Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-12-09

nc surLLABER often said, the
N ,od thing about her old house
~ ne fact that you could throw '"e
" y, .oom into iho poiler' when you
snms - give parties or funerals or
FanHu ~ such things You had only
E'oay' ,p, M the accordion-pleated doors
WV 40 sofa back against the wall and
~ ing over the register.
b -, sbe had "thrown the dining
4 Icnigns tbe poller" and filed both
f ICON I.,I u.,,,, quests. There were so many
rooins M ~, tbev occupied every seat in
4 euess including the upstairs chairs
& ne large batch Of camp stools from
az sS.,n,Sshaw's-the undertaken 5.
VII c..,hoqe IL was never real party
ID S.,nortant funeral unless these per-
or 81 ~, ~ r,on-fraps of MIR Cranhshaw's
ious o Tbcy always added dash of
eppe"".or, to the dullest evening, for at
eAo,.i"oi eAols,l,i ,nomcnt one of them could be
: us.5 u..i, mon TO collapse beneath some
aege 5enositing him or her in small
~. su.ss sso,,nlicated wood-pile on the floor.
~, ps' 4ronatlc, but even drollcr, was the
s.1,ne spectaclc Of the solemn man
w entered n room carrying one OF these
.Sis neatly folded, proceeded to
v..sr spot and there attempted Nainly
.lV snon the thing. This was pretty sure
'. sannen AZ least once and it gave an
..sIs,ibly light touch even to funerals.
Ts.,gbt at Mrs Shillabers the evening
IN he said to be we'll under way; fat
s,s Gergat had already splashcd through
n, camp stool and Deacon Peavey was
sar at work on his n snicker had just
,,sszed out of the minister's wife (Of all
rsopleD and the deacon himself had
trsathed an explctive dangerously close
70 profanity.
r,o marty was held in honor of Mrs
.,,mohsr,s glrlhood friend, Birdaline
sn.tarson NOV Mrs. Phineas Duddy).
,issa,,re and Mrs. Shllaber (then Josie
n".io,,l had been fierce riyals for the
,.r. ~ Asaph Shilaber. Josie had got
% ~, away from Birdalne and Birdaline
saS married Phin buddy for spite.
IasE had smiled on Brdaline, and Phin
IA moved away-to Peoria, no less! And
ro,v they were back ON visit to his
folks. r,...
pooria had done wonders for Phin.
rvsrvbody said that; and Birdaline also
Nrought along n grown-up daughter, IA
rela who was evidently beautiful and,
,,eording to her mother, a highly ac-
tomplished vocalist.
:. .oo,ed strange to Birdalinc ana
~, IN meet after all these years ana
- t.,lo,s not of each other, but OF
s.n:hters as big as they themselves had
- the last time they had seen each
NJ, Each woman told the other that
sbs looked younger than ever, ana eaGh
s,w the pillage of time in the opposite
r,sn the accretion of time in the once 50
rrscle figure. 1t was melancholy salts
action at best for each knew all TOO
veil how her own mirror slapped her III
me face with her own image
OF course, Josie had to ask Birdallne
laughter to sing, And the girl, being OF
me new and rather startling school OF
manners which acccdes without UNDUE
urVing blushingly consented. provided
mere was any music there that she could
,lne and some one who would play her
sceompa ment
A tattered copy of "The Last Rose of !
Summer" was unearthed and Mr.. Nor
man Maugans, who played the melodcon
u the Presbyterian prayer meetings, was |
mobbed into esslying the acCompa' 'mont. !
He was no great shucks at sight-reading, !
he said, but he would do his durndest.
The news that the pretty and novel |
Miss buddy would sing brought all the |
guests for ard in huddle like cattle at |
homecoming time. Even Deacon Peavey, |
gave up his vow to open that camp stool |
Or die and sat down in draught to lis |
ten. The perspiration cooled on him and |
ne caught a terrible cold-but that was !
Mrs Peavey's business, not ours.
Mss Pamela buddy sidled into the ell
'ow Of the piano with Il most attractive |
tttenishness and waited for the prelude
0 be done. This required some time.
inee the ancient sheet music had n dis
ressing habit of folding over and. as it |
'ere, swooning from the rack into the
ianlst's arms, Besides. Mr.. Maugans
'as so used to playing the melodeon that
nstead Of tapping the keys he was con-
lnualy squeezing them, and nothing
anne And when he wished to increase