Show dinner matto T TIC louise shoved the steaming pans and kettles into the he A warming oven looking down the driveway as she bad done for almost two hours she exclaimed of course horton called that tie might be late but what Is keeping sister elster and hal and aunt jen jim betty and clyde six people invited to a christmas dinner and all of them latel intel accident surely sorely not all of them in a heap along the roadside unless each bumped into the other hurrying because they are late to our gillo dinner nerl 1 louise was wag smiling even before a bonk sent her outside horton please drive me to larion crossroads maybe well meet sister A me to larion crossroads maybe we will meet slat sister er and nal maybe they will know why the others are delayed sort of a news center at the crossroads anyway pshaw I 1 dont worry they probably think thing you loo will not have dinner promptly sit at 1 but I 1 told each one that we would have dinner promptly because I 1 thought you boys boy night might wish to hear bear the program at baxter do you suppose they have all gone to the festival before coming here it exactly exact lyl I 1 lets leta let a go tool then we can all come home together to a grand christmas reunion dinner dorton borton interrupted come borne to cold turkey dressing and potatoes reunion dinner you means mean louise snapped hurrying home bome and eating lunch bor to ton with louise a bit reluctant started for baxter where a special festival of christmas music and drama an annual community affair for many years lit between rival towns would be presented at the community center playhouse prim were awarded to best production from the two towns the guests must have stood my icy letter whatever it Is they tare have all misunderstood misunderstand to zether louise whined during applauding for the edgewood Edee wood performers in which horton blistered his hands clapping for his tome home community ue he see seemed ined unsympathetic to louise Loul wil lurther further peevish questions cut but not one of our guests are here that I 1 can see gee do you glimpse uncles bald head bead or of bisters fur ur or bettys betty red hair after the program program horton and lou ise watched every means of exit for their guests then hurried home arria ins ing at five at slight sight of the leftover left over nver dinner louise sobbed never saw such a frost what on adams earth could have happened what have we have I 1 done to deserve such snut ig she was wag almost clans that horton had something to to do with the absence of their guests she leaped to the jangling jans lang of the telephone anything was better that than allence or r was it ye Y yes yes well oe thereat there at oncel once the receiver clicked horton horlon hurry someone needs you at Iler heralds olds corners lloil ili called no hal and sister are not cot hurt but someone else you vou run ran on and ill stay to prepare beds horton hal and loulies Lo l ulses slister soon arrived with a milo woman and small child who bad been burled under an AD automobile after being struck by a hit bit and run driver when hat hal found them hours before they were unconscious after return to consciousness the doctor had bad consented for hal to drive them to hartoog nortons Hor nor toog tons for the night as no hospital was nearer dearer than one hundred miles while administering to injured ones one in the spotless beds 1 onese pro tided uncle jim and AUDI jen jan arrived ted with betty and clyde son ai aart daughter in law at exactly six I 1 we were determined to be on time for dinner dincer aunt jen called innocently yes you are in time to help nurse these injured strangers louise answered trying not to look discomfited jim had bad too bad a cold to go to the program at baxter baiter so clyde said he would drive our car and we would all come together clyde could not get away from the store until noon we thought you would probably go to the program if we were ere not here to hinder during the abe afternoon and wed get here in time for your six dinner let us help make these injured ja r jill yes you are in time to help nurse these injured strangers ones comfortable or well get the dinner on the table while you attend them aunt jen rattled on the late date of the dinners dinner a coldness seemed not to matter one thing ive learned that a cold dinner Is no do less palatable able after eight hours than for two hours wait its all because of two times two dates for dinner 12 and six I 1 two things learned rodall louise recited to herself the text of the letter sent to her hei guests and as nearly as she could remember r it was worded can you come for or christmas dinner come early if the men wish to go with horton to the pro gram at baxter we women will wil gossip the afternoon away until the nien men return dinner promptly then dinner at six for six fix late guests I 1 but it all turned out right the poor people nere readied by hals hala coming lo in the afternoon hal said that since he bad the afternoon for driving be would leisurely drive by way of heralds corners to see the new viaduct just you rou and 1 I dear attended the program together uncle jim needed a driver next time ill make it plain which dinner hour ta 9 expect my guests at one or at six on Christ christmas masl 1 louise smiled the next day after the injured strangers were on their way and the guests had returned to their homes a 0 western upton union |