The Lamar register. [volume] (Lamar, Colo.) 1889-1952, 1916-03-22
AUNT MARTHA'S CAKE
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

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 a
level with his chin.
Downward sped the maiden-upward
trudged the man; and they meti 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 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
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:
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
III tell her SO myself"
"oh. but you don't know Aunt Mar
tina"
Anyway she had no business send
ing cake by a man. She might have
known he'd upset it,"
But / didn't do IL. II was you'll
had 1t on the back seat OF the car. but
the road was SO rough and 1t was
jouncing up and down SO much l was
afraid II would be scrambled II / kept
on. and SO / decided to walk and carry
1t. left the car back there around
the corner"
AN right. Mr.. Adam, blame It on q
woman. I'll have an auto horn put on
my sled. I'm sorry l spoiled your
cake"
I'm sorry about your knee-awfully
sorry. really. Does It 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.
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'll 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 q feast.
1t can't do more than give them a good
old-fashioned tummyache. Knee hurtf"
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 a 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 Martha's
hands"
Sorry. but l can't hide behind q
skirt"
The skirt-as you respectfully al
lude to me-isn't going to have Aunt
Martha's chance of apoplexy on her
conscience. You're going to take the
cake!"
Well. wen seel There is Mrs.
Hardin now, l 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 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 on 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 a state legislator-when pref
ty women asked one to do things. But
the echo OF Virginia's rich voice had