New-York tribune., 1922-07-30

were gathered together I could not but give
credit to the ladies who had SO rutL1essly
pruned the invitation list "How differently
men would have managed til" i reflected.
They would have invited the whole town ano
the party would have been a flivver" Bill
Thomas showed up at last with his social pass
ports gurgling meath their brown paper, and
only an hour late, we set forth up the Boston
Post Read.
From then on we got later. 1t had been
agreed that we should stick together, 90 our
pace was determined by the slowest. The
Grinnels had puncture in Mamaroneck, and
after leaving Stamford we lost the Trasks,
who were acting as pathinders.
The Bradieys' farm is tucked away on one
CT those little back roads in Connecticut which
never seems to be twice in the same place
The turn in the main road is artfuly con-
cealed behind a high bank and, with our
searchights streaming dead ahead, we COM
pletely missed it--that is, all but the path
finders did. We went bowling merrily on in
'ke general direction of Montreal until some
one had the courage to slow down and say:
Say, think we've gone too far"
Every one agreed that we had, and after
some heated discussion we turned about and
retraced our route, believing with our klaxons
until we heard the answering bray Of the
Trasks' horn. If anything further was needed
to apprise the Bradleys of our coming it was
this strident chorus, which shook the very
stars. The moon seemed to look down in ter
ror on our hue and cry.
After satisfactorily cursing Trask and
being cursed by him, proceeded. The party
in Bill Thomass car was getting slightly
rough and l hoped would arrive SOON I
was afraid there wouldn't be any left We
were now three hours late.
Fortunately, after a brief interval, the
Bradley cottage hove in sight. 1t is lovely
little place on the top Of a hill. Silver white,
it shone under the radiant moon, which, as
per contract, flooded the little lawn
S'magnolious!" yodeed Bill Thomas and
was severely shushed by the executive COM
mittee as We loped toward the house, silent but
for the ceaseless clanking of crockery. An
eight-hour whippoorwil ceased his castigatory
demand in sheer amazement.
Peering through an open easement, Mabel
Grinnell turned gleeful face toward us and
whispered, They're in bed!"
Such fun! We reused them with a Christ
mas carol which we had sung ad i,afmituns
during the winter holidays, "NoeI, NoelI'
How sweetly appropriate it was in that mellow
midsummer setting. We also reused them, as
the immortal Baker is reused in "The Hunting
Of the Shark" "We reused them with cakes
we reused them with ice, we reused them with
Holsters and gin."
1t was pretty element of surprise upon
which we had not counted.
They played their parts magnihcently.
They were completely taken in and so sur
prised-had never even dreamed of it," etc.
why, you see, we had gone to bed!" said
Susan, triumphantly.
And Randall Bradley whispered to me as
parted from him: eyes, we'd given YOU up
Goodby, everybody. Goodbyl Good
by! You certainly put one across that time. !"
They are happy things, surprise parties.
There is sweet fragrance about them. They
keep US young and keep alive the precious
ability to make believed