The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1893-12-21
The Duchess %mournfully shook her

the Duchess mOurnfully shook her
head. 1.-The specialists I have con-
suited hold out very little hope" she
said plaintively. Had it been other
wise I would have parted with
Mary. for it is ones duty to give
pleasure to ones friends even if one
cannot ones self enjoy life and the
delight Of a good dinner"
MIR. CleverSon murmured approval.
"But I am ordered to live in retire
ment," her Grace continued. 'and it
would be a great pity to let the girls
undoubted genius rust for want Of
employment"
'Quite So"
$50 you take my cook with my best
wishes"
Mr.. Cleverson murmured his
thanks. bowed low and withdrew.
"a clever, afTable woman" he re-
flected, ''but l don't agree with her.
Now, if I had the misfortune to lose
my sight. II think l should seek
consolation from it and give my whole
life to it. and it would be odd if l
didn't find life worth living, after all.
No, | don't agree with her, but l am
glad her cook is at liberty"
He telegraphed to Miss Smith
there and then, instructing her to
take charge of his kitchen that day,
if possible. A satisfactory reply
reached him at the office.
He did not go out to lunch; he
would not have taken the edge off
his appetite for the world. AT s
o'clock, the usual hour, he went
home. His wife met him in the hall.
The new cook has come" she
said, "and dinner will be ready in
twenty minutes. There is the menu.
She ask me to leave ever, thing to
her and l did so, but / am afraid she
will be dreadfrlly expensive"
The Aldcrman's 81, es glistened as
he glanced at the items on the neatly
written card.
"Hang the EXPENSE" he cried.
1.-THE dinner is a dream. Don't hurry
her for the world. Let me 60 and
dress. Don't hurry her."
He ran upstairs and fairly jumped
out Of his business attire and into MS
dreSs-clOthes, for Mr.. CleverSon would
rather have lost a tooth than have
sat down in morning garments to a
dinner that was adlnner. He entered
the dining-room as the parlormaid
brought in the soup-in the very
nick of time, at the psychological
moment, in fact.
AS the setting forth of the mem
in detail would make the readers
mouth water without giving the least
satisfaction. it is omitted altogether.
IL is sufficient to say that the Alder
man was elevated in the seventh
heaven of delight, and a better Judge
of a dinner never lived.
But the keencst joys must come to
an end, though Mr.. Cleverson did
not push back his chair until he felt
unable to swallow another mOrsel,
Then he folded his arms, closed his
eyes and gave himself up to blissful
recollections, and more delightful
anticipatory reflections at the NOR
rows feast.
At last he mad dined at home!
Four dinners Mary Smith cooked
for him-four luscious dreams, each
surprising the previous one, then the
unexpected happened.
The artist of the kitchen did not
rise at her usual hour. The parlor-
maid knocked at her door. No an
swer. She entered the room. 1t
was unOccupied. The bed had not
been slept on. Mary Smith was miss
ing.
So, alas! was the plate, Mrs. Clev-
erson's jewels. the Alderman's gold
watch and chain and diamond studs,
with other portable v%aluablcS.
Mr.. CleversOn vas distracted; he
raved:
81 don't care a pin for the plate;
no, nor for the other things. L cal
buy plates and Jewels any day, but
where shall l get another such cook?
l would forgive her tomorrow, aye,
double her wages, if she would bring
back the stolen goods and promise to
be honest in future"
Eventually he visited Scotland
Yard, doubtless thinking that, fail
ing the cook. it would be well to re-
cover the ''Other things"