Henderson daily dispatch., 1940-05-11
CHAPTER SEVEN


THE FIRST meal Gayle Dixon
had eaten in The Oaks was one of
quiet, sun-gemmed beauty; natur-
al luxury so profound that the ex-
cellent food itself was all but un-
noticed. That had been breakfast,
on the sun porch with Bill.
But dinner, at which she was
quite Unexpectedly coerced into the
role of hostess, was an occasion of
an altogether different sort. The
very walls of the Mortified man.
sion appeared to shout their pleas
ure at seeing youthful good times
revived.
Gayle wisely decided that this
dinner should be as natural and
simple as her hurried supervision
could make it. She avoided any
formal note partly because the
trend of events seemed to be that
way this evening, partly because
The Oaks had been rather stepped
in formality of late anyway, she
realized. Mr.. Merrifeld's saying of
grace was a beautiful touch. She
had not expected it; indeed, she
had simply not thought of ito
her shame.
IT want you to know, Mr.. Mer-
rifield, that yours was very love-
ly prayer, and that asking a bless
ing at mealtime is a fine custom, I
think" Gayle said that in all sim
certify, looking at her employer
and host.
Check" echoed Bill Bailey. IT
was trying to figure a way to say
just that, sir. well, I-say, why
are people embarrassed about ask
ing a blessing, anyway"
Mr.. Merrifield turned to him in
surprise. IT am not embarrassed,
young sir"
But Bill was, anew. Tempe Hyde
all but giggled, at him, and Gayle's
eyes twinkled. Bill devoted himself
earnestly to a fruit cocktail.
A moment later Mr.. Mortified
spoke again.
: II feel that this is an suspicious
evening. Isn't it pleasant, MIR.
Weems? Isn't it, sir?"
ooh, of course, sir. Yes, indeed.
/ was just thinking, how thought
full of you to arrange a little party
this way for Mr.. Jeremy"
"Now that's something" Bill
spoke up.
A party! Why, sure, little din
ner surprise for Jeremy! That
would account for the presence of
all the girls, for Bill himself. Jer-
envy had looked wonderingly at
them during the introductions be-
fore dinner. Bill looked quickly at
Gayle now, and she nodded.
You see, Jeremy, you hadn't
been in town very long, and so
your grandfather wanted you to
meet some, uh, nice people your
age, and all. We were lucky to be
the ones, eh girls"
The six picked up the cue nicely.
In truth, they had felt a certain
jittery restraint of their own-a
wonderment at their astonishing
Now they could see a
course and play it.
The talk mounted. Small, spon!'
taneous talk. And laughter. Jeremy
took little or no part in it mainly
because he was shy and had no
ready answers, no quick repartee.
But his obvious brightness and in
:erest were enough. It was his
party. The actors played to him.
The cocktail was followed by a
simple roast beef. Simple, that is,
save for the huge size Of it, and
he extraordinary SAVIOR. 1t was
before Mr.. Mortified,
Ind it's aroma was delicious. Little |
bubbles of suet still broiled audibly E
IN it's brown crust when it was +
set on the table. Mr.. Merrifield S
liked to carve. t
There were vegetables, celery
hearts, two kinds of olives, sweet J
beach pickles of a kind Gayle had /
lever tasted before, hot biscuits,
'offee or tea. Chinaware was a
1aviland dating well back into the
asst century, gold on White-price-
ess. Silver was old sterling. Linen
vas hand drawn-"done by Mex
can woman from one of the Merri-
ield mining towns in Arizona.