The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-06-11

and prepared to carve the meat. Gee
whiz!" he exclaimed. as he sawed la
boriously. ''but that's tough. That
butcher has been doing you again.
dear. You'll have tn get after him
and give him a blowing up. Never
mind. dear. We've plenty else. It's
getting too hot for much meat. any
cd biscuits arc the finest ] ever ate.
They beat mothers all hollow"
Mhhala smiled family at the would
he Joke. 1t was enough TO bring tears
To her eyes to see the way John
cschewcd the meat. the soddcn po-
tatoes and tho muddy coffee. The
biscuits. however. tho pies, and the
douEhnuts made up for whatever else
the meal lacked. and John went back
fun and content to his afternoons
work.
After he had gone Mshala shed
some real tears. II ca-can't cook"
she sohhcd. 1--WE tried and tried. and
| ra-an't."
For heavens sake. Mahala Craig.
arc YOU crying" The woman who
had entered through the back door
spoke $" suddenly that Mahala gave
a start and a little shrek. There. I
Mrs. CLARK. There's YOUR fruit loaf.
! guess You'll md IT ca,ahle."
Its beautiful" said Mahala.
Everything q brought me was
beautiful. Mrs. Clark. YOU'RE n splen-
did cook. | never shall he"
Wait TN you've been married
eighteen wears as | have. You'll cook
we'll enough then I" please anybody"
Maybe Mahala shook her head.
dolefnllN. DO Won see that platter OF
meat" II was good meat. too. hut I
cnnilaH ~ in thu rnrltrC lt'~ ,@N
tough that we couldn't eat a particle
of It,. John thought it was the hutch-
er's fault. but IL was mine-mine."
s long as John don't know that
where's the harm"" soothed Mrs.
Clark. You Just keep on trying. Ma
hala. and don't I've afraid to come to
me when O get stuck IN help you
out. You better put that meat
through the chopper and make hash
onion in my hash. II makes it so
tasty. IN my mind. Fry it sood and
brown and john will never remem-
her his dinner"
Eut Mahala WAS a very nncomfort-
able. When she married John she
ronld not as she said. boil water with
out burning it," She had stepped out
from behind her desk as a rural teach
ar into wifehood. She had tried to
'Si' ''Ii tiot Su0 IdNNeu III mousse
wifely lore. hut John had laughed
down her timid confession. His
mother had heen a horn cook and he
had nm idea that the art of bread maxi
ing came naturally TO woman Re
sides. there was always a recipe II
could follow. He had bought a huge
book for Mahala. hestoWing il
upon her With an air which said I'M
mis'akahly: There's your knowl-
edge: use it," II vas then Mrs. Clark
made her offer. She would do the
baking FOR Mahala and Mahala could
have her TIME for other things. And
John need not know.
n must think I've improved aw-
fully fast" thought Mahala. Il guess
l haven't the knack for cooking. Poor
John, He might better ave married
somebody else as far as that goes"
She was s%trusglinS With the meat
chopper when Mrs. Spooner ran in.
Mrs. Spooner was little and YOUNG and
Nivacious. She had not been married
much longer than Mahala herself.
"Croauettes""" she cried gayly.
no. hash,' Mahala answered SOM
berry. She was afraid of her sharp
eyed neiehhor.
II came aver" Mrs. Spooner. TO
get you to tell ME how YOU made that
delicious corn bread I saw on your
table the other day"
Mahala dragged the huge. unused