The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1916-11-04
Episode Of a
Halloween Party
BY BARBARA PHIPPS

the most important part of a letter In a
postscript, n Myrtle certainly did so
In this case, for in a space where she
had scarcely room to write them were
the words. Jimmie Anterior will be
with u.s."
Myrtle devoted three pages of her
letter in suggesting different costumes
from which | might choose one to
wear at q fancy dress Halloween par
ty she proposed to give for her guests.
She advised me to bring my costume
with me. for I could not get one in the
country.
l arrived three days before the party
and was disappointed to find that Mr..
Anterior would not be with us till
Halloween. | could scarcely wait for
him. He had t%elephoned me that he
expected to meet me at Myrtle's house
party and had given me to understand
that all would be settled between us
during our visit. OF course no one else
than | could make out his meaning.
though | can't help but consider his
saying anything over a phone to con-
vey such a meaning evidence Of the
Impotence of lovers.
The three days | spent waiting for
the arrival of my lover, and especially
what | expected to hear from him,
were the longest of my life. | fear |
presented a bad appearance to the
other guests moping by myself and, if
joined in their sports, showing plain
ly that my mind-indeed. my heart
was somewhere else. At any rate.
Myrtle knew where my heart was If
the others did not.
During the day before the party we
were all busy preparing our costumes.
some of which must be constructed i'm
prOmptu. The men were very emiss
about this. What women love to do III
a matter Of dress is a bore to "A man.
and several of Myrtle's men guests
had come either without a fancy dress
or with a simple domino and mask.
Myrtle insisted on every n repre-
senting some historical character.
Ats o'clock in the afternoon Myrtle
received a telegram from Jimmie-my
i J~immie-that he could not get ava
in time for the Halloween party, but
< he would do the best he could. When
n Myrtle told me this my heart sank
= within me like lead. | dreaded joining
v In the evenings festivities with such
a disappointment upon me. But what
9 could | do? l must make the best of
q it and not render myself obnoxious by
pining among a troup of merrymakers.
!. | succeeded so poorly that Myrtle felt
obliged to come to my rescue. About
10 o'clock, when the merrymaking was
at its height, she said to me:
"Gwen, go Out into the grounds with
a hand mirror and see If the man you
, are to marry does not look over your
n shoulder"
! was glad of an excuse TO get away
: by myself | didn't care for "a hand
glass, but Myrtle had provided IA num-
Der of them for the occasion and thrust
Z one into my hand. Several of the girls
> had already gone forth on an errand
5 similar to mine. each having taken a
i mirror.
: strolled out, not into the darkness.
for the moon was near the full. taking
g my way down the driveway that led
@ from the house to the gate. Presently
Y | stopped and raised the glass. | did
S this without being conscious of the
d act. for | knew already the man
would marry and had no idea of seeing
his face In the glass. | moved the
mirror to take in different places be-
hind me and at last saw something
was not prepared for.
One of our house party-as was evil
dent from her cOStume-waS sitting on
a bench in a recess among ~shrubbery.
and beside her sat a man in ordinary
business apparel. AS | looked he sud
. denly drew her toward him and gave
her Il bear hug. During this episode a
cloud was passing over the moon. but
d as soon as ii had rolled away there
S was light enough for me to see that the
man in the case was my Jimmie Ather-
ton.
e | moved uoiselessly away and back
V to the house and on reaching 1t went
o TO my room, where | spent half an
hour getting myself in a condition to
go downstairs. When | descended !
h found Mr.. Anterior. who had not long
before come in, having arrived by a
h late train. He came up to me smiling.
but | bowed to him tremendously and
. passed on.
nerved myself TO show great gave
ty for the rest Of the evening. eSpe-
y cially before Mr.. Anterior. and was
glad when the festivities were over
and | could hide my anguish in my
room. When all was quiet Myrtle. who
had observed that something was
wrong with me. came in and asked
what 1t was. When l told her a smile
anne to her lips. and she asked me
what costume the girl Jimmie had
e Rugged wore. | replied that l could
y not see it distinctly. but it was Grim
son. At this she burst into a laugh
n and said:
n That girl was Johnny Webster. He
makes up admira bly, as a woman. He