The Holt County sentinel. (Oregon, Mo.) 1883-1980, 1912-09-06
MA PUT INDIAN
SIGN ON CUPID
BY LAURA TURNER.

Ter tnat Heinz fellow last SUNDAY
aight." laughed the girl with the exag-
yerated psy che knot. "iie won't come
rnooning around my sister Bertha any
more. she s!gglei as she tucked In
\ few stray hairs that had curled over
ler collar and surveyed her pleasing
'efection In the mirror above the lavs
orr.
How did she squsich him, AnnieY"
asked the sleepy looking blonde.
stretching Ter wet handkerchief across
the mirror to dry II.
We'll. Bertha's had an awful case
IN Heinzy for quite q while. He's Q
widower. with q boy about i've years
Did. but Bertha said she didn't care.
or she liked him anyway. She used
o rave about him until she made
ma and me tired. could see from
he start that ma didn't have much
ise for him. and she warned Bertha
hat all he was looking for was some
,ody to keep house and cook his meals
or him and take care OF that Kid Of
i.s.
Bertha said ma was wrong. that
10 was head over ears In love with
Ter. and she wouldn't hear a word
! against him. Ma used TO call him
bertha's freside companion, because
ne never took her anywhere. but Just
sat around and acted a. though he
was afraid to spend a nickel.
Last sunday morning Bertha went
cut 90 IL. kitchen aud asked ma II sha
would LEI her have the Heinz fellow to
SUPPER that evening. She coaxed
around until ma finally said she could
ask him II she wanted to. but you
;Ou'd see that ma wasn't at all crazy
about having him come.
After Bertha had gone out and ma
and were doing up the work. all Of
4 sudden saw thai ma had an idea.
She chucklei 10 herself the rest %
the morning. but she wouldn't let mo
in on the joke. When | asked her
| about II she just told me I would have
to walt and keep my eyes open and
would zee something funny.
That evening Bertha said she want.
ell 10 get supper all by herself aud
show licinzy what u grand cook shs
was. Ma says An right. IL You want
| to get n job ms housekecpcr. OF course
| you must give your future boss u sam
pie OF your cooking With that she
went upstairs.
After a while ma came down again
and asked Bertha how she was get
ting along. bertha said that everything
was on the stove ready to dish up. and
would ma watch things while she hus.
tied upstairs In order TO primp up .
bit?
"Ma said she would, so bertha beat
II upstairs to doll up for Helnzy.
When we all filed up to the dining
room and sat down things looked good
10 me- While ma was bringing In tho
fishes she says TO Heinzy: I want
YOU to know. Mr.. Heinz. that Bertha
cooked every bit OF tho supper tonight.
so n you like II you'll have to give
her all the credit for IT,
| Heinzy looked over at Bertha with
a fat. contented smile and tucked u
napkin under his double chin. Then
he took a bite OF biscui, and next I
saw him look all around TO see II any
body was watching him as he rolled II
out OF his mouth into his hand and
laid It carefully on his plate. | began
to get suspicious. so ! took a bite OF
biscuit Just to see. Say. II was about
the awfulest tasting thing ! ever ate!
1T was positively green inside!
bertha had used soda instead OF bak.
Ing powder. and plenty OF It. too. and
the biscuits were simply terrible!
Il copied Heinzy and got rid OF my
bite quick as could and took a swal.
low Of coffee to get the taste out OF
M mouth. Say! The coffee was 50
weak II was Just like water! ! look
I'D over at ma and her face was as red
No a beet. she was trying so hard to
keep from laughing
II knew pretty we'll then who had
Queercd the supper. Ma must have
put soda In the baking powder can so
Bertha would be sure to get II, aud
probably she put plenty OF hot water
In the coffee pot after Bertha had
gone upstairs.
II was curious to know what else
ma had done. SO ] helped myself to .
chop. Salty! II was worse than .
mackerel that hadn't been soaked
overnight! Why. felt picked In
brine efteI | swallowed II! glanced
over at Iieinzy. he was the glummest
looking somebody you ever sawi
Every now and then he looked at Ber-
tina with a frown banker than .
thunder cloud.
when We came to pie found that
ma had even switched pies Oh poor
Bertha. The under crust was Just like
soft rubber! Heinzy ate the filling out
and left the under crust staring Bertha
In the face. Then We all got up and
went into the parlor. but Heinzy never
said word about Bsrtha's fine cook.
Ing. Bertha didn't say anything. eth
er. She had caught on right away
what ma had done. but she never
chirped.