The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1916-08-03
AUNT MARTHRs CAKE
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

solitary occupant bent forward to es-
cape the lash of the cutting wind.
At the foot of the hill young man
trudged laboriously through ruts and
drifts, carefully carrying with both
hands a tissue-wrapped parcel on
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, skidding
sideways, upset beside the track ten
yards down.
The man got up first. MY cakel"
he cried. You've done It now, by
Georgel And as sure as Moses I'll
have to leave the country!"
Thanks awfnlly for helping me-"
she said. Your gallantry ia certainly
overwhelming" Her voice was a rich
contralto, and what with that and a
most perfect nose and mouth and chin,
the man must have been both deaf and
blind or he never could have answered
as he did: H..
Il didn't knock you down. You ran
into me and spoiled, Aunt Martha's
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
tVna Ia hxy atsSIa n nxrA
known he'd upset It."
But didn't do 1t. It was youl
had it on the back seat of the car, but
the road was so rough and It was
jouncing'up and down so much l was
afraid It would be scrambled If kept
on, and so I decided to walk and carry
1t. left the car back there around
the corner"
"All right, Mr.. Adam, blame It on q
woman. I'll have an auto horn put on
my sled. I'm sorry I spoiled your
cake" .'... =
I'm sorry about your knee-awfully
sorry, really. Does 1t hurt very much?
After all, II was my fault for being SO
blind and stupid, and apologize sim
cerely."
Look here. I'll tell you what I'll do.
baked q cake today, too, only 1t isn't
DEVILS food. And II 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
Martha'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.
Il 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 scolding at Aunt Martha's
hands"
Sorry, but can't hide behind
skirt"
THE skirt-as you respectfully al
lude to me-isnt going to have Aunt
Martha's chance of apoplexy on her
conscience. You're going to take the
cakel"
well, well 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 p
Two weeks later Anthony Stearns
was alone in his Office, 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
fluence 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. But
the echo Of Virginia's rich voice had
been ringing in his ears for days.
"A lady to see you, sir!"
And in came Virginia, smiling and
limping ever so little.
Miss Blanchard! I'm delighted to
see YOU" he cried, springing up and
holding out his hand. But I'm so
sorry for that! indicating her injury.
"oh, 1t is nothing, just little stiff.
II doesn't hurt bit now. / came"
uvaa tuou1O o11ioLlv oct inst "a.