Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1912-01-25
2DERICK COUNTY, MD. THURSDAY JANUARY 25 1872

natural that you show little atten.
tion to the choir--especially before
Christmas, when they are doing such
good work"
Every we'll, dear-it's your party.
I'm willing. And what then?"
"You goose-Polly will make such
delicious pancakes-it's one of her
very best stunts-that the men will
we'll, you know man when some
thing appeals to his inner SELF"
"Yes-it isn't every wife who can
make good pancakes or teach her
cook to do likewise" admitted the
man. "And I'm to ask the choir to
a pancake supper-here-to eat Pol
ly's pancakes?" he asked.
"Not at all-say nothing about
Polly. That would spoil 1t all. Mere
ly ask them to pancake supper next
Wednesday night"
In due form the choir Of st. Paul's
was invited to the darlington home
to eat pancakes and almost in body
it accepted. The small boys and the
men were always glad of an oppor-
tunity to spend an evening in this
hospitable little home.
Mrs. Darlington and Pauline were
busy preparing the batter for the
feast ard pile of hot plates was al
ready on the top of the great range
when the telephone bell rang long
and loudly.
won't you answer, Polly, dear"
asked Mrs. Darlington.
Polly rushed to the phone. glad
light in her eyes. Her heart beat
quickly as she took up the receiver.
Gould it be he?" she asked herself,
over and over.
For few minutes she talked earn.
estly over the wire and when she re-
turned to the kitchen bright spot
of red burned in each cheek. Mrs.
Darlington thought she had never
seen the girl so pretty. To herself,
she commented that the combination
of polly's pancakes and her peauty
ought to bring some one of the half
dozen unmarried men in the house to
her feet tonight.
81 took the liberty Of asking an
old friend who has just come to town
from back home-here tonight" Polly
said.
Mrs. Darlington looked at her ear
nestly. "Why, of course, dear. Who
Is it?"
Arthur F1sher-a boy I used to
play with when was little and"
"And what, Polly? Why do you
hesitate?"
well; when we were-oh, dread
fully -young-I quarreled with him
because he wanted me to marry him
and settle down in that little town
and keep house. was ambitious
and wanted to do something else In
the world-then, told him | couldn't
keep house and wouldn't cook and"
"And you blush because he's going
to find you baking pancakes for
whole regiment Of hungry men now!
Oh, Polly, why didn't you tell me Of
this Arthur before?"
"I thought he had forgotten me
until | had letter from him the
other day saying he would be in this
neighborhood tonight. wrote him
that I would be here tonight and
that II he came he might call me up.
1t would seem so good to see some
one from home" she ended lamely.
81 think he's more than some one
Polly" said Mrs. Darlington, point
edly.
"Perhaps-but We must get these
pancakes on the table. Isn't that
enough to start on? I don't know
how they are-I did not try them and
I mixed the batter hastily" Polly
said as she hurried into the dining
room with platter full of round.
hot griddle cakes.
She placed them before Mr.. Earl
ington, whose wife had just supplied
him with a pile of hot plates, and
then-the doorbell rang.
Without ceremony, Polly rushed to
answer 1t herself.
You found the way?" was all Mrs.
Darlington heard, and then, for a
long minute there was silence.
Mrs. Darlington hurried to the
kitchen, where she and the cook kept
the griddle hot and tried to make
pancakes enough to supply the
hungry men.
Presently Polly returned to the
kitchen-she had stopped to intro
duce Mr.. Fisher to her host.
"Did-you need me?" asked Polly,
innocently.
ooh, no." Mrs. Darlington said,
"the pancakes are Of no consequence
how" she said, with a meaning
that was discernible only to herself.