The Lamar register., 1915-09-15
CUPID'S OWN COOK
BY ELLIS BROWNE.

OF the village, set as it was between a
ragged paddock, a weedy orchard and
fronting an unkempt lawn. Time was
when the lawn had been shorn velvet
turf, the paddock alive with horses.
the stables, now desolate, trig and
properly tended, with a livery coach
mans family In the cottage near by.
That was before the boom times
whose collapse had swept away the
greater part of the Gordon fortune.
Elinor said passionately to herself
sometimes that Providence in mercy
should have taken her and her father
along with the money. Not that she
was cowardly-her case was that OF
one who cannot swim carrying a be-
loved burden beyond strength, I'M
able to assure its safety, still more
unable to let 1t drop. Without meta
phor, she had to live and keep a sem
blance OF decent comfort upon the
narrowest possible income and that
not independent. but the dole of
kinsfolk better OF. She could do
nothing to supplement it, nor could
she dispense with II. Bitterly she
told herself that II life were but trans
ferable she would gladly part with
her expectation of days to some rich
dotard for money enough to assure
her father care and comfort while he
lived.
Although shattered, John Gordon
was not old-barely turned fifty. He
might well go on to eighty after the
habit of mis- blood. So long as he
lived she was bound to care for him
helpless as though in prison. There
fore in her black moods she thought
longingly of death-not as one who
undertakes life. but as the one door
of escape into llmitless freedom. One
drab day was so like another. the
lengthenlng or shortening of daylight
took on the nature OF an event.
There were no happenings. Regu-
larly as the month end came the
monthly check from her uncle. In re-
turn she sent an itemized account of
how the previous months money had
been spent. Uncle Jabez had a no
tion she had inherited extravaganza
from her dead mother. He had.
somehow, a notion that his brother
had imbibed from that same source
the recklessness in finance that had
stripped him bare.
At first the Uncle had permitted
Elinor to let the coachman's cottage.
and thus get a slightly larger In
come. But finding that she had been
80 dishonesty soft-hearted as to for
give a quarters arrears on account
of sickness, he had taken the matter
into his own hsnds-with the result
Of having the house stand empty al
most ever since.
One day busy in copying her re-
turn. taking special pains to make
the copy fair. Elinor was startled to
have her uncle walk in without knock
ing, nod to her father. huddle beside
the smothered fire, turn to her and
say grumplly:
I'm giving you a chance you don't
deserve-see that you improve it.
Have let the cottage for six months.
provided its environment is found
agreeable. Two men tenants-art-
ists-l have agreed you shall give
them breakfast-also dinner-when
they want it. That won't be regular
still it will help. You will give
them the best of everything-they are
paying enough to deserve 1t. No!
They will not pay you. l shall attend
to that part. But l have opened an
account for you at the market with
Higgins-they tell me he has the best
groceries. Moreover, l shall send in
wine from my own merchant-you'n
receipt and account for every bottle
OF 1t. II my brother wants a glass
now and then, let him have it. A
woman should stick to water"
Never fear but l shall stick to
it, Elinor said, choking. She had
risen and stood, white and shaking,
beside the moth-eaten desk, but made
herself say more temporarily:
Please, uncle, won't you give me a
little broader chance? We have so
much room here-let me fill 1t with
summer people. 1t won't be much
more trouble-of course, shall have
to have help"
Help! think notl" Uncle ia
Deg snarled. "Help-to eat I'D all