The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-03-27

at home-but-she shrugged her
shoulders.
The other women were silent Beth
Newton stood in the kitchen door
way. her face pink with shyness; she
looked distractingly pretty at that
moment.
IF you don't mind waiting a half
hour 1 believe 1 could prepare some
thing MT to eat, she announced tim
| idly.
They applauded her enthusiastically
and offered to help. She accepted
Miss Tyler for an assistant in the
kitchen, and Lillian Nugent opened
the tiny cupboard and prepared to set
the table for a dozen people from the
hermit's scanty store of crockery,
Beth lighted a fire in the cracked
old cook stove, Carl Rellew and Andy
Smith carried f1rewood and opened
tin cans of vegetables.
Bobby danced in and out report-
ing progress. Baked potatoes, Hot
b1scu1ts-um! Racon-mother, they're
cooking bacon and eggs out therei"
They were doing all those things,
while outside of the frail shelter a
summer rain drummed on the shin
giles and made the fire and the COST
ness more desirable.
AT last they sat down at two ia bJes
They gave Beth a seat of honor and
no one told her of the dab of flour
on ner halr or the Smudge of SCOT that
became a beauty spot near her lovely
eye With her flushed cheeks. her
ru11ied brown hair, her pale blue
sleeves pushed up above her rounded
elbows. Beth Newton was radiant.
Ihey were all so good to her, tool
S dns smiled happily. too tired to eat.
thing in the mans gaze brought a
hot blush to her cheek After that
plate.
As delightful surprise Beth pro-
duced a steamed apple pudding with
maple syrup. and in token of their
gratitude Andy Smith hastily plucked
punch of herbs from the rafters
and solemnly crowned her with a
wreath of catnip, the queen of cooks
By the time the dishes were washed
and put away the sun was shining
OUTSIDE. the invaders had restored
the house to order and Carl Bellew
had pinned note on the table cover.
Inside that envelope were folded
cracking banknotes of such large de-
never cease ia marvel over the Access
sion of riches that made his declining
days more cOmfortab BILE.
They returned to the scene of the
camp fire, and all too soon the three
motor cars arrived. Somehow Mrs.
Bliss managed to smuggle Beth and
Bobby into the same car with herself
and Carl Bellew, and that night when
she went to bed the girl assured her
self that she had rounded out her per-
feet day.
A few days later the party had
broken up and the picnic was forgot
ten by all save Beth Newton and Bob
by-and, perhaps, Carl Bellew. His
place was not very far away and he
found many excuses for calling on the
Blisses. When kindly Mrs. Bliss real
lied that it was her little nursery gov
erness whom Carl Bellew wanted to
see, she remembered her own days
of wooing, and entered whole-hearted-
ly into matchmaking.
Dear" said Carl Bellew one Octo-
Der day when he had received Beth's
answer, I've loved you from the be-
ginning, but when 1 tasted your cook
ing
Beths hand pressed his lips in ST.
lence. She looked up at her splendid,
gallant lover
"Ah, Carl" she murmured ST am
such a. humble little thing-so I'M
worthy of you. You might marry a
a queen!"
Carl threw back his head and
laughed. Then he gathered her closer
II am going to marry a queen" he
protested, the queen of cooksr'-
Copyright, 1915, by the Mcclure
Syndicate.)