United labor bulletin., 1914-01-17
WIDOW MAsoN's COOK
BY JOHN DARLING

down to The Naples which was her
widowed sisters country place. she
was privileged to do anything she
wanted to. She romped with the
dogs. chased the chickens. milked the
/ COW and shoveled snow, II 1t happened
! 10 be winter, and ran the lawn-mower
II 1t were summer.
In addition to that, she occasionally
drove the cook out of the kitchen and
prepared q meal according to the
tended in the city.
On this particular day. at four
o'clock in the afternoon. the cook was
out, and the sister had gone to the
village. Miss Coline was left all alone.
and one of the>things she contemplat-
ed for supper-falsely and deceptively
called dinner by share of the popula-
tion-was an old-fashioned custard.
First get the eggs. They could be
found in the henhouse. Miss Coline
liked down the path to the gate to
view up and down the highway
before going after the eggs.
| And what she saw as she leaned
,ver the gate was an automobile ap-
proaching. Its sole occupant was the
young man at the steering wheel.
something was wrong. It hobbled. It
imped. It halted.
Opposite the gate and the girl the
machine came to a halt.
The girl and the young man stared
1t each other.
Anybody homer" finally asked
Hugh Farnham.
II think you are looking at some
body!" replied Miss Coline.
Pretty smart for q maid." he
smiled.
THE cook. thank you!" was retort-
ed.
We'll. my trouble Is that this auto
has gone lame on me, and can't find
out why"
Miss Coline opened the gate and
passed out to the machine. and after
a minute said:
"T believe they feed these things
gasoline to make them go. No gaso-
line. no CO."
THE deuce!" whispered the young
man. as he inspected the empty tanks.
And now you can fetch tin of
gasoline from the garage to last you
u
start out without the tires next time"
And with that the girl started on
for the hennery and gave him no more
attention.
Mr.. Farnham had five miles to go to
his fathers home. and he reached 1t
without further adventure.
Mother" he said when he reached
home, why don't you fire our fat and
frowsy old cook and get something diff
ferent?"
But for what reason?"
Because she isn't dandy. Back
here a few miles l saw a handsome
young lady who was a cook-lntelli-
gent, educated and classy I almost
permitted myself to admire her"
MY smart son." said the mother.
TIL bet a dollar to a shilling that
you have been fooled. Is she rather
short girl?"
yes"
BLUE eyes and curly hair?"
That's it."
well. my son, that girl was and is
Mrs. Mason's sister. Her home was
and is in the city. but she comes down
here every few weeks. How does 1t
feel to be taken for hayseed?"
It'll get even with her for that"
was the vigorous reply. and the sub
ject was dropped.
Every day for the next two weeks
young Farnham was out on the road
learning to run his auto but he never
went SO far as the white house on the
hill. It was only when he thought he
had absorbed all there was to learn.
including self-confidence. that he sped
in that direction. When within half a
mile of the house he saw an auto come
out of the drive. It contained two
ladies' only.
"That must be the widow and her
sister," he mused THE one who
made fool of me will be at the wheel.
Good! Now to shatter her egotism
q BIT"
He put on speed and shot ahead.
His coming was not noticed until he
was passing. One glance told him
that the girl who had posed as the
cook was driving the machine. With
exaggerated politeness he bowed and
smiled. and he saw her straighten up
and her eyes fash. The road soon
narrowed. and there was no chance
to pass him, but as he exalted some
thing went wrong with his machine.
It swerved into the ditch, knocked
down three or four rods of rail fence.
and then stopped dead still after vain
ly trying to climb over an old stump.
Miss Coline had to turn her head
and look It wasn't the thing to do.
but most any driver would have done
It, Smash! Crash! Her auto was
raking the fence on the opposite side!
This comes of hired man driving
an auto!" she said.
"Or a cook!" he retorted.