Middletown transcript., 1910-04-09

know what these village women
are like, my dear Felix; dirty, in
competent creatures, and as in
capable of sending up q dinner as
you are No, | must just leave
Susan, the kitchen maid, to do
her best; but / know / shall be
disgraced tomorrow, and | do
not mind SO much, if my guests
don't have the best of every thing.
And to make matters worse,
that greedy old Sir Gregory is
coming, and he always says
he never, dimes SO well anywhere
as here. You don't know of q
cook that you can recommend by
any chance, do you, Felix? she
asked desperately.
This wistful appeal touched
the young mans heart. AS a
rule, subaltern home on leave
is not the person one would nat.
urally apply to for a cook, but
Miss Drury was at her wits end.
Felix knitted his brows and
thought hard for q minute, at the
end of which a brilliant inspira.
ton came to him.
Look here, Aunt Minnie, he ex.
claimed suddenly, ,don'tyou worry
any more. I'll go straight up to
town first thing tomorrow, ,andln
find you a cook somehow, and
bring her back with me in the
afternoon.
Miss Drury looked at her nep'
hew with tears in her eyes.
Felix, she said solemnly, if you
got me out of this difficulty you
may ask me for anything in the
world.
Felix was as good as his word.
He departed for town directly
after breakfast next morning,
smiling good humoredly at the
chaf of his fellow guests, and re.
appeared triumphant in the after
noon proudly escorting the new
cook.
I've brought her, Aunt Min,
he announced, rushing excitedly
into Miss Drury's boudoir. She
was at the Rawson's last sum-
mer, and an uncommonly good
cook she is. Blair is her name,
it's a great piece of luck that she
was disengaged, you know.
Miss Drury went hurriedly
down stairs to inspect the new
arrival and to explain to her the
arrangements for the evenings
dinner.
| was a little taken aback at
first, she said later on TO her
nephew. Blair looks so young
and SO pretty, and SO ERE
fined, but she seems very capable
and fully qualified to send up an
excellent dinner.
Yes, replied Felix, eagerly,
she has had course of cooking
lessons at South Kensington. |
believe she is no end of a swell
at it.
Really, my dear boy, said Miss
Drury, looking affectionately at
her nephew, / am most touched
by the interest you have shown
in this domestic difficulty and the
trouble you have taken. If only
Blair does not falsify our expec-
tations / shall owe you a debt of
gratitude.
The dinner proved an immense
success, and even Miss Drury
had to confess that Parkins could
not have done better. AS for Sir
Gregory, he chuckled with de.
light and went steadily through
the menu from beginning to end.
Really, my dear Miss Drury,
he said when at length he was
obliged to desist, that cook Of
yours has surpassed herself. ]
don't know when / have eaten q
better dinner; that sonfae was
simply q work of art. s,ss.: #
Only one contretemps marred
the harmony Of the evening, and
fortunately Miss Drury did not
witness this little incident; as it
occurred when the ladies had re-
| tired to the drawing room.
| Felix was doing the honors Of
his aunt's table when the sound
| Of q scufae arrested his attention,
and with a hasty excuse to his
| guests he left the room and rush
ed into the passage, where he
found an ardent young footman
trying vainly to embrace a very
angry but bewitehingly pretty
young woman in a white cap and
apron.
You impudent wretch! she was
saying, how dare you try and kiss
| me? Mr.. Livingstone, help!
Felix turned on the man in
4 Ha,.foot fnrv and drarDnd him