The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1911-10-12
Cooks
Romance

| MAuot We UASCudI6S uCI!
do you think she has taken Il
drink on the sly?"
Can she be losing her mind?"
Il am almost afraid to go into the
kitchen"
The Gordon family consisted of hus
band. wife and two children. the latter
being Frank. young man Of 20. and
Nettie. miss Of Is. The mother and
daughter were holding a family coun
! Gil over Hannah the cook, who had
been with them for FIVE long years
and was still rustling in the kitchen
Hannah was 40 years old, weighed
almost 200 pounds and was Jewel
That Is. she has been up to very late
~. They couldn't say enough In
praise Of her. and she hadn't demand.
ed more wages because they praised
her.
A month before this family council
OF two opened there had come q
change. Hannah had become fidgety
IT was known that she was writing
letters and secretly posting them II
was known that she had taken a box
at the postof1ce. 1t was known that.
instead Of going to bed at 9 O'Clock.
as all jewels of cooks do, she was
strolling in the back yard and repeat
ing lines of poetry and signing long.
drawn signs.
What can 1t be. mother-what can
It be-" asked the daughter.
Hannah had selected a particular
advertisement and answered it. She
had bought pink stationery. She had
licked the two-cent stamp on in the
most loving manner. T
The advertisement was that OF q
young man who wanted to be loved
BY steadfast girl. If he could find
such he would make her very happy.
was not Hannah a girl-an old girl?
Was she not steadfast? She wrote
and received an answer, and the at.
fair was on. II the family council
only had thought of romance all
would have been clear: but it didn't.
And what made mother and daugh.
ter more anxious was the, fact that
Rodney Bingham, young gentleman
of %, whom they had met at a resort
during the summer. was coming to
pay Frank visit. Mr.. Bingham ar
rived. Hannah was all smiles. She
was also seen to blush. The red ON
her cheeks was not from the kitchen
range. but real, genuine blush. She
got good view of him from a corner
OF the house as he drove up. The
night was long one to her. At the
first signs of dawn she dressed and
left the house and gathered few late
flowers in the garden for bouquet
With this in hand she re-entered
the house and softly made her way to
the guests room. and after bestowing
q kiss on the flowers she left them
at his door. When Mr.. Bingham arose
and found them he carried them to
the breakfast table in his hand and
gave Miss Nellie a smiling nod for
her courtesy and thoughtfulness.
After breakfast Frank and his
friend walked out to the stables to in
spect the auto. Hannah met them
face to face and smiled at Mr.. Bling
ham. Her whole loving heart was In
that smile. but he couldn't understand
1t. That afternoon Hannah met him
in the upper hall by design and smiled
again and pressed a pink note into his
hand. Mr.. Bingham was too aston.
ished to return the note or to ask
for an explanation. When he came
to read the note he found:
You have come to your own true
love. Meet her in the garden at 8
o'clock tonight Beware of Miss Net.
tie. Be true to me-"
It was an embarrassing position for
Mr.. Bingham. The note and the smiles
indicated that his hosts cook was in
love with him, and he was stunned.
He did not keep the appointment
made. and there was another bouquet
at his door next morning. Tied to It
with a piece of store Irvine was an
other perfumed note. which read:
Il waited for you for two long
hours. but you did not come. II Miss
Nettie has got you away from me then
both Of you beware!"
Young Mr.. Bingham had never pass.
ed through an earthquake nor a cy.
clone. but he saw signs in the air and
took the family into council what
ails Hannah" became the topic. II
was decided that they must go to the
fountain-head to find out The cook
was bearded in her den. She was
dignified. She was reserved. She
was quietly defiant When pressed
she discharged herself ON the SPOT
and demanded to see Mr.. Bingham.
1t was a full hour before the right
trail was struck. Even then Hannah
could not give up. She brought out
1--WE or six love letters. which she had
believed had been written by young
Mr.. Bingham. and they were passed
around to be read. There was laugh.
ter and ridicule and criticism. but It
needed one thing more.
That one thing came. It was 4 red.
headed. shabbily-dressed man who
knocked at the kitchen door. He had
one eye. He had large ears. He had
Ia