The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1916-01-08
A GAME OF HEARTS
BY cLARISSA MAcKIE.

striped awnings and verandas set
with many little tables, and A great
room inside all done in blue and white,
with border Of willow-pattern plates.
The growing purr OF a high-powered
motor came through the open case-
ment window. 1t 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 a soli-
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 a glass Of
water before him,
"You may bring me-" he said de-
liberately, "a poached egg on toast"
and, turning away his head, he looked
out Of the window.
Elsie hesitated and then marched
stifly off 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 1 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. leathery-lookdnG
egg. The third trip was in answer to
his summons.
please bring me another egg" he
said in a tone OF polite WEAKNESS.
This one seems-er-er-rathe over
done"
Elsie Wayne always remembered
that August afternoon as a perfect
nightmare of eggs that refused to bG
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.
From a. distant table Elsie btoughA
the plate of pink-and-white heart
shaped cakes. These delectable NOR
sells were favorites with Mrs. Burton'R
patrons.
"Those look very tempting" he said
smoothly. You did not make them
"On the contrary, did make them,S
she affirmed spiritedly.
"Indeed?" His tone was amused.
He picked UP the top cake and broke
it in two.
"a broken heart" he said I'm R mus
ing tone. Easy to break, but impOSt
sible to mend"
"It is not worth mending-heartT
are all alike" she said, and, gather
ing up his dishes, she disappeared
kitchenward.
She cleared q place on the table,
set the egg poacher in its receptacle
of boiling water, broke an egg into
it, closed the lid and carefully toasted
a slice Of bread.
She almost shrieked with Joy when
she laid the buttered toast on tho
little blue platter and slipped the
pinky, white-f1lmed poached egR
fiecked with pepper onto the toast.
She had achieved a triumph. 1f
was even more beautiful than any,
thing Susanna had ever accomplished.
The kitchen door swung behfnd
her little young form; in her out
stretched hands she carried the silver
tray and set before him the perfect
poached egg.
+. 81 think I've discovered the knack
of doing it," she said.
: That's good" he said.
- Hadn't you better eat It while tia
hot?" she suggested
He proceeded to eat slowly, Elsie
watching each morsel as it vanished
=. between his .we1l-cut lips. '4- ~ ~
'Is it good?" she would ask, and
always he nodded When the blue
platter was cleared he looked up sud-
denly
Once upon time I was engaged
to marry a girl She was studying
domestic science, and I thought r
knew something about cookery; I've
camped a lot. She couldn't manage
a poached egg, though. We quar-
relied"
"Ah!" cried Elsie, pulling the cake
plate away from his restless fingers
you have broken another heart;"
F'Are hearts SO precious?" he asked,
A tear fell from her eyes and
splashed on the cracked heart cake.
Tears will mend broken heart
he said, taking Elsie's hand and hold
ing it closely.
"Oh-Dick!" she sobbed softly.
I'm sorry we quarreled," he whfSs
pered; that's why I came. Mrs
Burton telephoned she was going
away and you were to keep shop foE.
her-and 1 couldn't stay away!"
But the motor races"
"Pshaw!" Taking her other hand,
Il believe I can make perfect
poached egg now, Dick" she smiled