The Parker post., 1913-06-28
THE FORGOTTEN PARTY
BY j. j. MCCARTNEY.

| y
! kett was tormenteG by some vague
, idea in the back of his brain of some
thing left undone. Struggle as he
might, he could not get it into con-
crete form. Yet trying to forget it
only irritated him the more.
/ In the midst of his luncheon light
ming flash cleared his head and with
a sickening chill he knew what he
hadn't done. He had forgotten to go
| to the dinner party which Celia Bell
had given the evening before.
He had not the ghost of an excuse,
because he had not been dead at the
time, which would have been the only
valid excuse in the eyes of hostess.
He had simply absented himself from
the affair because of an inexplicable
lapse of memory. For an instant he
wished that he dared telephone the
explanation that he had been knocked
down and rendered unconscious by an
automobile and had just come to- Man
ifestly it was totally impossible to
call up Celia and airily say; Excuse
me for thinking so little of your invi-
tation that it slipped my mAnd!"
The fact was that he thought lot
of Celias invitation. Indeed, he was
beginning to realize that he was going
to think lot of Celia. He had scarce
! ly begun to do SO as yet, because their
acquaintance had hardly advanced be-
yond the formal stages, but he real
lied that his captivity was inevitable
and he was more than resigned to the
prospect. This made the scrape in
which he now found himself all the
more tragic.
| He had heard of men who had for
gotten dinner parties and had been re-
stored to human society and liberation
only after weary years of cOntrition.
This tedious process did not appeal
to him. He was afraid that in the
meantime some one else would run
away with Celia He racked his brain
for more speedy solution of the diff
Guilty
Celia was no weak, gentle, doormat
variety of girl He could imagine just
how her wonder at his nonappearance
had grown to surprise, then to wrath,
and how her wrath was growing hour
by hour.
1t was without doubt a most difficult
situation.
The average man would have tried
to placate the injured hostess by a
bushel of roses or ten pounds of candy,
contrite note or desperate call in
person. Young Plunkett showed his
really superior intellect by the fact
that he did not do any of these things.
For few days he did absolutely moth
ing. This required self-restraint, for
every hour that Celia hated him was
blight. But when the next Monday
evening came around he attired him
self carefully in the prescribed soci
ETY. raiment and sailed forth
On his gay he ran into Smith. "Hel-
To-" said Smith, "are we going out
among them tonight?"
eyes" said young Plunkett, cheer
fully. 'T am going to dinner party
at Celia Bells"
oh" said Smith, "is she entertain
ing again? l went to dinner at her
home last Monday night"
''Did your murmured young Plum
kett, interestedly, and passed on.
With firm step he mounted the
steps to the home of Celia and the Wig
orous peal of the bell sounded not
like the summons of one in terror Ad-
mitted to the reception hall, he waited
! in all his immaculate splendor. After
a while Celia came in. She advanced
with the outraged dignity of an Of
Tended stage princess and when she
said Good evening in a questioning
tone young Plunkett felt like an unwel
come book agent Yet he clung grim
ly to the purpose with which he had
started out
Gam I the first one?" he asked,
cheerily.
Miss Bell was puzzled enough to re-
lax her frown bit. First one for
what? l don't understand" she
said
Young Plunkett's face was picture
Of ingenious amazement why, aren't
you giving dinner party this eve
ning?" he demanded.
Miss Bell sat down Imply. IT am
not!" she informed him. Il gave one
last Monday night, however-and |
don't believe you have seen fit to ex-
plain why you were not present"
Last Monday night" cried young
Plunkett- "Why, you've made an aw,
full mistake of some sort When you
invited me you said distinctly a week
from next Monday night Do you think
for an instant I could have misunder-.
stood an invitation from you? Whyl
I've counted on this evening for daH
and now you tell me that you h4
the party week ago! I don't undE:
stand, really"
For a moment Celia stared at I'm.
If ever there was a disappointe9tnd
reproachful individual on earth X~as
young Plunkett at that instant.