Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-02-13
Dinner
Adventures

up regular dinner, frills and ALL
she promised herself, penitently.
The dining room clock chimed half.
past ) as she opened her door. There
was no time to change her dress, So
slipping big apron over her finery,
she flew into the kitchen. There she
put on the kettle, turned the heat on
full blast under the oven and in ten
minutes more was Hopping biscuits
into buttered pans.
She flew in and out of the kitchen
and the dining room with the beautI'
full quickness and sureness that sone'
times comes as a result OF a happy.
restful. worry free day. She felt
somehow that dinner would be good.
even though it was hurriedly pre-.
pared.
T. was. The steak was broiled to
perfection. the biscuits were so aaky
tina. even Mrs. Wilton was astounded
The coffee had percolated itself into
some sort Of nectar.
"Say. young lady Wilton remark
cd as he buttered his fifth biscuit
"this is a dinner that must have been
inspired. Why" helping himself to
more steak and mushrooms, tits
regular poem!"
ooh. this isn't what call regular
dinner" declared Mrs. Wilton, dim.
ping. st got in rather late from Mrs.
Rcntley's this afternoon and so
didn't fuss. But tomorrow we arc
going to have a. dinner that will take
Your breath away. ] have the outline
OF it already in my mind. and you
may bring that Mr. Tidsely home
with you if you want to-
well. if you can beat this dinner
you're o wonder. or course, I'll
bring RidgeIy. I've ben advising him
to get married when he's kicked about
boarding house meals, and meal
like this one will certainly clinch my
arguments"
Directly after Wiltons departure
the next morning Mrs. Wilton sal
down and put the outline Of the din
ncr on psper. Everything worked out
so smoothly and looked so we'll when
written down that she felt as If the
dinner was already half prepared.
Her mind was easy when she pick.
cd IN one OF the now magazines. The
stories were interesting When final
" she turned from them she discov-
cred that it. was too late 10 get Soy
eral of the dinner essentials in time
for them to be prepared properly.
With good deal of reluctance she
rearranged the dinner. As she was
on her way to the telephone to order
the new dinner materials the door
opened and Mary Powers ran in, daz-
zling in her bridal fnery and fresh
from a European honeymoon.
Tho sunny afternoon melted away
and when Mary Powers had vanished
young Mrs. Wilton stood in the mid
die of the floor and an awful iorcbod-
ing flooded her soul She had forgot
ten for the second time to order the
makngs of that dinner!
One wild look at the clock told her
that the last delivery boy had gone
on his last round. There wasn't even
time for her to dress and run out aft
or the necessary things.
4 sick fear came upon her and she
whispered hoarsely: There's not
thing in the house,"
Her feet were dead weights. her
head was incapable Of thought ana
her hands moved necessarily in mad
dening purposelessness.
Away up on the emergency shelf,
where in a spirit Of joking security
her husband lad put them. was the
proverbial can OF salmon and the
pound OF pruncs. In the icebox were
TOUR sad little chops. And she baked
biscuits. sad little biscuits. and a cake,
pitiiul-loolsing cake. 1t was then
past dinner time.
She arranged this narrowing feas..
turned the lights low and waited.
When an hour that seemed eternity
had slipped away and her head was
throbbing like dynamo the door
opened gently and conscience
stricken Wilton appeared-alone.
Where's Mr.. Ridgelv?' asked Mrs.
Wilton in a iar-avay voice.