Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-16
I'm Quest Of the Ideal

erllness and she patted the old gentle
mans arm soothingly like a kindly nurse
who COOS Does it want its dinner.
then straighteniug her shoulders with
competent, businesslike air she SAID;
well. If this isn't a case for charity.
Do You know that I've got a mother IN
my fiat that makes shortcake 80 IKE
yours that you couldn't tell en- apart II
you was to see them side by side? why.
we had one last night. l bet if | hadn |
had sausages for my lunch you could
smell the shortcake on my breath TINS
minute. You want it so it crGnches bit,
not sweet like a cake, and no fool Wild
ped cream on top; say. | know the kind,
all right. You come right home with me
and I'll get ma to make US one tonight.
The old gentleman was, in a pitiab!e
state; he was shocked, incredulous, weak
with 10y and rendered speechless hy the
combination He suffered: Young
woman. | cannot accompany you 70 your
fiat" and the next second he CHANGED,
With the juice running down the sides
do You mean it," Finally the little MIL
for himself. took command Of the stua-
ton. She demanded the address Of the
hotel, and as soon as il had issued from
the lips of the beWldered old gentleman
she started to propel him in that direc-
ton.
Gee whiz I never heard of anything
better arranged : she chirped as she hur-
ried him along. The st. Wark's amt
two blocks from here, and we don't live
more than three blocks from the ST.
Marks; think Of my not knowing it. and
ii almost a neighhor of mine. Did YOU
ever? III Just fling this boyits at the
head bellhop and be back under Your
little weather guard before You know it,
then rs for home and mother. DO you
like a good deal of sugar in the juice?
So do we. Pa likes il so we can each
have three helpnes. No. never makes
us sick. | bet you'll take four and never
fool Sta+t INN 1rlir
dies, protecting her bandboN from the
rain and always hauling the old gentle
man masterfully along. they finally
reached the hotel and in she flew, leav-
ing her captive on the sidewalk He
stood meekly waiting her return, dimly
praying that none of his friends would
take it into their heads to appear, and
inca pable of all thoughts except those
that conferred around strawberry short
cake. In a remarkably short time she
was back at his side. and off they started
on the last lap of their trip. When they
were only a block away the old gentle
man felt a tWinge OF caution courslng
down his diaphragm, when they came
within sight of the shabby apartment
house and she pointed out the windows
of her domcile the old gentleman notice
ably Jagged. Shortcake became shad-
owy unimportant thing: convention and
the RESPONSIBILITIES of life doomed large;
the chattering that still went on at his
side was something to flee from lie had
almost stopped when a violent push was
given his elbow and the laughing voice
said Say, get move on: what do you
think you're doing. walking backward?
/ want to get ma started in on that short
cake"
It was useless. he had to go on; where
where would he end? She skipped up the
steps, pulling him after her He put
down his umbrella and a wild light ap-
peared in his eye.
THE pusher's broken; I've got to use
my key" came to him through his daze.
and as she bent down and fumbled at the
keyhole, the old gentleman gave hur-
ried look around, tip-toed softly down the
steps piled into a passing cab. and pant
ing Drive" collapsed on the cushions,
and for the moment gave up his pursuit
of the strawberry shortcake
But he will resume 1t, and in the pack
of his brain he knows he will. Some
night at the hour of seven he VIII go TO
the little fat and, powerless In the grasp !
of his hobby, he will let ma make MN
the one and only kind of shortcake, the
one which for years has haunted his mind |
and which he has sought TOR unceaSnSiy
but without avail.
Alas, for the poor man, Few there De |
either noted chefs or efficient COOKS, |
capable of making this most delectaple
and palatab of cakes, the luSclouSIleSS /
of which fingers on the tongue and re-
calls an enjoyment which is never quite /
forgotten, but the mother of the little
miIIiner will not disappoint him, and |
when the crucial moment arrives he will |
sit at her table and enjoy most de- |
licious feast.
But, reader. this story has a moral;
this it is: That when you have once |
mounted a hobby, you had best watch |
out where 1t takes you. |
Copyright. 1900