Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-09-09

Let these help to make your Sunday
dinner easy"
P%lainville people we're conservative.
They looked askance at all innova-
lions and so the first housewives who
passed gazed c%uriously at the display
without a thought of purchasing.
Young Mrs. Moore walked right in,
though, as soon as she saw Katie's
display and read the little card.
mo stale bakers stuff for me when
II can get this dandy bread" Mrs.
Moore laid aside two loaves of bread
as she spoke and passed on to the
salad. mo standing over the stove
cooking vegetables and cake when
these things drop right down like the
mamma did to somebody in the Sunday
school lesson. Larry Moore doesn't
hurt himself at the. head of that Sec
ton gang, and I shan't hurt myself
cooking his victuals over a hot stove"
Two other housewives followed Mrs.
Moore's lead and Katie's stock was
soon disposed Of. After her second
Saturday, she arranged with certain
housewives to call them up on Fri
days to see what she could supply for
their Sunday dinners and she 500
built up a good little business.
When summer vas nearly over
Katie began to get restless again.
The merchants were busy stocking for
the fall trade, the farmers were busy
harvesting bumper crops, the children
were getting ready for school, and two
girls Katie knew were going off to
business college and two others to
teach country schools. The old vacant
store opposite the p%ostofice was being
cleaned up for occupancy by a grocer
from the city, and it seemed to Katie
that she could not stand 1t to remain
comparatively idle when others were
doing SO much. She felt the call Of
the city and it's whirling activities.
She tried to make up her mind 1t was
right and possible for her to go back
to Seeley's, but when she looked at
the worn faces and bent forms Of her
parents and realized how they had
come to lean on her since she came
home, n would %resolutely take hold
of some task in an effort to forget
herself.
One day she got a letter from John
telling about the preparations for a
big Labor day celebration on Monday.
She remembered that last Labor day
was the first time she had ever gone
out with John and 1t hurt her to no.
tice that instead of his mentioning it
in his letter, he wrote. I'm expecting
to have the time of. my life Monday.
Hope you'll have as good a time as
I do"
She had not been downtown for sew
eral days, but On Monday she decided
she would take a holiday, although
the village made no observance Of
Labor day. She put on a fresh white
dress, her flower trimmed hat and
white shoes and started out for a
walk. She met one Of the village
girls who was agog over the arrival
of the new. grocer from the city.
ooh, he's swell. I tell you!" And he
isn't married, either!" she exclaimed,
with sparkling eyes.
Katie went to the p~ostofice and the
new store window looked so attrac-
tive she crossed over. She had a
friendly feeling for this store because
its contents and it's keeper had come
from the city she was longing to see
again, so she thought she would go
in and inspect it inside. AS she walk
ed in she saw behind the counter
somebody who surprised her SO that
she stood quite still, while her face
became as white as her dress. It was
John. Out from behind the counter
he came and grabbed her hands.
Katie! Katie!" he exclaimed. 81
didn't know how good it was going to
be to see you one again. How do
you like my store?"
"Your store, John? Is it really
yours?"
eyes, mine. I had saved up a few
hundred dollars in the eight years
I've been working and / got to think
ing it would take all the best years of
my life at that rate to save a couple
of thousand. I'd worked three years
in a grocery before l was shipping
clerk for Seeley, and I know the bust
ness. I'm starting in a small way
but I'll grow if"-John paused n
brushed imaginary dust from the
freshly vanished counter-"if you'll
help me, Katie. Don't you think you'd
like to be the better half of a growing
business man."
Eyes, If"
eff what, Katie?"
"If he loved me-" blushing violent
ly.
"Katie, dear, 1 love you so much
there amt words enough to tell you"
With her head on his shoulder and his
arms about her, John managed to sub
stitute actions for words In q manner