Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1939-07-08

IN TWO PARTS-PART ONE
. THE LAST MINUTE
FOURTEENTH GUEST
PROVES LUCKY OR UN-
LUCKY, ACCORDING TO
THE VIEWS OF THE
OTHER THIRTEEN.
I 1t began by being a grand party
"No one can throw a better party
than Monty Fish," his friend and
attorney, Sidney Morse, had re-
marked when the invitation ar
rived, and the annual "Bon Voy-
age" dinner Monty gave himself
before going away every summer
was always the highwater mark
of what Monty described as his
"social season"
( Usually, these dinners took place In
the Fish's penthouse apartment in
Park avenue. A business trip to Omaha
had delayed this one. The flat was
shut up, the boat sailed at midnight,
and cocktails we're served at 7:30 in
a suite taken for the occasion on the
meZzanine floor of the Hotel Louis
cocktails, a mixture that Monty had
discovered in Mexico City, palatable
and potent. You felt that you could
drink dozens of them, and, by the time
you discovered you couldn't, the party
was success.
Chattering gaily, the little group
filed into the dining room. First and
foremost. there was Jane Bishop, the
actress whose latest success had ter
minated q ton months MN rsYt1U last
Saturday. Monty's brokerage firm han
died Miss Bishops account. "She's
merely a client. or, at least, hope
she is" Mrs. Fish had observed in the
course of the slight domestic under
standing which had followed Monty's
suggestion that the lady be asked to
this dinner.
so merely" Monty had replied,
that I never spoke to her in my life,
is done through Elliwen Hobbs, who's
her husband, and, naturally, he's COM
ing too"
Carolyn Fish had been little
ashamed of herself She was always /
because, of course, she knew |
perfectly well that Monty had never 4
had the least interest in women before /
he met her, or in any other women
since. Carolyn was a bit older than
Monty, and simply couldn't help these
occasional outburSts, which made life
miserable for both of them until the
gale had blown over.
Jane Bishop could be no chicken her
self, Mrs. Fish reflected, though she
was lovely, and blonde, and radiant
that evening IN pearls and poppy-col-
Jred mousseline de sole. So radiant that
: arolyn won cred, momentarty,
whether there really had been any
heed of putting her on Monty's right.
James matrimonial appendix found
his place-card on the left of Mrs.
vas Mrs. Harrison, of whom no one
new much except that she was ex- :
remedy rich and that her matrimon-
al appendix had been removed. She
vas tall. faded woman who gave the
of having seen everything
md not having liked it,
On Carolyn's right stood Frank G.
Vashburn-lean, keen and bald. d.
ectOr in seven companies and preSi-
ent of two. In addition, there were
sydney Morse and his tinid and self
little wife, Minnie; Effie Bolt
nd her debutante daughter, Barbara
ext to the violiniSt, Michael Nadinoff.
nd. finally, the two professors, Charlie t
iaSton and Bunny Powles, as newt
bly, paired as bacon and eggs, or e
1t was Mrs. Morse who discovered q
nat this company totaled thirteen. 3
hey were about to be seated, when r
he exclaimed, "Oh, my goodness! &
What do you think? There are Is of
81" Miss Bishop laughed nervously. d
I'm not superstitious," she said, "but U
Twilight and it was the most utter s.
allure until the author wrote in a \
sllboy. 1t does seem tempting fate,
oesnt it?"
America began with IS colonies, o
rof. CASTOR remarked. =,
THAT was unlucky for England, e. q
rof. Powles said. L ts
Mrs. Harrison had grown a shade x
der. ~
IF you don't mind" she declared, "
II step outside Just a minute. Frank b,
). I'm afraid Of IS. Something hap q.
ned to me once on the 18th, and
I'll, I'd rather not go into detail, but dc
am supergtttious. Anyway, I'd for NJ
tten that was to call UP my sister
Philadelphia-if nobody minds"
Nobody did, but nobody sat down. nc
rs nonsense, Of course" Mrs. Fish M
served. but, since Mrs. Harrison ar
sls that way, can't you do some OF
why not write in a benboy?" Mr. co co
,bbs asked. Like most professional Of
stands, he had acquired the habit We
concurrence.
Why not?" Monty grinned. Serve Oh
2 hors d'oeuvre. There are only II
us now, and I'm going to run out a
dig up another guest. Theren be ap
of you still when Mrs. Harrison re- IA,
rms. and IA when I get back with ali
capture" Zee
Amid laughter and applause, Mr.. Fir
h left the room, and descended to an
. hotel lobby. There were only two M
one booths, In one Of which Mrs. sal
rrison was having trouble with or
fladelphia. The second was occupied an
a gentleman who was explaining
t he had been detained at the Of DIR
;. Anyway, Monty thought, none Of col
friends would be home at this at
n, and, If they were, it would take sto
m some time to reach the hotel ter
best chance was to look round brc
And, almost at first glance, he dis
ned Struther Mayne.
fonty wasn't too sure at the mo- reg
ut. He had seen MIR. Mayne only ser
e since they left school, and that shi
months ago, when Struthers had bur
ed on business that suggested SOL he
cy. But there was something oddly tha