The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-01

J</T'M not saying it wasn't perfect sS ly good party" reported Jessie Foster to her husband, pecking at her supper with the indifference of one who has partaken heavily of light refreshments.. "but there was nothing stylish about it. Everything, including the eats handed around sort of hit or miss, had home-dressmaking air stead of a swell tailored look. Just wait till l we have our silver wedding celebration, John R." she suddenly beamed, "and if I don't show folks what's what I'll miss my guess.
 "Sure thing!" indorsed Foster. Mamma knows how !'
 It would be impossible to say at what time this pet day dream of Jes- sic Fosters became active, but as far back as their tenth anniversary when friends gave them a tin shower of kitchen utensils for their new house she had whispered to John R.: Wont it be grand when our silver wedding 1 comes"
 It seemed a long look ahead then, but now in speaking of the great event they no longer said "in three years" "'in two years" "next year." but in so
 
 And whenever Jessie Foster went anywhere socially, picked up any house. hold magazine, she never failed to add new idea to the collection put away for that suspicious occasions future l use.
 But however colorful were those she had already stored; they paled into insignificance compared with the inspi- ration she stumbled upon the very day after the Murphy tea was under dis cussion.
 The inspiration was in a confec- tionery shop window. A superb and stupendous wedding cake-a three-deck- CT, the lower decks circumference the size of an automobile tire, the second that of large cheese, the third collar box size-one that would hold collars for man with as thick set a neck as !. John R.'s.
 The whole was iced as dazzling a whiteness as new-fallen snow. But this was but shining background for more superlative charms. For each decks outstanding edges were orna- mented with a chocolate lattice work over pink, while around the sides of the automobile tire was entwined wreath of pink roses; around the cheese yellow daisy chain, around the collar box lavender violets. And en- throned upon the collar box's top-the cuties !-stood a kewpie bride and groom, the formers veil held in place with a microscopic wreath of lilies of ! the valley
 That evening before they went to the movies she steered John to the window of wonder.
 "Now what do you know about that !' he grinned from ear to ear.
 Encouraged, Jessie Foster went in and priced.
 She came out with face as crest-fallen as a wet plume.
 'Thirty-five dollars '"
 "Help!"
 Of course. it's not to be thought of" she sighed disappointedly.
 But she thought of nothing else and at once set in motion that marvellous mental process by which a woman per- Suades herself that a desired extrava- gance is in reality an economy.
 I've been wondering, dear, how we could manage to have a wedding cake like the one in Cherry's window with out going to the poor house." she be- gan one morning at breakfast, "and I've thought it all out beautifully. Instead of a caterer I'll have Lily White in the kitchen. When it comes to frying oysters and making chicken salad French sheaf isn't in it with a darkey . cook. And Mrs. Murphy's Annie has a younger sister, Ida, who can come and wait on the table. And if take pains I'm sure l can make the wedding bell we are to stand under myself, and that will cut down the florist bill. So you see having the cake will actually save money"
 John R. did not see, but being an indulgent husband, he merely gave a little grunt and said: Sure thing {! Mamma knows howl"
 As the anniversary was still eleven weeks off it was too soon to order the cake, but every time Jessie Foster went down own she halted before the window of enchantment and on her return add ed new name to the list of guests. But it was Foster and not his wife 1 who contributed the last names on the list
 What do you suppose, Jess?" he beamed one evening. Our Nanny has twin It seems Tom Coyle-the clerk who has been in our office so long, you knOw-and his wife have a twenty-fifth on the same date as ours. l All InuJ q COlncIueHCos He WdS Ife- mendouslys interested when l told him of the shindig we're planning.
 John R., you didn't say anything about the wedding cake surpriseY'
 Not q squeak. But I'll tell you what I've been thinking. I know they don't exactly belong to our crowd, but I'd like -awfully well to include the other wedding couple when we hand out the invites"
 T hate to mix folks that don't mix" objected Jessie, land no doubt they'll have a celebration of their own"
 No, asked him. For years they've planned to-just as we've been doing Only instead of swell-up-and-bust party, they were going away on a wed- ding tour as they called it. Coyle had saved up his summer vacation for it and all. Then a month ago they lost all their savings in the Fidelity smash up and now can't afford the trip. That's why l thought it would be nice to invite 'em-to sort of make up for their disappointment. I guess" he twinkled, "there'd be enough cake to go round."
 "Oh, we'll invite them if you want l to- his wife reluctantly acQuiesced. X It was the day before the day on which Jessie Foster was going to send out the invitations and order the we'd