The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-06
AUNT MARTHk'S CAKE
BY LOUISE OLIVER.


Down the steep incline came the to
boggan with the speed of a comet, its
solitary occupant bent forward to es.
cape the lash of the cutting wind.
At the foot of the hill a young man
trudged laboriously through ruts and
drifts, carefully carrying with both
hands a tissue-wrapped parcel on a
level with his chin.
Downward sped the maiden-upward
trudged the man; and they met! The
man went one way, his package an
other. and the girl and sled, skiddine
sideways, upset beside the track ter
yards down.
The man got up first. my cake!'
he cried. You've done It now, by
George! And as sure as Moses III
have to leave the country"
Thanks awfully for helping me.
she said. Your gallantry is certainly
overwhelming" Her voice was a rich
contralto, and what with that and q
most perfect nose and mouth and chin
blind or he never could have answered
as he did:
Il didn't knock you down. You ran
into me and spoiled Aunt Martha'l
cake"
Aunt Martha's cake had no bust
ness walking up my toboggan slide
I'll tell her so myself"
"Oh, but you don't know Aunt Mar.
tha."
Anyway she had no business send.
known he'd upset it."
But l didn't do it. 1t was you! |
had 1t on the back seat of the car, but
the road was so rough and it was
jouncing up and down so much | was
afraid it would be scrambled If | kept
on, and so l decided to walk and carry
it. l left the car back there around
the corner"
AL right, Mr.. Adam, blame 1t on a
woman. I'll have an auto horn put on
my sled. I'm sorry | spoiled your
cake"
I'm sorry about your knce-awfully
sorry, really. Docs it hurt very much /?
After all. it was my fault for being so
blind and stupid, and I apologize sin
cerely"
Look here, I'll tell you what III do.
] baked cake today, too, only it isn't
DEVILS food. And if you'll pull me
home on my sled I'll give you the cake
for your Aunt Elizabeth Sommers and
she'll never know the difference"
That's generosity for you! Thanks
just the same, but I'm afraid | can't
take It. However, I'll take you home"
I'm staying at the Rex Hardins.
feel as though we ought to give Aunt
Hartha's cake a decent burial" she
went on ruefully, tucking her skirts
in around her when he had brought
the sled.
oh. let the sparrows have feast
II can't do more than give them a good
old-fashioned tummyache. Knee hurt?
Giving the rope preliminary tug to
moving.
Conversation lapsed. The narrow
path across the fields fortunately was
level and there were no fences in the
way. In short time they were home
You're to come in and get the Lady
Baltimore for Mrs. Summers and save
yourself a scolding at Aunt Marthas
hands"
Sorry. but | cant hide behind a
skirt"
THE skirt-as you respectfully al
mde to me-isnt going to have Aunt
Aartha's chance of apopleXy on her
conscience. You're going to take the
cake!"
We'll, We'll see! There is Mrs.
Hardin now, believe, looking for
you"
But as the girl tried to get up she
tainted, and after that nobody thought
of the cake.
Two weeks later Anthony Stearns
was alone in his office, a look of
mingled annoyance and disapproval on
his face. A delegation of women had
just taken its departure after a vain
attempt to get his support for the new
child-labor law.
He hated politics for women, and to
his mind this indirect voting was as
bad as suffrage. Pretty Virginia Blan.
chard, whom he had knocked off her
sled, had proved to be the settlement
worker he had heard of and her visit
was for the purpose Of asking his in
huence for the new bill His escape
was due to the fact that she hadn't
known him and that later the accident
kept her from all the festivities in the
neighborhood. There were drawbacks
in being state legislator-when pref
ty women asked one to do things. Bu
the echo of Virginia's rich voice hat
been ringing in his ears for days.
"A lady to see you, sir!''
And in came Virginia, smiling ant
limping ever so little.
Miss Blanchard! I'm delighted I,
see you" he cried, springing up anC
holding out his hand. But I'm s,
sorry for that! indicating her injury
"Oh, it is nothing. just little stifl
1t doesn't hurt bit now. l came
Yes, l know!" quickly. Il just re
fused a committee of ten. But l fee
that l owe you a good bit for nearl
killing you. so I'm going to promis
before you ask. Against my convie
tions I'll vote for the new child-labo
bill, Miss Blanchard"
Copyright. 1916. by the Mcclure Newspa
per Syndicate)
A Mistaken Observation.
What graceful free movement