The Press., 1901-07-25
A Maid to Order.
A Story Touching on the Serv-
ant Question.
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The table was charming. The pearly
| expanse of damask that infolded it
was one Of the Misses Dormond's most
treasured possessions, saved out Of a
general wreck Of family fortunes.
The old fashioned silver, Of those in
imltable patterns which no modern
shop can supply, cleaned like irregu-
| larly shaped planets at intervals across
| the cloth.
Moreover, daffodil bulb cherished
| in window sill warmth had obligfngly
| thrown out a handful of blossoms.
This pot, sheathed in yellow tissue pa
per, made thoroughly attractive Gen.
terpiece.
"It is simply lovely" said Winifred,
with little sigh of relief and satisfac-
| ton. 81 shan't be in the least afraid
to have Mrs. Caulkington's eagle eye
turned upon it, even though you are a
candidate for her secretaryship, Isabel,
and SO much does depend upon making
| good impression"
''The house couldn't fail to make q
good impression" Isabel broke in. ''It
is clean and sweet and old fashioned
from top to toe. One can't say that a
house has a toe. There's just one
thing lacking. l do wish we had a
good maid to wait on the table. | hate
| those embarrassing breaks in a home
luncheon where the hostess is obliged
to cut off in the middle of a sentence
I,N1 in To no 1zif fo Io
broiled squad course to table,"
eyes. That's always wretchedly en-
barrassing," Isabel agreed. Its hard
err ON the guests than the hostess too
However, there's no help for it.. We
| don't keep a maid, and this suburb isn't
a place where you can find a girl to
call in for day at time. It's pity,
but it can't be helped"
what is pity, but can't be helped?'
demanded the youngest Miss Dormond
| who pirOuetted into the room just in
| time to hear the last half of the SEN
| tence.
isabel and were lamenting that we
| didn't have maid to serve the lunch
con, Gertrude. We were saying how
desperately embarrassing it is for a
| hostess to jump up to remove the plates
after a course and to bring the next
course to table,
81 never thought of that" Gertrude
| acquiesced in disappointed tone.
"Our entertaining has always been SO
informal we're likely to make the
guests change the plates and bring in
| the courses from the kitchen them
| selves. But it's true, as you say, that
| kind of thing won't do when we're en-
tertaining Mrs. Caulkington. Shk,s so
critical that her eyes burn hols in
| anything they fall on. We wueAdn't
mind her little peculiarities if sha were
merely an acquaintance, but If Isggdel Is
going to demand big, fat salary she
| must make big, fat impression. I'm
| sure Mrs. Caulkington would cut her
down half if she knew how poor we are
| and how badly we need that secretary
ship. Something must be DONE"
"Gertrude, dear, you know perfectly
well that nothing can be done. There
are only two hours left, and in any case
you can't secure a girl here in the coun-
! try to come in for just one day."
81 know that, but whisht, my dear!
An idea dawns in my brain! Let it
mature!'
IAN idea for what? For getting us a
maid?"
eyes, my dear-a ready maid, so to
speak"
"Silly! Do you think Isabel and
have time to waste upon your vapor-
ingsY
"a ready maid-no, maid to order!
Don't talk to me for three minutes. l
feel the idea grow in my cerebrum, and
it really is good one"
The young lady sat down in the little
oaken window seat and buried her face
in her hands.
Three minutes later she sprang up
and pirouetted triumphantly around
the charming table.
"Huzza! I've solved the problem -
she cried "And I'll stand for it that
you shall have maid to serve Mrs.
Caulkington's luncheon. A stunning
maid, well trained, light footed, soft
voiced; a maid who will not send so
much as one plate Of raw oysters down
the back Of your guest; who will do
things without diagrams and will not
cause the downfall and destruction Of
precious willow pattern china. In fact,
the maid propose to offer you will be
an explanatory key with copious illus
trations to the entire servant question"
Gertrude's sisters were very far from
despising the girls ready imagination.
1t had often helped to solve an econom-
ic problem which they themselves had
abandoned In despair. But this crisis
of the maid to order seemed consider
ably beyond Gertrude even, and they
frankly announced themselves skep-
tics. ~ III
"Do you mean to look for your re-
markable maid here in the suburb or
elsewhereY they demanded.
81 shall procure her in the city, or,
rather, / shall go on trip to the
city, and I will send the maid to you
in my absence"
"But, Gertrude! If you leave now
for the city you won't have time, child,
to get back for Mrs. Caulkington's
luncheon"
"I'm not afraid, but I'm glad Of an
excuse to absolve myself. I'm in awe
O1 NILS. CdulhlASIOA, dAu LICu1OAO
before the glare Of her lorgnettes. You
can make my excuses to Mrs. Caulk-
ington and tell her that was obliged
to go into the city on pressing BUSH
ness"
1t seemed an injustice that Gertrude
should not be there to witness the sue
cess Of the occasion for which they had
all worked so hard.
The older girls reasoned, pleaded, rep
resented, but Gertrude stood firm.
Mrs. Caulkington's critical eyes were
already boring holes in the drawing
room furniture, and the luncheon hour
was but three minutes In the future.
Isabel, In her prettiest silk waist,
was arranging the oyster plates upon
the table preliminary to ushering their
infr, tho dipinn y.ony,n