The Winslow mail., 1917-07-06
'GRANDMOTHER'S PARTY
BY JANE OSBORN.

grandchildren to party they gave up
whatever else they might have had on
and accepted. This was not be-
cause of the fact that Grandma Bliss
was quite well-to-do, and had the
only considerable fortune in the en-
tire Bliss family, but because, in her
own quaint way, she was one of the
most entertaining and refreshing lit
tie ladies in the world.
SO on the occasion of her seventy
seventh birthday, when she issued in
vitations to her grandchildren for the
evening at the hotel where she lived
with her companion, the whole six Of
them turned up-Nina, the plump
beauty of the family; Tom, also ro-
studying law and Margaret, a spoiled
child who had never really accom-
plished anything in her twenty years
Of girlhood. And there was Mar
garets brother, Ned, and laughing
eyed Rose, the poorest of the cousins.
Grandmother sat on her cushioned
divan after the dinner was over.
eve are going to play little pen
cil-and-paper game" she began. "And
before l tell you anything at all about
it | am going to ask each one of you
to write down on piece Of paper just
exactly what he or she wousl like
! most to do In the world-an ambition
as yet ungratifed. Don't hesitate to
be frank" grandmother went on, "for
| no one but [ will see the answers"
Then the young heads around her
were bent in thought, and, before five
minutes had passed grandmother had
all the pieces of paper in her hand.
"Now the game begins" she said.
''You know 1 have quite a little for
| tune that is rather more than I have
ever needed to take care of my own
wants. AS you know, you children
| are my only heirs, and some day shall
| each have your share. But am only
| seventy-seven, and I want you to en-
| JOY little of it before I have gone.
"One thing I have noticed lately
since you have grown up" grandmoth-
| er went on, "is that you are not quite
contented. 1 want you to find the con-
tentment that comes of accomplishing
your ambition, and in order to find
| out what that ambition is have drawn
you into my little trap
Snow | want each one of you to
set about to achieve this ambition.
| Fol everyone who does there will be
| five thousand dollars at the time of
| the achievement. For the first one to
! achieve it within three months of the
! present date there will be ten thou
sand dollars"
A month later Rose sat in the rough
ly furnished waiting room of Mrs. Nc
Ginty's employment agency. A look
| OF real discouragementw was on her face
and in the chairs around her sat other
| discouraged looking ones.
Cooks were scarce, and Mrs. Nc
Ginty had made many calls, so before
the day was spent Rose had again
| found a 'place." AS she went cut of
| the door, just bit faint from her long
wait, she saw her cousin Ned.
"Isn't it funny how often I see you?"
Rose began. "Only two weeks ago 1
| met you this way-after I'd been dis
charged from Mrs. Bentonson's. T
never used to see much of you before
before grandma's birthday party"
Nothing more was said of Grandma
Bliss or her scheme till Rose had been
| refreshed by tea and toast. Then
! Ned's curiosity got the better Of
| him.
II am sure whatever you are doing,
you are doing in order to carry out
youl ambition-but what that ambi-
tior has got to do with hanging round
employment agencies is more than I
| know"
ooh, I didn't want to tell you," Rose
| said. 81, was such a foolish ambi-
ton, and 1 don't want the cousins to
| know. You see, l had got so tired of
| working in offices that 1 wrote down On
! the slip that my ambition was 'to make
somebody think l was perfect cook
have never had much practice, and of
! course I didn't mean to go out as
! somebody's cook"
"What did you meanT" persisted
| Ned.
Rose blushed little. 81 suppose
that L meant to be somebody's wife,
| though of course 1 couldn't go out and
marry the first man that asked me,
and be miserable all the rest of my
life just for the bonus"
| Just for second Ned looked even
| more confused than Rose. Then he
| talked quick and low. Couldn't you
possibly marry me? I didn't think I'd
| ever have the nerve to ask you.
/ You're $3.50 wonderful"
"But, Ned, l couldn't marry you just
to get the money. That isl think I
would be willing to marry you and
cook and everything. and make you
think 1 cooked eautifully-but 1
| couldn't do j. Just to win the bonus,