The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-09-23
A GAME OF HEARTS
BY CLARISSA MACKIE.

coy little bungalow with gayly
striped awnings and verandas set
with many little tables, and a great
room inside all done in blue and white,
with a border of willowp pattern plates.
The growing purr of a high-powered
motor came through the open case
ment window. 1t slowed down and
stopped at the gate of the Willow
Plate Tea Room.
ooh, bother!" pouted Elsie, as she
went into the little kitchen and re
turned to the room to discover a soil |
tary man seated at one of the white |
enameled tables. He was far from |
being an Unlocking specimen of mas |
culinity, although his clean-cut fea-
lures were sternly set. He did not |
glance up when Ellis placed a glass of |
water before him,
"You may bring me-" he said de-
1iberately, "a poached egg on toast
and, turning away his head, he looked
out Of the window.
Elsie hesitated and then marched
stiff1y off TO the kitchen. Once there
she shook her fist at the back of the
unoffending stranger.
"Poached egg, And it's the one par
ticular thing that l can't make!" she
groaned.
Three trips she made into the tea
room-once to set tempting pats of
butter and the pot of tea before the
patron, again to serve him with the
burned bit of toast on which was
sprawled the yellow, leathery-looking
10 nd Fri yrac in, %
his summons.
please bring me another egg" he
said in a tone of polite WEAKNESS
This one seemS-er-er-rather over
done"
Elsie Wayne always remembered
that August afternoon as a perfect
| nightmare of eggs that refused to be
poached and of endless trips into the
| tea room to present her trophies to
| the grim-visaged young man at the
| table.
Invariably he waved her offerings
| away, always with that hook of bored
| patience.
From a distant table Elsie brought
the plate of pinE-and-white heart
shaped cakes. These delectable NOR
sells were favorites with Mrs. Burtons
patrons.
"Those look very tempting" he said
smoothly. You did not make them"
"On the contrary, did make Them
she affirmed spiritedly.
"Indeed?" His tone was amused.
He picked up the top cake and broke
it in two.
"a broken heart he said in a mus
ing tone. Easy to break, but impos-
sible to mend"
r 1T is not worth mending-hearts
are all alike" she said, and, gather
ing up his dishes, she disappeared
kitchenward.
She cleared a place on the table,
set the egg poacher in its receptacle
| of boiling water, broke an egg into
it, closed the lid and carefully toasted
+ a slice of bread.
t She almost shrieked with joy when
she laid the buttered toast on the
a little blue platter and slipped the
pinky, white-flmed poached egg
flecked with pepper onto the toast.
She had achieved a triumph Il
was even more beautiful than any
| IUlHR ouSdUud ndu ever accomplished
t The kitchen door swung behind
her little young form; in her out
stretched hands she carried the silver
. tray and set before him the perfec
| poached egg.
81 think I've discovered the knacl
of doing it, she said
\ That's good he said.
Hadn't you better eat It while it,
! hot?" she suggested.
He proceeded to eat slowly, Elsi
watching each morsel as it vanished
between his well-cut lips.
us it good?" she would ask. ant
always he nodded When the blu
platter was cleared he looked up sud
denly
= Once upon time was engage
s. to marry girl. She was studyin
e domestic science, and / thought
e. knew something about cookery; w
IS camped a lot. She couldn't manag
et a poached egg, though. We qual
II relied"
. "Ah!" cried Elsie. pulling the cak
plate away from his restless fingers
You have broken another heart,"
Are hearts so precious?" he asket
- A tear fell from her eyes an
! splashed on the cracked heart cak
| Tears will mend a broken heart
he said, taking Elsie's hand and hol
~S ing it closely.
"Oh-Dick,' she sobbed softly.
j I'm sorry we quarreled," he viii
I pered; that's why I came. Mr.
4 Burton telephoned she was goir
Il away and you were to keep shop fl
81 her-and I couldn't stay away"
81 But the motor races"
81 "Pshaw!" Taking her other hand
II Il believe l can make a perfe