g of Friday,
November seventeenth, you should present yourself in suitable attire at
Mrs. Gregory's home.

There you will find fifteen or twenty other guests, and after a few
minutes of light social banter a bell will ring and the players will
take their places. At your table will be Mrs. F. Jamison Dollings (your
partner) and Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Watts. Mrs. Dollings (Sept. 6, 1880)
is considered one of the most expert "bridge" players in the city, while
Mr. Watts has one of the largest retail clothing stores in the central
part of the State. Mrs. Watts was one of the Van Cortlandt girls (the
plain one).

As you are probably (next to Mr. and Mrs. Watts) the worst "bridge"
player in the room it should be your duty to make up for this deficiency
by keeping the other three players conversationally stimulated, for
nothing so enlivens a game of "bridge" as a young man or woman with
a pleasing personality and a gift for "small talk." Thus, at the very
beginning, after you have finished dealing the cards, you should fill in
what seems to you an embarrassing pause by telling one of your cleverest
stories, at the conclusion of which Mrs. Dollings will remark, "We are
waiting for your bid, Mr. S----."

The etiquette of "bidding," as far as you are concerned, should resolve
itself into a consistent effort on your part to become "dummy" for each
and every game. The minute your partner (Mrs. Dollings) bids anything,
it should be your duty as a gentleman to see that she gets it, no matter
what the cost.

Thus, on the first hand, you "pass." Mr. Watts then says, "Wait a
minute, till I get these cards fixed"; to which Mrs. Watts replies,
"Theodore, for Heaven's sake, how long do you want?" Mr. Watts then
says, "Which is higher--clubs or hearts?" to which Mrs. Watts replies,
"Clubs." Mrs. Dollings then says, "I beg your pardon, but hearts have
always been considered higher than clubs." Mrs. Watts says, "Oh, yes,
of course," and gives Mr. Watts a mean look. Mr. Watts then says, "I
bid--let's see--I bid two spades--no, two diamonds." Mrs. Dollings
quickly says, "Two lilies," Mr. Watts says, "What's a lily?" to which
Mrs. Watts replies, "Theodore!" and then bids "Two spades," at which
Mrs. Dollings says, "I beg your pardon, but I have just bid two spades."
Mr. Watts then chuckles, and Mrs. Watts says (but not to Mr. Watts),
"I beg your pardon." Mrs. Watts then bids "Three spades," at which you
quickly say, "Four spades."

This bid