Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-11-02
Evening Story
MIDNIGHT MAGIC.
BY Catherine canmer.


by Catherine canmer.
Copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.
Madge smiled in pleased anticipa-
ton as she found In her morning mail
on invitation to Mrs. Allison's Hallow-
cen house party. OF course, she &C
cepted. Nobody refused an invitation
to Mrs. Allison's pre-Revolutionary
country house at ordinary times, and
Halloween would be no ordinary timo.
With characteristic thoughtfulness,
Mrs, Allison added to her invitation
the following paragraph: There Will
be only twenty people and no formali-
ties. So your simplest frock and your
outing clothes win equip you fully for
all needs and reduce your baggage to
a minimum"
Msdge wondered how many Of the
twenty people she knew. OF course,
Mary Ellis and Tom Barnett would be
there, Tom being Mrs, Allison's broth.
| err and Mary being his hancee. Stanley
Parker, being Toms particular chum
and good friend Of the family, proc
ably would bo there too. On tho sup
position that he would hinged most OF
Madge's indecision about which Of her
! several becoming evening gowns to
take, and whether to take her service
able corduroy outing suit or her smart
new Scotch plaid. with its killed skirt
and trim, soant coat, topped of by a
saucy Highland cap. She finally de-
cided in favor of the latter, and for
evening wear took simple gown of
soft cream colored silk. with her topas
jewelry for ornament.
! When the party assembled the day
before Halloween there were nine
teen GUESTS, one of whom was Mrs.
Stanley Smith, sister of the hostess,
and rumored lately to have become
estranged from her husband. Az they
sat down to dinner Mrs. Allison re-
marked that everybody had arrived OK
cept Stanley, who would be there In
time for the party next evening II pos
sible. More than one besides Madge
wondered whether she referred to
Stanley Smith or Stanley Parker, but,
owing to the rumored break with Stan
ley Smith, nobody ventured to ask
After dinner on Halloween the big
ballroom on the third floor, which had
beer mysteriously closed during the
day, was opened and there was reveal
ed all the paraphernalia for the many
kinds OF Halloween games and fortune
telling. Grinning jack.o'lanterns, tubs
of water containing shining red apples
rows OF candles on the mantel, love po.
lions for the cauldron on tripod in
I'D nj Ay, % IA
vices were there. Servants disguised
as witches moved noiselessly about
and served cider from punch bowl
concealed in huge -o-lantern.
From a corner of tho room concealed
by great banks of autumn foliage, came
suddenly the rousing music for the
virginia REEL" which was to start on
the evenings dancing.
There was one man lacking to mako
the couples come out even, and just AZ
Mrs. Smith was protesting that she
much preferred to remain out 30 that
she could take a fiashlight of the dan
GERS there was Z general exclamation
of surprise as man In travelling
clothes appeared in the doorway and
looked bit uncertainty toward his
hostess. Mrs. Allison's surprise was
so great that it was hard to tell wheth-
er 1t was pleasant or otherwise, but she
quickly regained her composure and,
with side glance at her sister, who
was busy arranging jack-o-lantern,
she moved towards the door, exclaim.
ing in an unnecessarily loud voice,
"Why, Stanley Smith! You're better
late than never"
Mrs Smith turned at the name, and
even in the dim light her face looked
ashen pale As her husband was being
greeted on all sides she looked about
as If seeking some means of escape
before he reached her. Then he walked
straight to her with q look of such pen,
tent pleading in his tired eyes and
with both hands extended, so express
siye of his desire to take her again to
his heart, that she almost fell into his
arms Those who stood near caught
the sound of sob in her voice as she
said: Much better late than never. l
couldn't have spared you much longer.
AS the couples began to take their
places for the reel there was a happi-
ness in the hearts of Stanley Smith
and his wife which neither Of them a
week before had expected ever to feel
again. After they had danced one
round of the reel they slipped down
stairs and the other dancers pretend
ed not to notice. All hearts were light
and happy except Madge's. for with
the appearance OF Stanley Smith faded
ner last hope that Stanley Parker was
the eleventh hour guest expected. The
reel was followed by more modern
dances, and with the gayety Of trying
fortunes between dances the hours
passed quickly.
At few minutes before midnight all
the guests were hurried off to be sheet
ed and masked for the midnight pro-
cession backward downstairs. The now
radiantly happy Smiths managed this
part of the program. One by one the
ghostlike female figures silently pass
ed with their lighted candles back
ward down the right hand fight of the