The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-03-04
Ankles GUESTS
At SWELL HOUSE
Gosh! It Was Never at All
Like This Back Home"
Says Sammee.
But HOSTESS IS KIND
Ice Melts as Partisan Ways
Are Seen to Resemble
American.
But HOSTESS IS KIND

Parts. March 3.--Two hundred
American soldiers advanced as primly
as small boys on their way to dancing
school.
Past the pink marble facades. an
the double line Of khaki edged it's way
cautiously. Through the medium Of
the Y. NJ. c. A., the men were about
to be entertained by one of the
wealthiest women of Paris. an Ameri-
can who had married abroad. The
house was like nothing they had ever
seen before and its grandeur rather
scared them.
Home Never Like This.
"Milpitas was never like this!"
whispered Private Smith, and some
one else started to whistle under his
breath, Il Dreamt-t Dwelt in Marble
Halls" One of the informed an
nounced that the house was perfect
model of the Petit Trianon, pronounce
middle western accent. None contra
dicted him.
They filed through the imposing
door. and came safely out Of their en-
counter with the butler in livery. in
the great stairway. Some Of them
slipped and skated precariously as
they hurried up the great red marble
stairway. and one whispered resent
fully that the blamed stairs were
waxed. Others eyed the gold walls
and magnificent pictures, and APP
peared to be wondering what they
should say to their hostess.
Gosh! Some Shack!
Before they knew it, they were in
the music room. and Private Jennings
was Wishing that the folks back home
could see him then. The ceiling was
high and vaulted. and concealed cleo
trio lights threw a soft glow upon II
from q gi'ded molding. Scores of wax
candles glittered amidst the crystal
bongles OF thin glass candelabras. the
only visible lights in the room. On
the walls were heavy bas- reliefs. and
life size bronze statute stood in the
corner. 1t was a swell party. all
right.
Songs Right from Home.
They forgot what It was they had
meant to say to their hostess wher
they saw her standing at the door OF
the music room No matter! She
was shaking hands with each one
and smiling at him in a way that re-
minded him Of his mother at home
Another woman at the piano was sing
ing--a song they knew, song they
had sung back home. The men didn't
dare join in. but they applauded
heartily. They wished that someonu
would play the golden harp that stood
BY the music rack. many of them had
never heard real harp played. They
sat listening to that song and another
Private McCron, as he deposited his
two hundred pounds avoirdupois care
fully upon the small gold chair, won
dered whether 4 would break, and
how much It had cost.
And Then Refreshments.
Refreshments" came the magic
word. With small boys and with SOL
diers 1t Is always time to eat, and the
200 American soldiers were entirely
natural again. as they walked briskly
down the marble hall toward the
snowy table. About four feet from
their goal. the front line halted. and
FLUSHED red. They had seen four So
we're looking buffers behind the table.
The front rank tried to back through
into second line, which stood It's
ground with the determination of
alarm. There were little cakes and
the heaped-up plates of ice cream,
and there We're the men: but between
the two an impossible gulf seemed
fixed.
Come on. boys!' urged the hostess
What will you have?" she added, to
one OF them. He turned red and
seemed unable TO say word; he
couldn't even point as he might have
done when he was younger. However.
his silence was interpreted as an order
for roman punch, and several delec-
table small cakes, which his hostess
herself put into his hand. That broke
the spell, and the four buffers began
10 learn. something new about a hun
cry American crowd.
Ice Melts With the Cream.
Not that they didn't all remember
their manners, you understand. each
man was most polite and deliberate,
He tried to take his cakes us If he
didn't care whether he had them or
not. But he took his hostess at her
word, and piled his plate high: it was
his first party in Paris, and he wasn't
Just sure when he could go to an
other. Meanwhile, the ice melted
with the Ice cream, and the American
soldiers told jokes and laughed at
them as heartily as they might have
done at home.
Afterwards there was more music;
then a reluctant goodbye to- the host
cess. rush for the subway. and the