The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1912-02-08
Cooks
Romance
Must we discharge ber?"

| UdHu, VIII anu Two cHlluTon, INC lulte
being Frank. young man OF 20, ant
| Nettie, miss of Is The mother ant
daughter were holding family com
| ell over Hannah the cook, who nae
been with them for five long years
and was still rustl,ng in the kitchen
| Hannah was 40 years old. weighed
| almost 200 pounds and was Jewel
That is. she has been up to very late
ly. They couldn't say enough ii
praise of her, and she hadn't demand
ed more wages because they praised
her
A month before this family council
OF two opened there had come 6
change Hannah had become fidgety
1t was known that she was writing
letters and secretly posting them Il
was known that she had taken box
at the postoffice 1t was known hat
instead of going to bed at 9 o'clock
as all jewels of cooks do, she was
strolling In the back yard and repeat
ing lines of poetry and signing long
drawn signs
What can ii be, mother-what car
1t be-" asked the daughter.
Hannah had selected a particular
advertisement and answered it She
had bought pink stationery. She had
licked the two-cent stamp on in the
most loving manner.
The advertisement was that of a
young man who wanted to be loved
by Il steadfast girl If he could find
such he would make her very happy
Was not Hannah a girl-an old girl T.?
Was she not steadfast? She wrote
and received an answer. and the af-
fair was on, If the family council
only had thought of romance all
would have been clear; but it didn't.
And what made mother and daugh
ter more anxious was the fact that
Rodney Bingham, a young gentleman
of %, whom they had met at a resort
during the summer. was coming to
pay Frank a visit. Mr.. Bingham ar
rived. Hannah was all smiles She
was also seen to blush The red on
her cheeks was not from the kitchen
range, but real, genuine blush. She
got good view OF him from a corner
of the house as re drove up The
night was long one to her At the
first signs Of dawn she dressed and
left the house and gathered few late
flowers in the garden for bouquet
With this in hand she reentered
the house and softly made her way to
the guests room, and after bestowln2
a kiss ON the flowers she left them
at his door When MI Bingham arose
ana found them he carried them to
the breakfast table in his hand and
gave Miss Nellie a smiling nod for
her courtesy and thoughtfulness.
After breakfast Frank and his
friend walked out to the stables to in
spect the auto. Hannah met them
face to face and smiled at Mr. Bling
ham. Her whole loving heart was in
that smile, but he couldn't understand
it. That afternoon Hannah met him
in the upper hall by design and smiled
hand Mr.. Bingham was too aston
ished to return the note or to ask
for an explanation. When he came
to read the note he found:
You have come to your own true
love. Meet her in the garden at 8
o'clock tonight. Beware of Miss Net
tie. Be true to me-"
1t was an embarrassing position for
Mr. Bingham. The note and the smiles
indicated that his hosts cook was in.
love with him, and he was stunned
He did not keep the appointment
made, and there was another bouquet
at his door next morning Tied to it
with piece of store twine was an
other perfumed note, which read:
Il waited for you for two long
hours, but you did not come. If Miss
Nettie has got you away from me then
both of you beware!"
Young Mr., Bingham had never pass
ed through an earthquake nor a cy-
clone but he saw signs in the air and
took the family into council What
ails Hannah" became the topic. 1t
was decided that they must go to the
fountain. head to find out The cook
was bearded in her den. She was
dignifed. She was reserved. She
was quietly defiant When pressed
she discharged herself on the spot
and demanded to see Mr.. Bingham
1t was a full hour before the right
trail was struck. Even then Hannah
could not give up She brought out
five or six love letters, which she had
believed had been written by young
Mr.. Bingham. and they were passed
around to be read. There was laugh.
ter and ridicule and criticism, but 1t
needed one thing more.
That one thing came 1t was a red
headed, shabbily man who
knocked at the kitchen door. He had
one eye. He had large ears. He had
scraggly chin whiskers.
mo vittles!" said Hannah.
He winked at her and took her pink
letters out Of his pocket and wanted
to shake hands.
"You!" she exclaimed in a voice of
contempt.
Eyes, darling!"
"Skate!"
Miss Nettie and Mr.. Bingham are
getting along as well as could be ex.
pected, and brother Frank sometimes
forgets himself and bursts out with.
when Rod Bingham becomes my
real brother-inlaw--"
And Hannah has recovered and ID
the same old jewel OF cook,