The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1913-01-11
A New Year S
House Party
By JOHN R. MORRISON

We We're two boys and three girls IN
our family. the youngest fifteen. the
eldest twenty-six. when we gave the
New Years house party that proved
turning point in my life. Every room
in the house was occupied. some ri
them by three persons. We had scarce
~ got together when we began "a Sc
ries of practical jokes on one another
at which the girls were far more
adept tlsln the boys. The very first
night the sheets in every fellows bed
were scotched. and the next day at
luncheon there were cream cakes on
the table filled with cotton provided 10y
the girls. One fellow swallowed his
cake, cotton and ALL rather than con-
fess himself stung.
We sat up so late nights and some Of
us were stirring so early in the morn
ing that we We're ready TO fall asleep
at any moment One evening when
playing the game of twenty Ques-
tons | was sent into another room
while the others chose something for
me to guess. There was no light in
i
was an easy chair. sat down in the
chair and fell asleep.
was awakened by a kiss. / grab
bed girl. but she got away from ME.
though only after fierce struggle.
When | had once lost her 1t was not
easy to find her. though the rustiing
of her skirts was disadvantage TO
her. while my greater weight. render
ing my tread heavier. was constantly
betraying me. She lodged me for
some time. when all became quiet
/ Then suddenly | heard the door open
and close Since the adjoining room
+ was also dark knew that the others
/ had turned off the lights to enable the
i girl | was after TO escape. The escape
/ having been effected. | went to the
/ door to go out | found 1t locked.
4 1t was some ten minutes before 1t
| was opened, and | joined the others.
/ the room having been relighted. | cast
my eyes from one girl to another with
a view to discovering who had kissed
| me- The first girl | looked at had a
scratch on her nose. But the second
also had scratch. and the third. In
deed. every girl was scratched. look
ed at the fellows and saw that they
were all laughing at me.
! Now. among our guests there was
one girl for whom my heart had begun
to beat / would have given a king
dom IL had had 1t for proof that Ma
ria had done the kissing. Whoever
had done 1t had doubtless been dared.
Whether my preference for Maria had
been noticed by the other girls and
when was found asleep she had been
chosen to play the joke on me didn't
know. If she had done the kissing she
certainly showed no evidence of the
fact-that is. any more than the rest
OF the girs-a scratched nose. But
there was one thing that led me to sus
pect her. While every other girl In
the room was keyed up to the highest
pitch of mischief. their eyes dancing
their lips, cheeks. every other feature
smiling. Maria seemed simply uncon
cerned.
At a. m. went to bed no wiser as
to the identity of the kisser than be
fore. But the next morning after hav
ing dressed. noticing that | needed tC
change my handkerchief l jerked il
from the outside pocket of my coat anc
heard something land on the floor
STOPPING. | picked up n stickpin.
1t at once occurred to me that during
the scuttie OF the evening before The
pin had fallen from the lady's apparel
probably from about the neck. anC
caught on my handkerchief. Unfortu
nately it was a very inexpensive arti
Gle with an imitation pearl for a heaC
and did not identify any particular
girl | realized the Importance of keep
ing my find secret. Going down t
breakfast. found that three differen
girls wore pins that were duplicates o
the one | possessed. They were tn,
most likely to be suspected. and amonl
them was Maria. Doubtless if Their,
had been enough such articles to z,
round every girl would have worn
stickpin as we'll as a scratched nose
BY and by it occurred TO me that wher
the pin was in transit from the girl t.
my pocket it had made the scratch oil
her nose.
The problem was now narrowed
down to three girls, for doubtless tn,
girl who had done the kissing wa
among those who wore pins. 1t seem
ed to me that l must make her betra,
herself or the victory would be witt
the girls. l sat down to the breakfas
table, ignoring my find But while tn
girls were rinsing their dainty finger
in their finger bowls l said:
u have found something that belong
ed to the girl who kissed me las
! night
Every girl expressed by her behavio
q keen interest in what l said excep
: Maria. who took advantage of rinsinl
$ her fingers to bend over the little glas
. bowl before her. l made up my min,
that was getting warm" as tn
children say in hide and seek, and con
Guided on a bold stroke | continued:
You may think that a little stickpiI