The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, December 20, 1903, Page 21

“With holly dress the festive hall, Prepare the song, the feast, the ball, 10 welcome Merry Christmas.” ply cen’t afford 1t 1 n . has no place at Christmas time. It's like the news- paper “can’t.” There sim- Ply y h word. There isn't of the whole year that g or as fascinating as even if it does tax the merry hostess to the utmost, for unless 1 f a dozen places at one time trouble is more than W &t a fast and farious stmas day er else you do, don’t prate proposition. Unless you t 3 a privilege and a f a tiresome burden, ap better for y to y with any form of en- sit serenely and quiet- ar own home ar own . lerstand your at this time ay on a pinch re just ace of v ¢ the d with a little see the in a truly ving a dinner ken no small these days of means a dis; t still remains d gentle 1 it is one > decorate be of ever- or that matter, adds so much to use it when but tt pine e not that 1t 1= 1t is possible Make it as high as you like, but take good care ee that It is not too round, f will prevent your guests from see those opposite them nothing is qu disagreeable €odging = r and reindeer an they feel so vay the toy appro- me as a There are the tree as ed di- of the When all are then > ribbon and find s left for them 1 of m another e is no object the carried out In an- ad of running the rib- they may be er- and tied ves out they are in reality c eces d salmon A cupful nto e teaspoonful of butter, sa salt, 4 well b boiler @oes not boll Then It is removed from the fire and the salmon is stirred in and the whole flavored with a little walnut catsup The little patty shells should be well heated and by way of a contrasting color 1 leaves and thin slices of lemon be added and the whole makes &s appetizing a dish as can be imagined A Ch tmes dinner isn’t a Christmas dinner without a turkey and to make it seem all the more so it should be carved at the table. If you are looking for effects you can order the bird stuffed just so and have him brought on sitting up and survey- ing things generally. Then in a twink- ling stands of green that have been festooned about the chandelfers may be dropped to the four corners of the table and as they have been previously decorated with countless small turkeys and chickens the idea is most faithfully carried out. The bird itself may be festooned with greens and berries and even tied with grass streamers, but it ghould be dis- tinetly remembered that it is there to eat and not merely to look at and that ell the frills and furbelows make it harder for the carver to handle the bird peatly. And carving, by the way, Is an ac- complishment that no one need sneeze at. Few people, even the heads of bhouseholds, can always find the joints, and when there are many mouths to fill it pays to understand Mr. Bird thor- oughly, for he will serve just twice as many plates when properly served. It's no uncommon thing to hear a man say, “I'd rather go without my dinner than carve and it's all because he firmly expects the turkey to fly from the platter into the lap of his nearest neighbor and to deluge the next one with gravy. Granted it isn't the most comrortable feeling In the world, but after all the skewers and strings that have been used In trussing have been removed, it s not a task that should send a man forth hungry. See that it is placed with its breast to the left of the carver so that he may insert his fork firmly in the small end of the breast-bone as he holds it in position that way until the process is quite over, Next cut off the wings and le, they are always somewhat in the way, by beginning on the farther side and cutting through the joints mnext the body. That much is to the good. But before anything more is done he should re- move them to the serving platter, in order to make more room for himself, and then he begins on the breast, al- ways cutting downward. That really is the secret of carving & turkey, and while it sounds simple it requires & skilled hand to accomplish it just so. Epicures solemnly declare that the two muscles that are to be found on each side of the back near the legs and the bits that are found in the cavities of the neck are the sweetest ahd most tempting of the entire bird, but unless the carver Is up to snuff he nearly always overlooks these morsels or is afrald to wander into unexplored regions, If one of your own family is to do the carving it is possible to take him into the kitchen and put him through a rig- orous bit of training on the side and to seat your guests so that another one of the family may be near enough to help in decorating the individual plates. A deep dish of parsley, cool and crisp, gives a pretty feathery touch and with a crimson radish cut in fanciful sghapes here and there and a number of stuffed olives to lend their touch of THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. —-CHRISTMAS NUMBER o red, each plate may be garnished In quite a different fashion and it never fails to amuse and delight the onlook- ers. A pretty notion and one that always pleases s made of celery stumps. Just the plain, gnarled roots and the rougher and more fantastical In shape they are the better. Each one bent on going its own way in life and after it has been thoroughly scrubbed, the very center is hollowed out and a piece cut it will stand upright. it 1s filled with stuffed olives and as a last effort to make it proud of it- self a plece of celery or parsley is placed in the center of it and to all intents and purposes its maln idea seems to be to shade the olives. Such ideas are always unique and it makes no difference how much trouble they the list, she was the least known to Croft, and he was, therefore, prepared to watch her the closest. He had no sooner got sight of her, however, than he whispered to himseif: “l am way off there. She’s got the innocence of a baby, and it would be time thrown away to watch her.” Lady Sparrow brought her diamonds and she brought a mew mald, and she sustained her reputation for careless- ness. Sometimes Sir James coaxed her Into letting him lock up the jewels for the night, but they were oftener left to the care of the mald or to no care at all “Bound to be picked up sooner or lat- er,” mused Croft, “and I shall keep an eye on the maid. She seems demure, but I believe she knows a thing or two.” On the twelfth day of her stay Lady Sparrow got out her dlamonds at mid- afternoon and saw her maid brush them up a bit. They were then left lying In their box on the table while the owner lay down for a nap before din- ner. When she awoke the box was gone. “Queer case,” sald Croft to Sir James three hours later. “T laid it to the maid at first, but found that she can prove a perfect alibl. She wasn't even in the house at the time the box was taken nor can I find that any servant was within fifty fee® of Lady Sparrow's room. No one could have entered by her windows, and of course the thief is inside the house. We are going to have trouble to locate him or her, how- ever. I've questioned every servant, and I can’'t say that I suspect any of them.” “But you can’t suspect any of the guests!” exclaimed Sir James In con- sternation. “Not in the slightest. It's a rum go, and I've got my work cut out for me." Two days later he had still nothing to report. The servants had been ques- tioned and cross-questioned, and valets and malds had been given the “third degree,” and at length Croft was satis- fled of the Innocence of all the under- lings. “Then it was some slick thief who got in despite your vigilance,” reproach- fully observed Sir James. “I should rather say It was one of your twenty-two guests,” doggedly re- plied the agent. “But think of it, man.” “Aye, I'm thinking, Sir James.” “Who among them can you possibly suspect? Why, sir, it's simply mon- strous. I'd sooner pay for the jewels twice over than to hint that one of my gues‘s Is under suspiclon. No, no, Croft. It's a queer case, and the thief was too much for you, and I'll pay the loss and hush up the talk.” “But I want to remain here for a week or ten days,” sald the agent. “1 confess to being puzzied now, but my reputation is at stake, and I must try and solve the mystery. He was told to remain and do his bést, and that night as he lay in his bed he whispered In his own ears: “It's dollars to cents that the jewels were taken by a guest. Now, who would be the soonest suspected, and who the last? Let's say that Lady Spar- row stole her own diamonds, she being a seeker after notoriety. That charge won’t hold, however, as she turned her whole baggage out for inspection, and her fainting away when she dis- covered her loss was the genuine thing. Now, who is last? Why, little Mrs. Blank. of course. I'll stake all on her innocence, but I'm going to watch her. Her room is five doors away, and she says she was out on the lawn from four to five on the afternocon of the robbery, but let us see what can be turned up.” Detective Croft did something in do- ing nothing. He wouldn't tell Sir James nor any of the guests his thoughts, and to have tried to watch the little woman as she flitted about would have been ridiculous. He there- fore passed most of his time in the con- gervatory wondering where he could take hold of the case. On his first day he saw little Mrs. Blank enter the place twice and wander about and sing to herself. On the second day she was In and out three times. On the third day she slyly took from her pocket a letter which she read with considerable agi- tation and, woman-like, dropped it on the floor as she went out. She returned for it in five minutes, but Croft had possessed himself of the contents. “Well?” briskly demanded Sir James, as the agent asked for an Interview that evening. “I think I have found the jewels,™ was the reply. “You think: but don't you know?" “Not exactly. I have saved the pleasure for you. Let us go Into the conservatory and lock the door.” “Well?” again queried Sir James In CHAAS THAS TURKEY Tt really isn't such a gigantic task after all if you go about it in a system- atic ‘fashion, and, Mrs. Hostess, if you are a clever lady you will have a little heart to heart with your cook and maid the day before the gala occasion, for in this way you will be able to throw off much of your responsibility, which in %o open on a certain year Sir James wrote to Abraham Croft to pay him & business visit. It was not Croft’s first. As a private Inquiry agent he had been made use of on various occasions, and he was known to be up in his profes- sion. “I shall have ten gentlemen and twelve ladies in my house for two weeks, beginning on the 34,” sald Sir James, as he sat in the library with Croft. “Here is the list.” “Good people,” commented Croft, as he glanced at the names. “None better; but I don't want any- thing to happen.” “I see.” “Lady Sparrow, for instance, will be sure to bring her £15,000 worth of dlamonds and wear them every evening at dinner. She’s proverblally careless of her jewels..” “Not a doubt of it.” “I think the rest may look out for themselves, but you must act as a guardian in a way for Lady Sparrow. You will be assistant butler for the time being.” “At your service, Sir James.” “I'll bank on my own servants, but you watch the gentlemen's valets and the ladies’ maids—particularly Lady Sparrow’s maid. That's ail.” Among the guests was Mrs. Major may have been, if an amused ripple itself will allow you to devote yourself Blank, whose husband was in the Four- goes around the table you cannot but feel well repaid. entirely to enjoying the festivities as much as any of your guests. / LITTLE MRS. BLANHK---By Carl Johnson (Copyright, 1008, by Carl Johnson.) F the ordinary household is upset by a theft you can realize how much worse things may be in an English house where from twelve to twenty guests .re being and where it would be rank insult to suspect any of them. The only way out in most cases is to lay it on the servants and to send one or two of them packing with £20 notes in their pocket alongside of a rather ambiguous certificate of character. But that doesn’t bring entire satisfaction. There is the loss of the money or the jewels, the humiliation of the host and the public scandal. ‘When the hunting season was about teenth. She was handsome, petite and versatile and was generally spoken of as little Mrs. Blank. In a way she was not in the aristocratic set—in a money way. In another way she was popular, and it was the thing to invite her. Every hostess found her a valua- ble coadjutor in entertaining, and if the major never showed up and she flirted a bit with other men, there was no one to speak ill of her. She was so mildly wicked, if wicked at all, that it didn't count. Of the twenty-two guests on impatient tones. “You have several artificial plants in tubs, your honor, and this one in par- ticular is so light that even a woman could lift it. WIll you please have it out?” Sir James looked at the agent in a puzzled way, but seized the plant and lifted it from the tub, and then held up ‘his hands in amazement. At the bot- tom of the tub was the missing jewel box with the contents intact. “You see,” said Croft, “In three or four days more the box would have gone home with one of your guests.” “Croft,” said Sir James, as he laid his hand on the man's shoulder, “you must know the thief.” “I do, Sir James.” “But don’t tell me his name. I'll send him off with £50 in his pocket and not even read him a moral lecture.” “Right you are, Sir James,” replied Croft, as the ghost of a smile stole over his face and he winked at himself. —_——— TImmortelles. The manufacture of Immortelle wreaths in Paris occupies at least 1500 persons. The immortelles are gather- ed about the beginning of October, and come chiefly from the arid hills in the middle and south of France. They are brought to the markets in their natural condition, and the yellow blossoms are dyed green, red and white, and woven into wreaths by special workmen in readiness for All Saints’ and All Souls’ days, when all good Parisians visit their relatives’ graves. .On these “fetes des morts” the gates of the cemeteries are beset with crowds of dealers in Im- mortelle wreaths, wire crosses and bead crowns. At Pere la Chaise alone more than 200,000 persons are ecalcu- lated to visit the cemetery, and the sale of immortelle wreaths varies from 20,- 000 to 25,000—Golden Penny.