Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1905-02-07
TIE PANTRY WINDOW


to the winds and buying house because
YOU harnonod 70 like q window seat
remarked Mayhem. soothingly
Who threw reason 70 the winds2' do.
manded his wife. emerging from behind
wei handkerchief do you mean to
imply that bought this house?"
And, then and there. the rift In the
Mayhem lutte appeared
This happened early ia the summer,
when the ground was being broken for
the big apartment building in the next
lot, and month after month, as the ham
merlng and shouting and pounding have
gone on, the rift has been widening
The fact Is when the Mayhews bought
their house last spring they chose 1t for
Its side windows. There were eight
ell looking out on the park across a
grassy vacant lot--but the one that
clInched the sale was that deep coy
: window with the cushioned seat, at the
turn of the stairway.
They moved In joyously, and for two
months life was dream. All their spare
moments were spent In the luxurious
stairway window seat, watching the
miracle OF springtime In the park Then
the blow fell A Rve-story apartment
building began to rise between them and
their sunshine. II filled the corner lot
TO the very edges--it was to hold Is fam
ilies-and It's ugly brick side wall loomed
just three feet from the Mayhews' east
windows!
Il never shall be able to keep decent
cook again." walled Mrs. Mayhem, day
after day, as the building went on.
They won't stand this dark kitchen
and l don't blame them And you cant
expect maid todust properly where you
have to light the gas to find out wheth-
err it's clean. And those horrid work.
men have thrown plaster all over our
windows. And that big mountain of soft
coal was dumped square in front of our
house! See how pale the baby looksl
OF course he will, though, If he lives In
cellar. But l could stand everything
else If they hadn't planned 1t so that
horr!d old pantry window comes right
opposite our stairway coy corner"
The dread hour came, at last The
tenants were moving In. pretty wom-
an in blue and white striped dress APP
peared in the odious pantry and made
pleasant picture of herself. cutting
snowy shelf paper and arranging beau
tiful blue and white enameled ware.
Mayhem paused at the stairway win
dow. and peeped from behind the cur
tains. Mice little hOusekeeper,
guess, :" he commented.
From that moment thspantry window
Was thorn in Mrs. Mayhews flesh
though not the kind of thorn she had ex-
pected The lady OF the new fiat began
&c use the wide sill OF that window as
cooler OF good things A delicious Gus
tard in a cut-glass dish with whipped
cream piled high on top, tall bottle of
luscious olives and spray of red roses
In green vase was the com bination for
one day Next morning, perhaps, there
would be fascinating fruit salad ar
ranged in orange shells, with mold OF
red wine jelly and bunch of parsley in
a glass jar. SO It went on. day after day.
AS the holidays approached this win
dow display grew more and more ravish-
ing. The day before Christmas the
crimson cranberry sauce and white tur-
key and homemade candies spread out
there we're enough to inspire ain epIcure.
That was how Mayhem happened TO re-
marie a. dinner:
Drawn another poor cook, haven't
wer I'd rather have one look al the
pantry window next door than every
thing on this table. That little woman
takes great care Of her old man"
OF course his wife rushed out OF the
room In tears. and 1t came TO him sud
denly. then, that this was Christmas eve.
But he was getting hardened to such
experiences now, so he finished HIS des-
Ssrt before he took the baby by the hand
and went TO find her. She was sobbing
on the window seat in the dark.
"It's--too-much! she told him. a.
be stood there, cold and unsy mpathetic.
Z"
She stopped short as n sudden light
aooded the pantry window, close to
them. The gas had been lighted In the
Kitchen opposite. They could see clear
ly, through the pantry door. A tall man
In An oyercost was handing something
10 the pretty woman--his wife. She
opened the paper and took out bunch
of glowing red roses. Turning, she put
them in a deep glass jar, and immediate
ly came into the pantry to set them on
the window. While she stood there.
placing them, the tall man tip-toed after
her. hung a spray OF something on the
pantry gas Jet and then. as she faced
him again. he caught her in his arms
and kissed her under the mistletoe. The
next instant the gas had been turned on
/ Mrs, Mayhew's sobs had ceased. Dur
ing that bit Of pantomlme 1t had flashed
into her thoughts how different She
yes. everything-would be, If her hus.
band were bringing roses. and hanging
J up mistletos for her--the way he used
% do.
Then her heart gave a great jump, fol
she felt herself caught in two strong
arms and suddenly knew. there In the