The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1912-10-18
MA PUT INDIAN
SIGN ON CUPID
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night" laughed the girl with the exaS.
Beratsd psyche knot. HE won't coms
incoming around my sister Bertha any
more. "shs gigglsd 90 she tucked In
. few stray hairs that had curlsd over
her collar and surveyed her pleasing
reflection In the mirror above the laws
tory. sa1akzauReaeta---
"Now did she squslch him, Annis1"
asked the sleepy looking blonde.
stretching her wet handkerchief across
tic mirror TO dry Il. ~ :.
We'll, Berths's had an awful case
on Hsinxy for quite q while. Hes Q
widowsr, with Z boy about i've years
old. but Bertha said she didn't care.
for she liked him anyway. She used
to rave about him until she made
ma and me tired. could see from
tho start that ma didn't have much
use for him. and she warned Bertha
that all hs was looking for was some.
body to keep house and cook his meals
for him and take care Of that kid Of
bid. MlEsK5E1&asREgszIIxhsn
Bertha said ma was wrong. that
he was head " ears IN love with
her, and she wouldn't hear 4 word
against him. Ma used to call him
Dertha's hreside companion. because
he never took her anywhere. but Just
sat around and acted as though hs
was afraid to spend a nickel.
Last Sunday morning Bertha went
out 70 the kitchen and asked mi II she
would let 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
could see that ma wasn't at all crazy
about having him come.
after Bertha had gone out and ma,
and I we're doing up the work, all Of
q sudden I saw that ma had an idea.
She chuckled to herself the rest Of
the morning, but she wouldn't let me
in OF the joke. When l asked her
about it she just told me l would have
to wait and keep my eyes open and I
would see something funny.
THAT evening Bertha said she want.
ed to get supper all by herself and
show Heinzy what a grand cook she
was. Ma says All right, IL you want
to get a job as ho%usekeeper, OF course
you must give your future boss a sam.
pie of your cooking With that she
went upstairs.
"After 4 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 q
bit?
MA said she would, 80 Bertha beat
it upstairs to doll up for Heinzy.
"When We all fled up to the dining
room and sat down things looked good
to me. While ma was bringing in the
dishes she says to Heinzy: 7 want
you to know, Mr.. Heinz, that Bertha
cooked every bit Of the supper tonight,
SO If you like it youth have to give
her all the credit for It,
Heinzy looked over at Bertha with
a fat. %contented smile and tucked q
napkin under his double chin. Then
he took a bite of biscuit and next ]
saw him look all around to see II any.
body was watching him as he rolled it
out ct his mouth into his hand and
laid 1t carefully on Hfs plate. I began
to get suspicious. SO. 1 took a bite OF
biscuit just to e Say, 1t was about
the Hwfulest tasting thing I ever atel
ut was positively green inside!
Bertha had used soda instead Of bak.
Ing powder, and plenty of 1t, too, and
the biscuits were simply terrible!
Il copied Heingy and got rid Of my
bite quick as l could and took a swal.
low of coffee to set the taste out Of
my mouth. Say! The coffee was SO
weak it was just like water! I look.
cd over at ma and her face was az red
as a beet, she wen trying 30 hard to
keep from laughing.
"I knew pretty well then who had
eueered the supper. Ma must have
put soda in the baking powder can 90
Bertha would be sure to get II. and
probably she put plenty OF hot water
In the coffee pct after Bertha had
gone upstairA.
Il was curious 10 know what else
ma had done. 30 I helped myself to q
chop. Salty! 1t was worse than Z
mackerel that hadn't been soaked
overnight! Why, I felt picked In
brine after I swallowed h! glanced
over at Heinzy. He was the glummest
lnokitg somebody you ever sawl
Every now and then he looked at Ber.
tho v,4f1 - z 49, LL4sr--