The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-03
THE EVENING STORY
A Romantic Cook.
(By Morton Kurt)

1
manor house was romantic. If a cook
| doesn't overdo or underdo the roast
| she has perfect right to be romantic.
| This cook, whose name was Sarah
| Simms, had been romantic from her
| birth, and now at the age of 80 she
was reading Bertha, the Sewing Ma
! chine Girl" over for the one hun
| dred and third time. 1t had stirred
| her emotions till she wished she
! were dead and buried under a yew-
yew tree.
Sarah Simms had been almost en-
| gagged twenty-one different times, or
about the same thing, and now the
| twenty-second adventure awaited her.
Sarah had been sent to the village,
three miles away, on an errand. She
had been permitted to take the pony
cart. 1t was dusk as she got ready
to start for home and she was not
yet fairly seated in the cart when the
impatient pony started off. Had not
young man been on the spot to
leap forward at the risk of his life
and grab the pony by the bits and
almost twist his head off. series Of
thirteen different calamities would
have resulted. AS it was, a Shrek
from the cook and twist from the
young man, and all peril was passed.
Mr.. Clyde Brayton, a civil engineer,
was on his way down to the country
residence of his brother, two miles
beyond the Ryersons'. Being athletic,
he meant to walk the distance, but
when he had mentioned his destina-
ton, he was pressed OF take seat
in the cart.
Mr.. Brayton had heard of Miss Lily
Ryerson, the widows daughter. In
fact, his sister-in-law had written
him to- come down and fall in love
with the girl. Miss Lily was 20 years
old, an heiress, just lovely, and he
must not delay lest he lose her. But
Mr.. Brayton didn't pack his grip and
start out with any idea beyond a pleas
ant visit with relatives. If chance had
favored him at once, that was a bit
of luck
1t was due to Sarah Simms to state
that she did not claim to be Miss
Lily Ryerson. She just said "Ryer-
sons and left the rest to inference
When Sarah had on her best clothes,
she spoke fair grammar and put on a
a winning way, and Mr.. Brayton de-
cided that his sister had not exagger-
ated SO very much.
There was one or two slips on
Sar;th's part that struck him rather
queerly, but he laid them to her be-
ing startled when the pony tried to
bolt. She said it was the dream OF
her life to gaze upon the ruins or the
Coal-I-se-em at Rome. and that the
geography of most of the people
around there could be traced back to
Wilhelm the Conqueror.
OF course Mr.. Brayton related his
share of the adventure when he ar
had finished, the sister-in-law said:
''I can't make it out. Lily Ryerson
has the best of education, and she
isn't at all gabby with strangers.
mostly lavender, I think.
"'But she never wears lavender.
What's the color of her hair?"
''Um. Brown"
"And her eyeS?"
''It was dusk, you know, and
oou16n't make sure. but I should say
hazel
''Ary jewelry?"
"a big diamond ring. She drove
with one glove off, so that I should
see the sparkler. Miss Lily RyerSon
NAV be a top-notcher, but"
The sister-in-law had no more to
say on the subject, though she con-
tinued to wear a puzzled look. At
midnight she gave her husband olg
in the ribs and said:
tom, wake up!
Nothing doing in the burglar
linei" he replied.
but there is in another. Say, VINO
who do you think that was Clyde
stNo, I don't!"
''It was Sarah Simms. the Ryer-
sons cook!"
she always wears lavender, and
she's romantic
"Well, again ?"
1--WE won't say a word to Clyde, out
let things go on for while"
But don't you wake me up again
to talk nonsense"
Sarah Simms had found her long
sought cavalier and to the best OF
her knowledge and belief, she had
made an impression. She repeated
the old saying, that all is fair in love
and war, and determined to make
fight to keep what she had got. From
words dropped by Mr.. Brayton, she
knew that he took her for Miss Ryer-
son, and she didn't propose to unde-
ceiye him. That night she read
Hearts That Beat and as a result
was half an hour late with break |
fast.
A servant at a country house may |
have her certain afternoons off, but |
she can't so visiting or shopping. She |
NAV take stroll by her lonesome, |
but it is generally to be run home by !
Thursday, and Sarah's afternoon Off |
She dressed in her best and primped !
and puckered, and when she left the t
house and sauntered down the high
way. Mrs. Ryerson looked after her
and queried of her daughter:
HAS Sarah got a beau around
here?'
II don't think So
but she's all dressed up in her
best"
..she wants to look well if her ca
Waller comes along"
With Sarah it was a case Of pre-
taking a saunter to see the scenery.
He hadn't beheld a spotted COW under
a maple tree since his boyhood days
They nef-nof Mr. Rravton and