dingly that we cannot accept your father's kind
invitation to dine with you on Wednesday, January the
fifteenth. A previous engagement of Mr. Evans prevents it.
Will you convey to him our thanks?

Very sincerely yours,
Katherine Gerard Evans.
January 5, 1922.

_Adding additional details_

The invitation to an informal dinner may necessarily include some
additional details. For example:

Five Hundred Park Avenue,
September 16, 1920.

My dear Mr. Allen,

Mr. Evans and I have just returned from Canada and we hear
that you are in New York for a short visit. We should like to
have you take dinner with us on Friday, the twentieth, at
half-past seven o'clock, if your time will permit. We hope you
can arrange to come as there are many things back home in old
Sharon that we are anxious to hear about.

Yours very sincerely,
Katherine Gerard Evans.

Mr. Roger Allen
Hotel Gotham
New York

_Accepting_

Hotel Gotham,
September 17, 1920.

My dear Mrs. Evans,

I shall be very glad to accept your kind invitation to dinner
on Friday, September the twentieth, at half-past seven
o'clock.

The prospect of seeing you and Mr. Evans again is very
delightful and I am sure I have several interesting things to
tell you.

Yours very sincerely,
Roger Allen.

Mrs. John Evans
500 Park Avenue
New York

_Regretting_

Hotel Gotham,
September 16, 1920.

My dear Mrs. Evans,

I am sorry to miss the pleasure of accepting your kind
invitation to dinner on Friday, September the twentieth.

A business engagement compels me to leave New York to-morrow.
There are indeed many interesting bits of news, but I shall
have to wait for a chat until my next visit.

With kindest regards to you both, I am

Very sincerely yours,
Roger Allen.