Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1916-01-01
BY CLARissA MAckie.


striped awnings and verandas set
with many little tables. and Q great
room inside all done in blue and white,
with border Of willow.pattern plates.
The growing purr Of high.powered
motor came through the open case.
ment window. II slowed down and
stopped at the gate Of the Willow
Plate Tea Room.
"Oh. bother!" pouted Elsie, as she
went into the little kitchen and re.
turned to the room to discover soil.
tary man seated at one Of the white.
enameled tables. He was far from
being an Unlocking specimen Of mas.
culinity, although his clean.cut fea-
lures were sternly set. He did not
glance up when Ellis placed glass Of
water before him.
you may bring me-" he said de.
1iberately, "a poached egg on toast"
and. turning away his head, he looked
out Of the window.
Elsie hesitated and then marched
stiffly of to the kitchen. Once there
she shook her fist at the back Of the
unoffending stranger.
."Poached egg! And It's the one par.
ticular thing that I can't make!" she
grOaned.
Three trips she made into the tea
room--once to set tempting pats Of
butter and the pot of tea before the
patron, again to serve him with the
burned bit of toast on which was
sprawled the yellow, ieathery.looking
egg. The third trip was in answer to
his summons.
please bring me another egg" he
said In tone of polite WEAKNESS.
This one seems-er--er--rather over.
done"
Elsie carried out the unappetizing.
looking mess and cried over It in the
kitchen. Then she essayed another
and met failure. and still another
failing again. The kitchen table was
a riot OF broken eggshells and slices
Of toast OF varying shades Of com.
plexion. .
Elsie Wayne always remembered
that August afternoon as perfect
nightmare Of eggs that refused to be
poached and Of endless trips into the
tea room to present her trophies to
the grim.visaged young man at the
table.
Invariably he waved her offerings
away. always with that look Of bored
| patience.
"Never mind" he said at last. and
not unlikely. perhaps you have
some cakes. What are those little
pink frosted ones yonder?"
From a distant table Elsie brought
| the plate Of pinls.and.white heart
shaped cakes. These delectablc NOR.
sells were favorites with Mrs. Buttons
patrons.
"Those look very tempting" he said
smoothly. you did not make them. +"
ION the contrary. I did make them. %
she affirmed spiritedly.
"Indeed?" His tone was amused.
He picked up the top cake and broke
It In two.
"A broken heert." he said in mus.
ing tone. Easy to break. but impos.
sible to mend'
ut Is not worth mending-hearts
are all alike" she said. and. gather
ing up his dishes. she disappeared
kitchenward.
She cleared a place on the table
set the egg poacher In its receptacle
Of boiling water. broke an egg into
II. closed the lid and carefully toasted
a slice Of bread.
1 ~nv o1, tnt, al fnSv ,tSns,
abe laid the buttcred toast on the
little blue platter and slipped the
pinky. white.filmed poached egg
fecked with pepper onto the toast.
She had achieved a triumph. II
was even more beautiful than any
thing Susanna had ever accomplished
The kitchen door swung behind
her little young form; In her out
stretched hands she carried the silver
tray and set before him the perfect
poachcd egg.
II think I've discovered the knaci
Of doing It," she said.
That's good" he said.
Hadn't you better cot II while III
hot?" she suggested.
He proceeded to eat slowly. Elsie
watching each morsel as II vanished
between his well.cut lips.
us II good?" she would ask. ant
always no nodded. When the blu,
platter was cleared he looked up sud
denly.
"Once upon q time I was engaged
to marry a girl. She was studyinl
domestic science. and I thought
knew something about cookery; w
camped a lot, She couldn't manage
a poached egg. though. We quar-
Relied"
"Ah!" cried Elsie. pulling the cak
plate away from his restless fingers
you have broken another hearth"
Are hearts so precious?" he asked
A tear fell from her eyes ant
splashed on the cracked heart cake
Tears will mend broken heart.
he said, taking Elsie's hand and hold
ing II closely.
"Oh-Dick!" she sobbed softly.
I'm sorry we quarreled." no whit
pered; that's why came. Mri
Burton telephoned she was goin
away ana you were to keep shop TO
her-and l couldn't stay away"
But the motor races"
| "Pshaw!" Taking her other hand.
/ II believe ! can mako a perfeC
poached egg now, Dick" she smile
through her tears. "You shall. hav
them every morning for breakfast"
"Ueayen forbid" he groaned trai