The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-02-15
LOCKING FOR DINNER
Ey H. liTHGOW.

was to be in the least degree inf0r
NAL. On the contrary. Cunniff be
lieved that when the Drummonds die
anything they did 1t we'll. He wa.
judging from their automobile ant
Mrs. Drummond's gowns and theil
general air of prosperity. for. al
though he knew the family rather
well. he had never been at theil
house.
Say" Cunniff asked Brown, who
likewise was to be 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 it,"
"Oh, yes" said Cunniff, grandly.
However, as a matter of fact. he
did not know it at all
Late on THANKSGIVING cay he looked
up the nrummonds in the telephone
directory between wrestling with his
tie and brushing his hair He found
the name at oace--i9i9 Underwood
avenue. Having got the tie to suit
him. Cunniff started of briskly at a
quarter to seven. for the house was
only five blocks from his residence.
He assembled the steps briskly and
was trifle annoyed at the delay in
answering his ring. When the door
was at last opened Cunniff took a 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.
Cunniff, in some bewilderment, d..
vested himself of coat and hat in
the large entrance hall and proceeded
into the room indicated. II was
empty.
There WIS neither host nor hostess
lurking in the corners and nc ether
guests had arrived
MY watch must be horribly FAST"
Cunnilf said to himself, intentionally.
He sat down orcausc there was
nothing else to do and looked about
him. The room was indeed handsome
and probably would appear still moro
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 adjoin.
ing room. Only the bare mahogany
confronted him. Even a mere man
knows that for dinner party the set.
ting Of the table must come some
minutes before the eating Of the meal
Cunniff crossed one foot over the
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 q seri.
GUS Illness and the dinner had been
abandoned?
Just as Cunniff, In cold perspira.
ton. was miserably meditating selling
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 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
obviously. 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 tho earlier train.
II you can wait till eight o'clock"
But" Cunniff stammered, what
about the dinner party?"
Tho pretty girl took hold OF a
chair and stood behind It. There
isn't any" she said mildly. "Did-did
father ask you to dinner? He's so
absurdly abscnt-mindod occasionally.
Aren't You Mr.. rcckmore, the presi.
dent of the road?"
Good gracious. MOI" Cunnif got
out. Glad of something tar~.j,e to dis.
rnte Ny names Cunnif and I am
supposed TO be at 4 dinner party NJ
TIE Drummonds If Fiftieth street and
Underwood avenue. Ard want TO
Know what has happened to the din.
ncri"
The pretty girl bent over the chair
back and lar"hcd. Why, I'm so soy
ry.' she oholsol Its the Drum.
nonds two doors up, We ALWAYS GO.
each others nail ard packages. BIT
We never got one of their dinner
guests before! And you've waited
all this tme!"
Il don't mind the wait-now," said
Cunniif. daringly. Then he fed.