Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-04-01
A THANK OFFERING

properly respectful toward that Do
tentate. But to a cook who has tai
ent and in the matter OF savories pos
tive genius much may be forgiven.
Savories are not to be despised, 1
sighed.
"Oh, such luncheon she moaned
by way of greeting.
1t was the cook
"When's she goingY' l asked gloom
lily. Its funny thing
Not that sort Of luncheon. you stu
pid old boy. Cooks not leaving"
"Oh, WELL" said in a relieved tone.
IF you win play tricks with your d.
gestion'-
She stopped, with an indignant
glance.
"Dick Ferris lunched with me-" she
remarked.
"Dick Ferrisg' l whistIed.
do not make that foolish noise"
with great dignity. YES, with Dick
Ferris. What of it?"
my dear began confusedly.
Don't call me my dear do not
live in the suburbs. l had quite
enough Of that at luncheon time"
you don't mean to tell me, madam.
that Ferris called you my dearp"
"Of course not. 1t would not have
been half so bad If he had. He talked
to me as If l were fifty-and plain"
why, thought he used toto
Whats" And she regarded me d
trife more hoDefully.
"Well, long ago.
mo, not so very long ago." she MUIR
INJURED.
"Eons ago." persisted. "He-well,
he was one of the-the-followers.
I'm not cook" she laughed But 1t
is true. He did-follow, and he has
been supposed to be breaking his heart
In some outlandish place"
"Ah, l understand" said brilliant
ly. "His heart is whole again, and you
DON'T
Again was withered by look.
"Am / that kind of person" she de-
manded wrathfully Don't always
try to marry off the friends Of my un-
attached days?"
well, perhaps" But she doesn't
really like them to get married. and If
she does help on the process l notice
that the girls are never wildly enthu-
siastic over her.
"No; it wasn't that at all. You are
altogether wrong"
Certainty" / conceded politely. 81
never thought it was that. But what
was 1t, them"
HE has changed so abominably,"
she said vigorously. "He has become
so conventional, so narrow, $3.50 sub
urban, very different from the Dick
II"-
"You-er? l Intercepted.
"You know"
did. l knew more than she would
have believed possible.
MAY 1 have some tea?' asked
meekly.
got it and surveyed Betty for few
seconds. She looked more than pretty.
and as for Dsck-bah, thousand
Dicks would not matter!
$50 you find establishment pursu.
ing your youthful steps?" | inquired
with interest.
Its all very well for you to sneer,"
she said. You have no sentiment in
your nature. Now, don't say it's your
misfortune-not your fault. You say
that about everything. from dropping
a stud to losing $1,000"
81 wasn't going to say It," protest.
ed. "Really, you are treating me very
badly"
poor old boy! But the remem-
brance of that idiot ruff1es me-"
"That idiotr l said. (which idiot"
"Dick, of course. If you will be so
stupid
but you were talking of sentiment.
What has that to do with stupidity"
"A great deal Sometimes / was stu
pid, long ago, when believed that
Dick-and l was certainly sentimental
this afternoon" with a half guilty.
wholly fascinating look at me-'and, !
will tell you, l was making a thank
Offering"
"a thank offeringT' repeated, gen.
timely puzzled But why should you?
1t isn't Lent or anything, is itT'
when denseness reaches a certain
point" said my companion Oracularly,
sit should be a capital offense."
what have done nowr l ex-
claimed despairingly.
'Who mentioned your l was speak
ing generally-ordinary people; men,
you know"
That's not the point. l want to
know about the thank Offering"
"0h, we'll" she began guiltily.
At that moment Parker entered the
room. can never rid myself of a
dreadful suspicion that / do not meet
with Parker's approval. She glanced
coldly at me and said:
"A parcel for you. ma'am.".
"Open ii, Parker" said her mistress,
looking amused and slightly mischie-
vous
And Parker. the irreproachable, un-
did layer after layer of paper, finally
bringing to light an elabOrately chased
II 4