do the Drummonds
live anyway"
AT Fiftieth and Underwood ave
nue." said Brown. THAT big gray
stone affair You know ito
ooh yes" said cunnif, grandly-
However. as a matter Of fact, he
did not know it at all
1 Late on Thanksgiving day he looked
I up the Drummonds In the telephone
T directory between wrestling with his
tie and brushing his hair He found
the name at once-49i9 Underwood
avenue Having got the tie to suit
him, Cunniff started OF briskly at
quarter TO seven. for the house was
only five blocks from his residence.
He assembled the steps briskly and
was a triie annoyed at the delay in
answering his ring. When the door
was at last opened Cunnih took for
ward step and murmured tentatively
his hosts name.
The maid swung the door open.
yes. this is Mr. Drummond's house.
Come in" she said. please wait in
the library" Then she vanished
Cunnif. in some bewilderment, di-
vested himself OF coat and hat in
the large entrance hall and proceeded /
into the room indicated. It was
empty
There was neither host nor hostess I
lurking in the corners and no other
guests had arrived
my watch must be horribly fastl"
Cunniff said to himself. uncomfortably. I
He sat down because there was
nothing else to do and looked about /
him. The room was indeed handsome |
and probably would appear still more /
attractive when all the artistically /
shaded lights we're turned on. At
present only one burned on the wall /
near an oaken reading table.
A dead silence reigned. As his eyes /
grew accustomed to the semigloom /
Cunniff made out the dining-room
table some distance off in the adjoin-
ing room Only the bare mahogany
confronted him. Even a mere man
knows that for a dinner party the set
ting OF the table must come some
minutes before the eating Of the meal.
Cunniff crossed one foot over tbs 4
other and tried to be patient. When
twenty minutes had passed without
another arrival or the appearance of
his entertainers the unpleasant convic-
ton that something was wrong broke
upon him.
Yet why had he been admitted II
anybody had come down with a seri-
Gus illness and the dinner had been
abandoned?
Just as Cunnif, in a cold peTspira-
ton, was miserably meditating selling
his hat and coat and sneaking out he
heard footsteps on the stairs The
get society smile he at once donned
for Mrs Drummond's delectation froze
on his face as a girl walked in whom
be had never seen before. She was a
young woman with a most delicious
face and Cunniff observed attractive
little quirks at the corners of her
rosy lips
Good evening" she said a little
obviously. as she eyed Cunniff. She
acted as though she had expected
else. Father has Just tele-
phoned me from the railroad station.
He and mother have arrived in the
city from their Thanksgiving visit /
They failed to get the earlier train.
Il you can wait till eight o'clock"
But" Cunnir stammered. what
about the dinner party7"
The pretty girl took hold of a
,hair and stood behind IL. There
sn't any" she said mildly. "Did-did
'ather ask you TO dinner? He's SO
absent-minded occasionally.
Aren't you Mr.. Beckmore, the presi-
lent of the road?'
Good gracious. mol" Cunnin got
nut. glad of something tangible to dis
yute my names Cunnifi and 7 am
TO be at a dinner party at
he Drummonds' at Fftieth street and
svenuei And ! want to
NOW what has happened TO the din
ler," ,
The pretty girl bent over the chair ,
,ech and laughed. Why. I'm 80 sor- !
VI" she choked TITS the Drum ,
nonds two doors up We always get /,
sch others mail and packages. but
We never got one of their dinner
uuests beforei And you've waited