The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-10-15
2'oday's Short Story

Mrs. Wright Hoover was entertain
ing her husbands employees at a dinner
given at her home. There were 80
people present, for the invitation had
been so elastic as to include the unem-
ployed wives and husbands also. Mamie
Wilbur, for INSTANCE, had brought her
husband, who hadn't done a stroke OF
work in months, and right never again,
on account of a fall that just came
short of breaking him all to pieces.
There were Walter Hall, who ran the
delivery wagon, and Dan Peck, who
scrubbed the store tended the furnace
and kept the walks clean. The greater
of these was no greater than the least
when it came to receiving Mrs. Wright
Ho0ver's hospitality.
At one long table which extended
drought two rooms, the dining room
and library, which had been opened in
enc, sat the guests, just beginning to
dip into the dessert. At the head of
the table sat Mrs. Hoover, flushed and
slightly overweight and not altogether
comfortable in her new black satin. AT
the foot of the table, looking at her a
good. deal--after 80 years of married
life he still admired her-sat her hus-
band. Occasionally Lemma looked at
his dinner was going beautifully
was, in short, q success from the
first cocktails that began it to the
NeapOlitan ice cream that marked its
close.
In the kitchen Martha Duff, who
had the dinner in charge, had dropped
into chair with long-drawn breath
o. relief and satisfaction. Martha had
been on her feet since Z that morning.
and she was as tired as any woman may
be who has perfect nerves, lots OF
stamina and an unlimited capacity for
turning off work. Martha was the per-
son who always presided behind the
scenes at KetchumviIle doings and pulled
the strings to suit herself. She had
planned for this dinner, marketed for 1t,
prepared for II, sent it to the table IN
the most appetizing form. She had even
bossed Lemma Wright about with good
natured impunity. Martha and Lem
ma Fosdick had been schoOlmates and
were still the best of friends, although
| Lemma was now the wife of the lead
ing merchant and Martha a by-the-day
who went wherever she was hired
There was no doubt in Martha's mind
but that. il her husband had lived, lac
| would have been every bit as successful
as Wright Hoover. And this Thought
helped her over a good many hard places
in life.
Now, as she sat resting. she heard
through the window behind her, opeu
as much to let out the effuvia of cook
ing as to let in the sweetness OF the
tangy fall night, the sound OF the car
which seemed to pause before the house
| There were other sounds to0-v0ices
and footsteps--then the bell over the
door which led into the dining room
purred dramatically. Martha heard d
| hush in the next room as Wright ex-
cused himself and went to the door.
From that point Martha ceased to
be interested. She was thinking OF MI
she had to do yet-tables to clear and
dishes to wash. Lemma had said she
could leave them until morning, but
| that was never Mdrtha'S way. She
always finished every job she began.
She was interrupted by the dooi
opening and Lemma appearing in q
more excited state than she had been
al all that evening.
'Oh, Martha :" she exclaimed. "Wha;
shall we do? An automobile party from
Hamden has arrived. They've broken
down and it viii be hours before theV
can go on, and they must have some
thing to eat. It's the Wilsons-that
crowd. They've been out on a trIT
and are just getting back. Is there
anything at all for them to eatY'
Martha was on her feet, her mind
at work instantly.
"HOw many are there?" she de-
manded.
well, there's Fanny Wilson and
Sam and Lena Burdiek and her two
girls and Clark Graham"
CLARK GrahamP Martha's eyes
met Lemma's. There passed between
them in that look a comprehension oil
the whole story of Clark Graham's un-
successful attempts to get Martha away
from Horace Duff. Don't you lei
them know I'm here, Lemma," she
said. I'll set a table for them in the
! little breakfast room. And I'll have
something on it they can eat. In hall
an. hour you can bring them out. But
don't you let them know I'm here
mind"
Il won't" Lemma flew back to the
unexpected guests. leaving Martha in
charge of the situation.
For the first time in her life Martha
was puzzled and at a loss, though she
would not let Lemma know that. There
Tad only been carefully estimated por'
tiOns for the eaAsIs, and everything had
been eaten. lad. ice cream, roast
duck were gone. There was bread
butter. Lemma 0ronght the extra guests