The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1912-12-31

Hester Randall surveyed the result
Of her mornings work with keen salts
faction snowy cloth was laid on her
kitchen table, and piled thereon were
loaves of crusty bread, sheets of feath-
arweight biscuits and slistening rusks.
There We're tempting loaves of pound
cake and several layer cakes us well as
a platter heaped with sugared dough
nuts and another of cookies.
Friday was always Testers busiest
day. She arose at O'Clock and baked
all day To fill her orders for the dam
| ties which We're in great demand
among her neighbors. On Friday even
| ing, although she was tired and foot
| sore. she would deliver the bread and
| cake She would nave 10 make several
| trips with the heavily laden basket be
| fore her weary body could seek repose.
| Now she sat down and drank cup
| IF hot tea and ate tritle of supper be
fore she started out Oh her rounds.
| She was plump, rosy little mite OF Il
woman with bright brown eyes aud
| brown hair that obstinately refused IL
turn gray, although Hester had passed
her thirty-tirst year Now she slipped
into n thin white dress, for IL was "A
hot evening. and, arranging her first
basket load. went out into the gather
ing twilight
| At Mrs. Amos Blake's she left part Of
her fragrant burden ana paused for II
little chat.
you know the Paige place has been
| rented for the summer, don't YOU, Hes
teri" asked Mrs Blake after awhile.
NO I'm glad to hear ii. though. II
means another customer" laughed
Hester.
Il spoke good word for you. It's II
lone man who has something III do with
making map of the county hereabouts
and he was planning to get all Of his
meals mt the hotel. but when told hin
about how you baked for some of Ms
lazy housekeepers he said he'd muci
rather have home cooking ana h,
guessed he'd fuss over his own break
fast and supper. You know men like Il
fuss over cooking things. Now, Amos
here Is tickled Ia death whenever ] le
{ him get breakfast on sunday morning
y This isn't telling you about MIR. Chan
dler, though | told him I'd speak Il
{ YOU aud tell you To leave him Some
bread aud cake and he said he nigh
l not be home when you came, so he ask
ed me To give you this dollar and tel
Z you to leave dollars worth on hi
Il back porch every week. Have you go
II anything to spareT'
"Maybe | can make out some for hin
a by giving up my own baking replie'
g | Hester as she placed the money in tn
- little bag dangling from her waist. 81
y | don't hurry 1t will be pitch dark be
fore | get through. Good night"
= Good night, Hester That cream cak
looks so good I'm going to have slic
right away"
II was dark indeed when Hester Raj
y dali stopped with her third load of goot
les ut the gate of the Paige house
II was small gabled cottage smothere
Ia honeysuckle vines and for sewers
s seasons had been rented furnished
10 city people. 1t looked dark and deser
ed now as Hester opened the gate an
l. made her way around the sandy pat
10 the back porch. AS she stood Their,
IT besitating. the moon pushed silve
rim above the shoulder Of High hill. $
of she waited until II rose In all Its splel
81 dor and east a pale glow over the Paig
house and garden. IL fell full on Il
<s open window where IA white curtai
languidiy Mapped.
D. As Hester opened her basket and lal
nd clean napkin OH the porch Il hars
voice from the open window startlt
nj her.
what are you doing out thereT'
snarled, and Hester was quick
reply.
Ia I'm leaving your bread and cake
she said with offended dignity In la
r. tones.
al "Well. hurry up and get out OF her
- want To- he alone!' rasped the voice
II was a very Indignant Hester WI
NJ dumped several loaves OF bread.
~ sheet Of biscuit and some doughnu
and a layer cake Oh the back pore