The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-04-11
Married Life
the Third Year

IL WIS llOl QuIIS Ii, Out lie NEW
Years hilarity had already begun. The
wine-flushed diners were clinldng
glasses, singing. whispering and
throwing gayly colored confetti
Over-worked walters were lodging
in and out through the crowded ta-
bles, bringing fresh supplies of cham
pagne for, according to the notices
hung about, after 1890 no other wine
would be served.
Warren had begun the evening by
declaring it was the rankest imperti-
nence for any management to presume
to dictate to their patrons what they
should or should not drink.
Five dollars graft to the head wait
er before he'll serve YOU table," he
fumed. land five dollars plate for
your supper-God, it's blamed impo-
sition that you can't drink beer If you
want to-"
But that had been earlier in the
evening Now he had just ordered a
fresh bottle of champagne, seemingly
indifferent to the exorbitant bill they
had already run up.
His face was slightly flushed, and
he was garrulously insisting on telling
a story to- which no one seemed in
clined to listen.
Mr.. and Mrs. Stevens and Mr.. and
Mrs. Dawson made up their party of
six. Helen was seated between War
rem and Mr.. Dawson, on, whom the
wine seemed to have rather quieting
effect. while it made both Warren and
Mr.. Stevens most loquacious.
And now as Warren finished a par
ticularly old story, at which every
body laughed because they were laugh
ing anyway. Mr.. Stevens pounded on
the table with vigorous.
Here's one heard at the club the
other day-it's a corker.'
A CURIOUS CUSTOM.
But Helen was much less interested
in the story than in the gay scene
about her. Every one seemed to feel
they were licensed to relax and grow
hilarious. 1t IS a curious custom that
favors the greeting of the New Year
with a muddled brain and the pros
pect of racking headache the next
day And yet this Broadway restau-
rant and hundreds of others were
crowded to suffocation with people
eager to celebrate New Years eve in
iustthis way-with lavish expenditure
= and a half tipsy revelry.
Most of the men wore the fancy pa
per hats given as favors by the man
agement, and as they were all in fault
less evening dress, the effect was most
grotesque Some of the women had
perched the caps over their elabor-
ately dressed hair, but as a rule they
were as yet too self-conscious to risk
looking ridiculous.
do you see that woman over
there?" Mrs. Stevens whispered to
Helen across the table. THE one in
pale yellow? Isn't it dreadful?
The woman was conspicuously
chi me rinp" male yellow
satin, cut very low and ablaze with
Jewels. and she was now busily tying
Il long white kid glove around the neck
of her escort.
Mono the order of the Carter
not the order of the glove somebody
called out al which there was a fresh
burst of laughter.
The orchestra was almost drowned
in the noise, but now and then the
strain of popular air could be heard
A man at nearby table was doing
sort of turkey trot with his arms and
shoulders, without rising from his
chair, and another was clapp1ng time
with his hands and feet.
whats the matter? why maven
| got cap" demanded Warren, sud
denly. "Oh, here's mine. Somebody's
knocked it on the floor
"Oh, dear don't put that on, plead
ed Helen, as he held up blue and
gilt paper helmet with a trailing pa
per plume.
why noto' adjusting it jauntily.
whats the matter with that?' bend
ing over to get glimpse of himself
in the mirrored wall. Don't that suit
my style of beauty"
1T looks so foolish whispered
Helen. "Please don't wear it,
Foolish! How about Stevens?
You're not kicking about his. Think
he looks all right, don't your
Mr.. Stevens was wearing a pink tur-
ban like effect, with long streamers,
which was absurdly comical with his
bald head and round, florid face.
'Oh, Mrs Curtis thinks I look we'll
i'll anything. Isn't that it?' beamed
Stevens.
Helen tried to smile, but above ev-
crything else she hated the maudlin,
foolish stage which most men reach
when they have had much wine.
Say" demanded Mr.. Dawson, where
are the horns? Haven't heard one,
have you?"
why, they passed an ordinance