REAL SURPRISE PARTY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 138, 5 March 1908, Page 11

REAL SURPRISE PARTY.

.A piyaterjour,[>pll-litis.taken-place• at fiiiortlands, near,;Broniley;/England, .None of'the gue?t3 kpo'w' yes-jvhirwero- thoir tiosts. : ■ A'; humbe'r^.of• _local ' residents received anonymous.':* .inVitations,to' ■ amasked.'-; b-ill," which '.W(is , la'■ ;faltoV:placb f on.. ; 'thqr.following Thursday;'/* !pie invitations contained instructions .for :%?' : .guejt^o.:m^fr, ; at!;Shprtlands' Railway .Station, -and intimated .that carriages ; wouldfbe ,provided 'to/; fake them to a house ' where ';they./would : not,bo. expected. At the.appointed tirno,the.people invited proceeded!to; the. station, vvciry curious about the ■idcntity/pf host. ..".They found.' 'of' carriaires .waiting, and were,'driven-eiyay;at a rapid i : ,ato.to'Beckon-, ham.. ''They , wont; through '-the;;principal streetsof' thst suburb. ana roturncd, by la: difTprent routeT-haying,travelled-nearlythree' to tjiq'.placo from which they, started.; v The '/procession of«carriages, ivhioh. caused somo; excitement,'/finally stopped ixt the gates' of 'Shortlatids House',/.to the intense .'surprise oKthe/master and misti-ess, who,were; among the/invited •guestß.v.'They .'rose to the 'occasion, /however; and'a roopi was speedily, prepared for a .ball. An excellent supper, which had ;arriyq(l! iiitho,-char-a-banc .that headed the procession of'carriages,"was provided. An orchestra' tilso appeared on ',tlia scene, .and tho ball pas-Hid off 3plemlidly, ,-il'o guests'departing mMho early-hours of the morning; with the-identity of their host or hostess still-shrouded'in* mystery;/.■ Each guest took ofE -the. mask at the end of the ball, and everyone was surprised to find thiit. thc-ii'.imystci'ious fellow-gucilfs wovo their iiitimato friends. ..i