The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1913-03-29
Dinner


Young Mrs. Wilton hurried guiltily
through the dusk. This was the third
time within a week that she had at
tended a reception and remained so
long that her conscience, II not her
husband, reproached her.
'I'll stay at home tomorrow and get
up a regular dinner. frills and all"
she promised herself, penitently.
The dining room clock chimed half
past as she opened her door. There
was no time to change her dress, so,
slipping big apron over her finery,
she flew into the kitchen. There she
put ON the kettle, turned the heat OF
full blast under the oven and In ten
minutes more was Topping biscuits
into buttered pans.
She flew in and out of the kitchen
and the dining room with the beauti-
full quickness and sureness that some
times comes as a result of happy,
restful. worry free day. She felt
somehow that dinner would be good,
even though 1t was hurriedly pre-
pared.
It was. The steak was broiled to
perfection. the biscuits were so fiaky
that even Mrs. Wilton was astounded.
The coffee had percolated itself into
some sort of nectar.
SAY, young lady" Wilton remark
ed as he buttered his fifth biscuit,
this is dinner that must have been
inspired. Why" helping himself to
more steak and mushrooms, "it's
regular poem!"
"Oh, this isn't what I call regular
dinner" declared Mrs. Wilton, dim
ping 81 got In rather late from Mrs.
Bentley's this afternoon and so
didn't fuss. But tomorrow We are
going to have a dinner that will take
your breath away. l have the outline
of it already in my mind. and you
may bring that Mr.. Ridgely home
with you If you want to-"
well, IL you can beat this dinner
you're q wonder. OF course, I'll
bring Ridgely. I've ben advising him
to get married when he's kicked about
boarding house meals. and a meal
like this one will certainly clinch my
arguments"
Directly after Wilton's departure
the next morning Mrs. Wilton sat
down and put the outline of the din
ner on paper. Everything worked out
so smoothly and looked so we'll when
written down that she felt as If the
dinner was already half prepared.
Her mind was easy when she pick
ed up one of the new magazines. The
stories were interesting. When final
~ she turned from them she discov-
cred that II was too late to get sew
eral of the dinner essentials in time
for them to be prepared properly.
With a good deal of reluctance she
rearranged the dinner. As she was
on her way to the telephone TO order
the new dinner materials the door
opened and Mary Powers ran in, dag
zling in her bridal finery and fresh
from a European honeymoon.
The sunny afternoon melted away
and when Mary Powers had vanished
young Mrs. Wilton stood in the mid
de of the floor and an awful forebod-
ing flooded her soul. She had forgot
ten for the second time 10 order the
makings of that dinner!
One wild look at the clock told her
that the last delivery boy had gone
on his last round. There wasn't even
time for her to dress and run out aft
er the necessary things.
A sick fear came upon her and she
whispered hoarsely: There's not a
thing in the housed" NJ
Her feet were dead weights, her
head was incapable of thought and
her hands moved necessarily in mad
dening purposelessness.
Away up on the emergency shelf,
where in a spirit of joking security
her husband had put them. was the
proverbial can of salmon and the
pound of prunes. In the icebox were
four sad little chops. And she baked
biscuits, sad little biscuits, and a cake,
pitiful-looking cake. 1t was then
past dinner time.
She arranged this narrowing feast,
turned the lights low and waited.
When an hour that seemed eternity
had slipped away and her head was
throbbing Ikea dynamo the door
opened gently and conscience
stricken Wilton appeared-alone.
where's Mr.. RidgeIv?" asked Mrs.
Wilton in far-away voice.
why, you see, Bess, well, I'm
frightfully sorry that forgot about
your magnificent spread tonight. but
I had an out-of-town caller-Cheney,
you know, my best customer-and I
forgot about time. We missed my
regular train. and Cheney couldn't
stay over, so didn't try to get home.
We had supper in a restaurant. I'm
awfully sorry, girl, but"
Mrs. Wilton began to clear the ta-
10 ah .f..Y