The Prescott daily news., 1913-01-07

ward step and murmured tentatively his hosts name.
 The maid swung the door open. Yes, this is Mir Drummonds house Come in," she said. Please wait In the library" Then she vanished.
 Cunniff, 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 lurking in the corners and no other guests had arrived.
 My watch must be horribly fast!" Cunniff said to himself, uncomfortably
 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 were 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 adioin- 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 thu other and tried to be patient When twenty minutes had passed without another arrival or the appearance of his entertainers the unpleasant convic- tion that something was wrong broke upon him.
 Yet why had he been admitted if anybody had come down with seri- ous illness and the dinner had been abandoned?
 Just as Cunniff, in cold perspira- ton, was miserably meditating seizing his hat and coat and sneaking out he heard footsteps on the stairs. The set society smile he at once donned for Mrs. Drummond's delectation froze on his face as a girl walked in whom he 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 dubiously, as she eyed Cunniff. She acted as though she had expected somebody 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. If you can wait till eight o'clock"
 But" Cunniff stammered. what about the dinner party?"
 The pretty girl took hold of a chair and stood behind 1t. "There isn't any" she said mildly. 'Did-did father ask you to dinner? He's so absurdly absent-minded occasionally. Aren't you MT. Beckmore, the presi- dent of the road?"
 Good gracious. mol" Cunniff got out, glad of something tangible to dis pute My names Cunniff and I am supposed to be at dinner party at the Drummonds at Fiftieth street and Timberwood avenue! And I want to know what has happened to the din- ner,"
 The pretty girl bent over the chair back and laughed. "Why, I'm so sor- ry" she choked. Its the Drum monds two doors up! We always get each others mail and packages, but we never got o0e of their dinner guests before! And you've waited all this time!"
 'T don't mind the wait-now," said Cunniff, daringly. Then he fled.
 Now" he ended fifteen minutes later, when he had completed the tale of his wanderings at the dinner table of the right Drummonds and had been forgiven because he had helped out the conversation, "the only way you can square yourself for distracting me by living in block full of Drum monds is to introduce me to the other ones. At least to the younger mem- bers of the family! I'm going to like that girl immensely when I know heri"
 pfouse of the Dalai ana