Ripley County democrat., 1912-05-17
Pren1onitory
Symptoms

othy in surprise. Somehow she looked,
different. II had never occurred to
him before that she was a beauty, but
this Sunday morning as she poured;
his coffee It suddenly struck him that.
she was much better looking than
most young women.
The coffee was bad-undeniably.
muddy. He tasted II and set down his
cup in III disguised disgust TO which
Dorothy appeared strangely and an
noyingly obvious. ~
whats the matter with the coffee,
Dorothy?" he asked in a grieved tone.
TITS the fret poor coffee we've had
since YOU began keeping house for
me-"
"Oh, isn't It good, Tom? l must have
forgotten something. Yes, Iremember
now-I didn't put in any egg. I'm
sorry"
1T doesn't matter this time" At
kinson meant to be very indulgent and
kind to the little sister who had come
TO the city to make home for him.
an future, Doruthy, be more careful" :"
Eyes, will. ! am trying to become
an excellent housekeeper. You know
I'm getting really splendid marks at
the cooking school, Is the omelet all
right?" ,.
Pardon my mentioning it, but it's
well, it's simply atrocious! Ito
sweet and terribly greasy"
Sweet and greasy? Oh, I know
what | did. You see, I thought I'd
stir up a cake for dinner and began
1t while | was getting breakfast, l
do believe that after worked togeth-
er the sugar and butter for the cake I
nut them into this omeletl l hope II
isn't so very dreadfully horrid."
mo, my child, It's only horrid
enough to be inedlble."
His cutting reply appeared to pass
over Dorothy's head she sat smiling
dreamily and nibbling lump of cut
loef sugar.
Aren't you going to eat ehy break
fast?" her brother asked impatiently.
"Tbe toast is all right"
"Yes, Of course, forgot. I'm not
really very hungry, you know" She
took a piece Of toast, and, picking UP
her butter spreader, slowly covered Il
with some of the omelette. Atkinson
watched the proceeding with fascinat-
ed eyes.
"Are you going to eat that messr'
he asked.
Dorothy looked down at the toast
and laughed foollshly. II wasn't
thinking what was doing" she said.
"Arent you well7 1t seems idle to
ask, for l never saw you looking bet
ter in your life"
81 never felt better in my life," said
Dorothy.
AS Atkinson looked into her glow
ing face he said to himself that 1t was
too bad pretty young girls were nearly
always rattle Drained. Then con-
science smote him, for he remembered
that In all the three months Dorothy
had been keeping house for him this
was really her llrst failure in the way
Of a neal
did a pair of shoes come for me
yesterday" he asked. 81 bought some
patent feathers"
"Why, no. l don't think SO, Tom.
didn't see any patent leathers."
That's funny. The men promised
that they would be delivered last
night"
81 remember now. A package did
come about o'clock in the evening.
wonder what l did with 1t. Oh, yes,
remember. | put 1t on the ice."
"On the icel Patent feathers on the
icei"
well, Tom. I didn't know what was
in the box"
NO, Of course not No one would
ever suspect that shoes could possibly
be in a shoe boy, Ny dear, II have
cold feet on any proposition today II
will be your fault"
Atkinson laughed at his own wit
but his sisters answering smile was q
little tremulous.
I'm sorry I'm such q goose, Tom.
You seem to think It's funny for me
to do silly thing like that. But
don't wish to be amusing in that
fashion. l wish to be a wise, sensible
woman, who can manage q home
well."F
"Hurrah for you, Dorothyi I see
there's hope for my. decllningsyears II
I'm to have such a houseksepsr a.
you intend to be-"
"3ut, Tom, there's something I have
to tell you. Pm afraid, I won't be
your housekeeper, Last night re-
ceived letter fiom Jack Lindsey
and he--well, he says now that I've
been away all these long months and
learned to cook and everything, he
thinks It would be-well, It would be
nice for me to come home and marry
him"
Say. like that fellows nerve. You
tell him to
"But, Tom. want 70 go homo and
aSd do what he says. l always meant
to--sotne time"
But where does the old bachelor
brother come Ia? You've Just been
praetieing on him. ehY"
Atkinson rose from the table and