The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-11-03
A Bit of Strategy.
9 By Margaret E. DOnRellan. :

~NSN NeS
truth, not that I blamed him much,
for it was a big temptation to hear,
Bertha say, ooh, Mr.. Barnes; really"
and gaze at him with those big brown
eyes of hers. Bertha is pretty, though
for my part I like Dora's style bet
ter; but Ned never could understand
why. Dora iS his cousin.
You remember the apples, Tom"
he said, looking at me over his Shout
der.
You bet I do" I answered.
Indeed I remembered them; I think
that it was the Jamaica ginger which
saved US, but to my establishment I
heard him telling Bertha of the fine
pies he made from them, "just like
mother used to make" And then he
rambled on with little anecdotes Of
his fine cooking in camp last summer.
Dora looked at him, and there was
a funny droop to the corners of her
mouth, but she didn't say anything
and I kept quiet.
The next morning the cook was
suddenly called away to see her sick
mother, and as she was in The middle
Of pie-making, and Dora and Bertha
were going out, I believe Dora put 1T
into Bertha's mind to ask Ned to
finish the pies. After all his blowing
of the night before, he had to say
Eyes" Anyway, he couldn't refuse
Bertha when she looked at him with
those dreamy eyes. The result was:
when the girls drove of, we faced a
hot kitchen and some half-fnished
pastry.
sJust ike mother used to make"
said I meditatively.
Ned gave me a whitening look.
@Well, you are Jobs comforter" he
said.
Seems to me you're getting just
what's coming to you after all those
fairy tales" said I.
Ned looked panied. "Do you mean
to infer"
Eyes, I do. Own up to it now
you know just about a. much of pie
making as I do. and that's nothing"
as that so?" said Ned airily; well,
I'll show you"
He mixed -four and lard and finally
got it ready to roll out. Funny thing.
every time he got it rolled out, it
snapped back; sort of elastic, 1t was.
l saw he was stuck, and he gazed
around for something to help. The
clothes wringer was standing In a cor
mel of the back kitchen.
II have it," said he, and he cut off
a chunk of dough and fed it through
1t came out fine and thin, and I held
the pie plate while he spread it on.
Then he put in the apples and laid
another piece on top, trimming 1t of
and put it in the oven.
I had my doubts about using the
wringer-it didn't seem right-but
Ned said what they didn't know
wouldn't hurt them.
He started the second pie when I
mentioned how my sister always put
butter on the pans before she poured
out her fudge, ito keep it from stick
ing" she said.
IF you know so much, why don't
said Ned, and he yanked out the pie.
said Ned, and he yanked out the uie.
He pried up the dough with a knife,
while I poured some butter in; but it
was a sort of rough when we fin
ished.
He had just pushed the second pie
q. -,ho~ r @octol Dnn ~ fhn onn1nc
Say, they were sour, and we took the
pies out and poured sugar through
the holes in the top. Ned said it
would all assimilate.
He wasn't quite so airy now. It
didn't do the pies good to be peck
ing at them.
They were all cooked when the
girls got back. We put them on the
pantry window ledge to cool. They
looked rather humpy where the pieces
Of apple stuck up, but they smelled
good enough. Somehow though I
seemed to have lost my appetite for
apple pie.
Ned told me to keep the girls away
from the kitchen for a while. He
was getting nervous about the pies;
they weren't what you would call a
bowling success. I played croquet
with them, but Bertha kept inquiring
where Ned was. At last he came and
he looked a lot more cheerful. First
thing he began to tell about the pies
and make them out so good that I be-
gan to get worried; I had seen the
pies.
He Joined in the game, but con-
stantly watched the pantry window
ledge. Suddenly he dropped his mall
let, yelled and started or a run. Two
fierce looking tramps were rushing
away with the pies. They were run
ming toward Glen Ridge woods and
Ned few after them.
Poor Bertha turned white. ooh,
he'll be killed." she walled. "Mr.
Barnes, Mr.. Barnes, come back" .
He came back reluctantly and Ber-
tina did everything but fall on his
neck. Talk about your conquering
heroes. And those pies; to hear Ned
talk about them the rest of the day,
honest I was ashamed.
Dora was suspicious, though she
didn't say much, but she looked a
whole lot. She had tried to call Ned's
bluff and got the worst of it. You
have to get up pretty early to get
ahead Of Ned, at least I thought So,
but I didn't know Dora's resources.
The next day she came in with the
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