"When I told you the other day we'd be down Wednesday evening, I forgot that our Eva was to have a child's party on the same evening. That knocks us out."
"And you can't come?"
"Of course not. Sorry to disappoint you, old fellow, but of course——"
"Watkins is a liar, Mrs. Bowser—a first class, bold-faced liar!" exclaimed Mr. Bowser, "and you want to cut the whole family as dead as a door nail!"
He went off saying he could get 2,000,000 couples to take their places, and he returned at evening just as the following note came by the hands of a messenger boy:
"Mr. and Mrs. Jackson present their compliments, and regret that the death of an uncle in China will prevent them from being present on Wednesday evening."
Mr. Bowser had begun to turn white when the telephone rang.
"Hello, Bowser!"
"Yes."
"Say, old man, this is a world of change, you know. When I told you we'd come down to that party I never thought about my sister. She's to be married that same evening. Tra-la, old boy; hope you'll have a good time."