The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-03-24
HIS LAST Tea FIGHT
BY HOPE AINSLEE.

-
fghts!"
We'll, pink, blue or yellow teas
or anything you like to call them. I've
escorted you this whole winter from
one studio to another. I've imbibed
gallons of sickly tea and eaten pounds
of cake and tarts and jam. and I've
listened to would-be artists rave for
hours about their souls and their tenn
peraments. I'm sick of it."
Wont you go Just this once-this
afternoon? l promised you would be
there and / believe you'll really like
Caroline Becker. She has no tempera-
ment and OF course l find her rather
dull"
IN CO." interrupted her brother
"Any person living in studio and
must be an oddity."
George turned away, whistling. He
had a sincere hope that his sister
would develop some common sense
after she had a season or two of New
York studio life. She was young.
As they walked briskly down Gen. |
trail park west toward the studio build /
ing in which Helen's dull artist |
friend lived, George Moore began TO be |
curious about his hostess to be.
He was more than curious when he
took her proffered hand and felt her
warm, strong grip as she welcomed
him and his sister to her studio. The
girl was beautiful in a simple, sweet
way She was like the girl he knew
in the West, not particle like the
| girls his sister "adored' and who lived
| in the studios he had been frequent
ing.
Neither was this studio like the
others. 1t looked more like real
| home than anything he had seen in
/ New York. There was no oriental
scent in the air; there were no dimly
| lighted candle lamps, no smoking
table with ladies cigarettes" lying
| on it.
This is so cheerful and homelike,
Miss Becker" he found himself say
ing after he and his sister had admired
the picture that had won the Academy
prize.
"Oh, it is. really?" asked Caroline.
earnestly.
1T is. indeed" George repeated
That's been one of my main OBJ
jects in the furnishing of it and in all
my little entertainments. I've tried
to have the home atrnosphere-the
way mother does at home in Omaha
and, now don't laugh when l show
you something" She ran behind a
screen and returned with a stone
crock in her arms.
The cookie crock!" cried Helen.
Il can hardly believe my eyes," add
ed George.
And real. homemade cookiesI' ex-
planned Caroline, removing the top of
the crock. Mother sends them every
week and I always have some"
. Each of the guests took a round
. sugar-covered cookie and ate it as il
it were the best thing they had ever
tasted.
Il wouldn't exchange this cookie fol
all the French tarts or pate-de-foie
gras tid-bits in all the studios in New
York" said George Moore more en-
Enthusiastically than his sister had heard
him express himself since he had Ief
: home.
: They are good" admitted Helen.
Its just that-they remind me @
home said Caroline.
As George reached for a third cookie
: his sister frowned upon him.
George Moore! You laugh so lout
and eat so much. I'm ashamed o
you,' she admonished.
Don't be. please. Miss Moore,
pleaded Caroline. putting a friendl.
hand on Helen's arm. ITS so goo,
to see and hear him. It's like home
itself"
And after that the guests began t,
arrive so that George and his siste
could not monopolize their hostess
Helen had to drag her brother hom
and as she usually had to urge him Il
remain even polite length of time sh
was more than amused
That is the first real girl I've me
at these tea fights, sis" he said a
they walked home.
"Yes?' replied Helen. raising he
eyebrows. she's very pleasant"
Pleasant! | should think she wa
she's peach. She's a real genuine
girl and | intend to see much of her
And I hope that cookie crock will no
grow empty for / intend to make man,
a raid on it"
Il thought this was your last tie;
fight suggested his sister.
George laughed I'm forgive vol
for taking me to this one, sis-hones
| will"
For you saw the handwriting OF
the wall of Caroline Becker's studio
didn't you?" she asked. teasingly.
He nodded. Il did; did you?"
And apparently the writing wa
there, for the girl with the stone cooki
crock and the mas who did not Xix
studio teas went to housekeeping in
real home within twelve months fror
the day of their meeting.
Thick-k1ea dnd