The log cabin Democrat., 1916-03-07
AUNT MARTHA'S CAKE
By LOUISE OLIVER.
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began with the speed Of comet, it's 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, skiddng sideways upset beside the track ten yards down.
 The man got up first My cake!" he cried. You've done it now, by George. And as sure as Moses I'll have to leave the country!"
 Thanks awfully for helping me-" she said. Your gallantry is certainly overwhelming. Her voice was a rich contrato 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:
 Il didn't knock you flown, You ran into me and spoiled Aunt Martha's cake"
 Aunt Martha's cake had no busi- ness walking up nay toboggan slide. I'll tell her so myself"
 "Oh, but you don't know Aunt Mar tha"
 Anyway she nad no business send ing a cake by man. She might have known he'd upse: it.
 But l didn't do it. It was you! | had it on the back seat of the car, but the road was so rough and it was afraid it would be scrambled If I kept on, and so decided to walk anc carry it. I left the car back thero around the corner"
 All right, MT. Adam, blame 1t on 0 woman. I'll have an auto horn put on my sled, I'm sorry l spoiled your cake" i
 I'm sorry about your k,:es "a wfu,ly sorry, really. Does it hurt very mucho After all, it was my fault for oo.Lg SD blind and stupid. and ! apologiz. sin- cerely."
 Look here, I'll teii you what Fl do. baked cake today, too only it isn't devils food. And If you.! pull mo home on my sled I'll give yor tre cake for your Aunt Elizabeth Sommcrs end she'll never know the difference"
 That's generosity for you! Thanks just the same, but I'm afraid I 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 decent burial" she went on ruefully. tucking her skirts in around her when he had brought the sled.
 "Oh, let the sparrows have a feast It can't do more than give them a good old-fashioned tummyache. Knee hurt?" Giving the rope a 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 ana get the Lady Baltimore for Mrs. Summers and save yourself a scoding at Aunt Martha's hands,"
 Sorry, but I cant hide behind g skirt
 The skirt-as you respectfully al- Jude to me-isnt going to have Aunt Martha's chance of apoplexy on her conscience. You're going to take the cake!"
 Well, we'll see! There Is Mrs. Hardin now, I 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 fiuence 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 pret- 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! Fm delighted to see you" he cried springing up and holding out his hand. But I'm so sorry for that!' indicating her injury.
 'Oh, it is nothing, just little stiff. It doesn't hurt bit now. ] came"