South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-03-10
The Fifth h7terma1Yiage
By Jane Osborn.

Mrs. Stewards house parties were
always admirably planned. and it
was because every one was always
sure OF finding a congenial com
panion at her house that the young
CT mem bers OF her kindred and ac-
lQuaintance always accepted her in
vitations. For II truth were 20 be
told there was nothing luxurious in
her hospitality. and there was little
amusement or entertainment save
what the guests and the hostess
could provide by their own wits. for
the fine old Stewart mansion con-
tanned none of those short cuts 10
hospitality and amusement. II one
wished 90 dance there was no pho
nograph to provide music-and the
dancing could not progress unless
one of the guests happened 20 know
some dance tunes 10 be played on
the old piano There was no nearby
country club and there We're no
automobiles in the Stewart stables.
But despite these shortcomings Mrs.
Stewart never wearied of getting UP
little parties and thought nothing of
filing her eight guest rooms at q
time, and the guests always came
with enthusiasm. The secret Of her
success was that she was at heart
a matchmaker, and though she did
not think of every girl at her par
ties as a possible wife for one of the
other guests. she always did think
of them as partners for a country
walk She never invited q girl un-
less she was sure she could provide
some nice young man who would
find her society delightful, and never
invited even the least prepossessing
Of young men without making sure
that there was one young woman
in the number gifted enough 10 APP
preciate the fine points Of his per
sonality
Mrs. Stewart even went so far as
10 make little lists of her guests on
the backs of discarded envelopes
for she was instiHed with the spirit
OF old-time thrift as well as with
the lavishness of Old-time hospital
.ity. And in these lists she would
pair her guests off, making sure, Of
course. that they would pair. and
that there would be no three-hand-
ed affairs-no two men hanging at
the feet of one young belle while
one of the young girls went partner
less.
For the first party Of the season
she had planned 20 have all the
guest rooms filled, and as four Of
them contained large double beds,
this meant that she would have
twelve guests Most Of them were
young people who had already met
at similar parties-some of them
already engaged as the result of her
careful planning. The only names
on her lists that she had not been
able 10 link up with any other
names were those of Miss Nancy
Marbury and Mr. Nathaniel Sto-
bridge.
There really isn't anything they
can have in common" sighed Mrs.
Stewart. Miss Nancy is a college
girl. keen about suffrage and ten
mis- shark. and a perfect dance fan
and poor Nathaniel can't abide col
lege women, is an anti at heart and
the most indOlent old dear that ever
drew breath He could lie all day
i'm a hammock under a shady tree
with a dusty book of family records
i'm his hands and an occasional re-
newal of cooling beverage at his
side and think himself delightfully."-
entertained-while 30 keep up with
Nancy a man would have to take
ICross-country tramps. play tennis
madly and know all the new dance
steps"
Mrs. Stewart tried to revise her
list so as 10 pair some one off with
Mr.. Stobridge and have some one
left over that would be congenial
with Nancy But the arrangement
for the other guests was perfect.
The affinity between each of the
other two couples was inevitable
So Mrs. Stewart took the most re-
cent letter she had received from
Nancy and the letter She had from
Mr.. StobridSe accepting her invita-
ton from her desk and read them
through i'm search of some sym
pathy i'm common
Il shall be mighty glad Of a little
rest" said Nancy I'm her letter, FOR
IN have been working night and day
for a month or more on the Mar
bury family record. Our family
association commissioned me to get
the data together and put it in shape
for publication. You'd be surprised
how interesting it has been and of
course my work in college fitted me
for that sort OF research. What we
were most anxious TO show was that
the Marbury family is one of the