Evening star., 1922-08-15

n
- ed at her hosts left at dinner
party. She had been more
= than ordinarily silent, and she
was always a quiet person through
out the entire party. because she was
not a golfer and her host was most
ardent one, and the entire converse
ton had been most golfish in tone.
Her host, who happened to be
Thorne Blaisdell, took the hint when
Merriam Lindsay, with a significant
glance at the silent Rose, told some
what teasing golf anecdote.
Are you very ashamed Of your
fiippant sister-in-law for her lack Of
respect for an old man like me?" Mr..
Blaisdell asked, jokingiy. You really
mustn't mind, for Pm hardened to it.
That sassy young person began using
me as butt for her fun along about
the time she was-Well, not much
older than her own daughter is now
but l think the time she expected to
get the biggest rise out of me was
the time rather turned tables on her.
Did she ever tell you about the day
l went to bear gifts to her very new
twins, whom I'd not had the honor
Of meeting?
Rose shook her head. She was in
great awe of her very handsome host
and much impressed by the dignity
of the high -ceilinged. paneled room in
which she was dining.
well, a couple of days after those
famous twins arrived and before I'd
had time to see 'em, / had to go out
of town on rather prolonged busi-
ness trip, SO that Merriam was back
in her Pumpkin Shell, twins and all.
before l returned. The great moment
arrived, one Sunday afternoon, when
l set forth to pay my respects. ac-
companied by my daughter Polly, who
was fearfully excited about having
twins so handy.
perhaps I'd better explain before
we get any farther in our tale that.
even in those long-ago days. l was
rather faddy old codger; and at that
time, instead of boring my family and
my friends and enemies with golf. l
was all excited about hunt club
that We had organized the year be-
fore. was NJ F. H. and Merry, over
there. was an honorary NJ. f. H., and
the club was just getting ready for
its fall meet. SO l was all wrought
up about that as well as the twins
Merriam had planned a rather
sweet surprise for me-" He blew a
kiss across the table to that smiling
soUHS uldtTOn SoIe ndu pEelenQcQ 1
was deserving of a present and had
sent down to some kennels in Ken
lucky and got a rather good pair Of
young foXhounds for me. The little
beggars were just six weeks old.
Polly was in her secret and could
hardly keep her small feet both on
the ground, she was SO excited about
the surprise. So down the lane from
this house to the Pumpkin Shell she
held her hand over her mouth TO
keep from telling.
1T was late afternoon when we ar
rived. and Polly dashed upstairs at
breakneck speed to let the fond
mother know that l was awaiting an
audience with her highnesses the
twins.
Il ought to have known from the
long and giggling delay that they
were going to try to put something
over on me. But even when l saw
Merry coming down the stairs in a
trailing pink what-you- -may-call it, l
didn't realize she was up to mischief.
/ guess l just naturally thought that
the twins had been an ennobling in
f1uence. Not that I've noticed that
they have been" he chuckled: "in
fact. l think she's very apt to be-
have worse than she used to do be-
fore their arrival. Extra obstreper-
Gus. But she looked mighty sweet
| with her curls on top of her head and
long. lacy bundle in each arm, and
l fell for it-sort of felt gulpy and
paternal and all the things l always