Show CHARLOTTE HARLO E A STORY PORY GATHERED FROM LIFE by S ELIZABETH MARKUS X X X AN invitation even if ono one like people at all but it they invite one to a party at af real party garty the odious sentiment slowly melts like snow in the april sun I 1 never did care for the Hem and since paul had treated me so shabbily on account of one of 0 tho the members of their family I 1 had made up my mind to loathe them but when alice one evening delivered the rather informal invitation for it a party at the Hem flat in honor of the birthday and departure of their daughter bertha I 1 started to consider whether it was to bear such hostile sentiment tor for anyone instinctively I 1 felt that the hem as delicatessen shop keepers would have a setup set up with all the good things their shop contained and that one only get a smell of the good things no ther etol be enough to just feast on them alice almost went off her head for the six previous days to the party she came up every evening with a new report of the palatable enjoy ments to be the time was drawing near and mother had not yet passed her decision whether we would or would not go she had lots of reasons for us not to go one of them was the were not our equal it was best not to start it would only put us under obligations and besides and last but not least wed have to buy bertha a present for that money wo we could get something to eat and enjoy it at home and have to say thank you to anybody but what can a mother do with all the reasons and buts it her children have made up their minds especially it if one is bound to the son of the house where the party is going to be and her sister is to be bridesmaid at that very wedding and moreover it if her son is struck on the girl in whose honor the party is going to be given even I 1 neutral I 1 had visions of great edible enjoyments enjoy ments to be so mother had to play her last trump though I 1 think she like to she played out the black sheep of 0 the hempel family and quoted that it be wise to associate with people who had a son in the penitentiary paul answered mother in a most outrageous way that those were old folky ideas rubbish who in our days would look at it in such a way we looked at paul in amazement how could lie he dare to talk to mother as such but mother said nothing and paul kept on no good christian would 11 lie ho flashed 1 I was taught in confirmation lesson that 0 one e should help the other and not push them down when they are struggling chos pushing them down mother asked 1 I dont want to hurt those people Suppo sn everybody would think the way you do the whole family would be doomed on account of an error of that boy what would become of those lovely girls should their whole lives be marred adoringly mother listened to pauls words and only said you should study to be a minister the dispute was settled we were to go to the party now the next question was to be settled it a more mere question ti was difficulty to overcome the present mother ransacked her drawers she looked through her chests several times she held up something exclaiming this would be something for bertha berha t one of these holdup articles was a veil a lovely thing I 1 would have liked to call it my own but alas paul discovered in one of its corners a tiny little hole there was a tine white apron which came into consideration but alas it had been washed even though mother declared it had been laundered only once paul said it do as nobody could see how often it h had ad been washed then mother discovered amongst her things a dainty white handkerchief with a lace ruffle all around it but from lying it had become a tiny bit yellow I 1 raged over it just for spite because paul was so darned particular about the present for that girl and said this is the thing every girl likes a handkerchief with lace and this is real lace mother added 1 I dont give a cackle for real lace it if it looks like an old rag replied paul scornfully you dont know what you silly boy mother ended the argument putting the handkerchief back in its old place and keeping on ransacking in spite of mothers loathing of anybody to ransack through her things paul had the nerve to rummage through one of her bureau drawers get out of my drawer s snapped napped mother sharply at him get out or ill 1 I thought id help you said paul his hands handa still rooting through the things and suddenly holding up something he shouted in breathless delight ive found something ive found something it was a small bottle with a blue sill silk ribbon around its neck and a gold edged label with the picture of a beautiful girls head no you wont flashed mother at him snatching the bottle away from him and rubbing it against her skirt no you wont paul reflected for a moment and then he said now there s something a girl like bertha would like and then you 1 I guess she would like it defiantly said mother but she wont get it right keep it be stingy paul resented and I 1 guess there were more bitter words on its his impulsive tongue but he dare to say them ho he only asked after a pause why do you vou want to keep that little girl stuff f mother replied still shaking her head in defiance your father gave it to me he brought it home from his last trip to berlin in lots of cases our instinct helps us do the right thing and in this it did also for paul never referred to the cologne again lie he felt it would be of no use A sudden idea struck mother in her girlhood girl bool hoo a man had passed through her town and for a few marks had taught the girls the art of making paper flowers she had at that time part partaker partaken par taken alcen in that rare opportunity she had learned how to manufacture paper violets roses ragged robbins rob hins jasmine and carnations so true to nature that it was hard to tell them from the real thing so instantaneously mother fetched the boxes containing the utensils and as there luckily was enough paper vivid shades of red white rind and blue she decided on a bouquet of red roses rugged robbins and jasmine she took infinite pains and for three nights worked over thoe pa per children of nature while we girls sat around her admiring her skill all the while her nimble fingers twisted and whirled the frail leaves and wire stems she fed our imagination with cheerful pictures of a moneymaking money making profession of a profession which could be executed at home without the knowledge of the outside world she figured out that we could make lots of bonev it if we all in our spate spare time would take to making artificial flowers and that there were thousands of people who did this in tact fact there was a whole town the city whose inhabitants made their living in producing artificial flowers and every year men from america came over to buy up all they could get and paid a good price tor for it mother spent ten pennies tor for a white paper cuff with a frilly lacy edge to surround the bouquet which she had produced produce a with proud amazement we children looked at the dainty creation it if I 1 say we children I 1 mean only we girls for paul want to be called a child any more since the time we had been skating there seemed to be always a vast difference in our opinions and it again popped out when lie he sighted the bouquet do you think id hand this to a young lady lie he asked instead of a word of appreciation why yes paul mother sala said and moved the bouquet to his nose for she had opened her sacred bottle of cologne and scented the flowers to make their nature still more deceiving ce arent they natural but brutally paul laughed you saved all that work and given the cologne there was a short si silence ailenee lenee mother sat down on the sopha she looked at paul oddla from the side and then she broke out you ungrateful wretch you shant have the you shall give nothing ill give it let me give it alice with her hands reaching wistfully tor for the bouquet and mother handed it to her tare take it alice trust mother she give anything that tit fit her voice quivered and her hei lins trembled as she spoke that thai big imps getting beyond himself X I 1 THE PARTY at last the day of 0 the party had arrived paul had gone down ahead of us he had said to me it would woul d look too tunny funny if the whole d family came at once we three girls went together mother had bad decided not to go the preceding events had disgusted her too much and she had bad allowed us only to stay an hour or so alice accompanied by lenchen was to present the flowers and sh she e was floating in rapture about her areat mission as she walked up to bertha the fun started immediately it first sit down and converse stiffly with your neighbor no they at once passed cake around but mrs hempel satisfied she wanted mother to he be there for mother was wag the only lady invited and mrs hempel too wanted someone to chat with she wanted to consult someone about her bertha and the training school which she was going to visit so she ventured in spite of her heart beart trouble and her to ascend the somewhat steep stet steps to our apartment and ans eil mother to come their family being r rather ather numerous only two girls and two boys of I 1 berthas beathas Ber thas age outside of our family had bad been distinguished by indita eions the living room was chosen tor for this essential gathering and it was tilled to its limit mother and mrs hempel were sitting on tho the sopha before them on the table a plate heaped with cake and never empty ca coffee free cups mr hempel who had a man in the shop to tali take ills his place and who had to look frequently whether this man was doing his duty was over ever ready to jump up and only occasionally sat on the corner of a chair near the table his eyes were kindo pinched as if i he were solving some mathematical problem while looking over the crowd he was chewing at a cigar albert carried up from the shop tray after tray of sandwiches sanai five per cent alcohol beer and other palatable en joy ments and after lie he had con fulfilled this duty he fetched out his accordion accor deon and played ond one waltz and polka after the other we sat there and politely listened to alberts art effusions but mr hempel was a real man and he liked real enjoyment so he said to us while chewing at his cigar go on and dance when I 1 was young I 1 sit still when there was music going on what alte he turned to his wife who approvingly to see young people merry go on and dance he repeated and they started bertha who was clad in her black cashmere con formation dress with a dainty white apron protecting it met claudius or bernhard the other boy guests halt way and whirled with him round and round one of 0 the invited girls would always step in and grab the boy whom bertha had detached un til bertha again would claim him for her partner and leave her tired victim again for one of the girls j hugo soon had gotten on to the way of the grownups upsy and lie he changed oft off in the same manner between alice and lenchen once his I 1 father feather almost pushed him to me he should dance with me I 1 felt myself surging to the roots of my hair I 1 want to hurt the feelings of the host but my pride let me condescend tori to dance with a kid so I 1 refused stating that I 1 care though I 1 was dying for a suitable partner to my secret delight paul also dance in a tunny sort ot 01 way his eyes glared at the bunch he stood in a corner and near him on oil a small table was a tray with sandwiches automatically and unconsciously ly it seemed he devoured sandwich after sandwich I 1 watched him uneasily for a while goodness he was emptying the tray fast my big brother was disgracing the whole family I 1 determined to tell him to whisper to him to stop unnoticeably I 1 started to thread my way vay in his direction the nearer I 1 came the stronger did the odor of mothers perfume strike my nostrils oh ob I 1 remembered ery well the sweet lovely scent tor for mother had poured some on the paper flowers but it be the bouquet because it was with all the other presents in the next nest room aha now I 1 kheav paul had some of mothers cologne at once I 1 felt it my sacred duty to resent it to my sunken brother 1 I smell it I 1 whispered when I 1 was next to him at tho tha same time I 1 noticed one of papas silk handkerchiefs sticking his upper ca coat at pocket As paul pretended not to 10 hear me I 1 repeated with a strong note of accusation 1 I smell mothers cologne on you do you lie he asked with a bold smile on his lipsi 1 do I 1 said a little louder take yourself away from here lie he hissed at me with subdued temper 1 I dont have to I 1 said but T was afraid to say more I 1 kept silent about the handkerchief or of papas and about his unmannerly conduct I 1 know knew he consider the place nor me it if I 1 approached him again stock still I 1 planted ni my sell at his side and I 1 budge an inch even fatter bertha had stepped up to my brother just for spite I 1 would not go away and I 1 tried very bard to catch their conversation bertha asked him why he dance and why he was so quiet what shall I 1 doa do paul replied hotly im home soon I 1 cant stand this music I 1 hear he ar all of their conversation co n for soon oon again the music thronged thron ged between us I 1 could only catch a word now and then as real must music c art abc acc accordion 0 rd eo n howling and make me sick after the accordion accor deon howling holli g ceased albert addressed me asking whether I 1 had a good time and whether I 1 wanted some more sandwiches or some more beer and how old I 1 was and in what grade I 1 was in school whether my answers were satisfactory for a conversation at a party I 1 dont know but he ask me any more questions he waved his hand and pointed to the next room come lets look at the presents he suggested I 1 had seen them but I 1 tell him tor for I 1 was glad that he be had found me clever enough to devote his time to me besides I 1 was anxious to show paul that somebody older than he had picked me out and proudly I 1 stepped at alberts F side de e I 1 into n to the next room leaving the noise ol 01 se and ad the hum of the voices behind to be continued |