Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-06-25


Emma" as the girl appeared. "you
may bring in that grape jelly"
In few moments she came in with
a cleaning, quivering mold.
why, you've opened fresh glass!
meant the one we had last night"
There wasn't more'n a spoonful
left, ma'am."
That's the second time she's done
that" declared Helen in low-voiced
indignation when the door swung to
after her. "Why, we hardly touched
that jelly last night"
eff she likes sweets. SO much the
better. That means a nonalcoholic
taste, and she'll let the wine alone"
But the grapefruit-she has half
grapefruit every morning. just the
same as we have. Three always last
ed US for three mornings-now have
to get three every other day.
"Oh, WELL" shrugged Warren, "as
long as she does her work-guess we
can afford to give her what she wants
to eat"
"of course" flushing, you know
always want the girl to have good,
nourishing-"
Here Emma came in for the salad
bowl, and Helen began talking hur-
riedly about something else.
She had engaged this girl through
an agency the day after they landed
Just a week ago. In that time Emma
had cleaned the whole apartment.
washed the woodwork and oiled the
floors. She was both fast and capa-
BILE; yet she had an assertive air that
Helen found very irritating.
No other girl had ever expected
grapefruit every morning, and as this
was something Helen did not like to
speak of, 1t ranked all the more.
Though she did not bring 1t up
again, Helen keenly resented War
ren's attitude. for it made her seem
penurious about the girls food. She
knew that she was much more gener-
Gus with her maid than were most
women. Her own mother was not
half SO lerient, and Carrie locked up
everything.
It was after eight when Emma, hav-
ing finished her dishes, appeared at
the library door.
Mrs. Curtis. do you mind if l go
out for little while?"
Helen looked up from her sewing
with brief, Very we'll"
where's that draft coming from?"
demanded Warren a little later, scowl-
ing over his paper at the windows.
mo, they're all down in here-it
must be from the dining room. Wait.
dear, I'll see.'
1t was the kitchen window that
was up, and the pantry door open.
Turning on the light, Helen put down
the window. and then glanced around.
Everything had been left in spot
less order. Emma had washed out
all the tea towels, and even put a
fresh hand towel on the roller.
Helen looked into the ice box. 1t
was clean and sweet-smelling. And
the girl was certainly saving. There
was the bit of spinach left from din
ner and a spoonful Of mashed pota-
toes. But where was the jelly?
With increasing indignation, Helen
searched through the ice box and
pantry. She had Ioticed particularly
that over half the glass had been
left.
And they had SO little jelly, only
what was left over from last year.
for they had been away all fall and
1t was now too late for any fruit.
Dragging forward the stepladder
chair, Helen climbed up to the jelly
shelf. There were ,only nine glasses
of currant and fourteen of grape. If
the girl was SO inordinately fond of
jelly, might she not occasionally open
glass for herself?
Over the refrigerator was glass
doored cupboard that could be locked.
In a flash Helen decided that was the
| place for the jelly.
Even those high shelves had been
| freshly washed and lined with paper,
| but just now this evidence Of Emma's
industry failed to impress her.
Hello, what in blazes are you
doing up there?" Warren, his hands
in his pockets. stood at the pantry
door, staring at her.
I'm putting this jelly where |
can lock 1t up steadying herself on
the stepladder. There wasn't
| spoonful left of that glass We had at
dinner It's outrageous! l never
heard of girl having the presump-
tion to eat jelly like that
Look out, there-youll fall! I'd
rather pay for few glasses of jelly