River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-11-29
Eats Thanksgiving Din
ner In His Shirtsleeves
By RUTH GRAHAM
Copyright. 1917. western Newspaper Union.)


stead of anticipation of pleasure. Her
mother was i'll and kept to her room.
She had no brothers or sisters, there
fore she would be alone at the table
for the Thanksgiving dinner. There
seemed nothing further to do but to
ignore the day entirely.
There was no reason why she should
not permit the servants to enjoy them
selves on Thanksgiving day, so she
told them that they might go where
they pleased after the morning work
was finished; and they availed them
selves of the permission.
The Wentworths usually remained
very late in the autumn in their cOun-
try cottage, at a seaside settlement,
and this year were to remain till
Christmas. time. Their cottage was a
country house as comfortable in win
ter as in summer. They called it
"The Good Cheer" and it was cheer.
full even in winter. Gertrude be-
thought herself of inviting a friend,
Miss Burns, to come out from the city
and spend the day with her.
Thanksgiving morning came, and
brought a letter from Miss Burns de-
clining the Invitation since she could
not be spared at home. 1t also brought
the first snow storm of the season and
a bowling wind.
But had Miss Burns accepted the in
vitatiOn she would not have been able
to make her way to "The Good Cheer"
for the storm increased in violence and
whirled the snow with impossible
drifts. Poor Gertrude stood at the
living-room window looking at the bliz-
zard without. Within there was q
cheerful blaze Of logs In the fireplace,
but no cheer, since Gertrude was
alone.
The house stood back from the road
about fifty yards, and presently Ger
trude saw an auto car struggling past
the house. It stalled and the driver
looked about him for shelter. Noticing
the name, "The Good Cheer" above
the front door of the house, he natural
~ supposed it to be a hotel. Turning
his car aside onto space bare Of
snow he alighted and fought his way
through drifts to the house. Gertrude
summons at the door.
"Big blizzard" he said cheerily. 81
think I'll stop with you till there's bet
ter going"
Gertrude saw by his words that he
supposed the place to be hotel, and
hol fhn off
him he did so and she pointed the
way into the living room. &
"What luck!" he exclaimed, throw
ing off his overcoat and hat and hand
ing them to Gertrude, to put in the
hall closet.
"Would you like dinner, sir?" she
asked, respectfully, as maid to
guest Of the house.
DINNER? I should smile. And I'll
pay extra if you'll serve it right here
in this room, before this splendid fire.
What time do you dine?"
''Any time you like. This is Thanks
giving day, and all our guests are din
ing out. The servants have been Civ
en- the day off. I can get you up a
dinner, sir, and serve it right here in
this room. But need to have no
tice."
"Notice! Just you consider yourself
notified to serve dinner for one, the
best you have in the house. Expense
not to be considered, as soon as con-
venient for YOU"
Taking out dollar bill he slipped
It into Gertrude's hand, saying that
there would be another tip at the end
of the banquet" Gertrude took the
money, promising to do her best, and
disappeared leaving the young man
stretched out in an easy chair before
the fire, putting Justify at long cigar.
About an hour afterward, this young
gentleman, who was known at his club
as Dick Summertime, from his CHEEKY
disposition, his real name being Rich
ard Summerwall, having sank into a
pleasant daze, was aroused by cries
of, Help! Come! Quick -
Dashing into the kitchen, whence
the cries enumerated, he found Ger
trude vainly endeavoring to quench a
pan of blazing fat. She was blowing
it which only made it burn more fierce
ly. Mr.. Summerwa1l looked about him
for something with which to Quench
the fire and seeing nothing serviceable
took off his coat and smothered the
flame.
'Heavens!" cried Gertrude. you've
spoiled silk-lined coat"
Nh. Summerwall looked from Ger
trude to the contents of the kitchen
which were in frightful disorder, then
back at Gertrude.
you're no cook" he said.
Gertrude, who didn't even know how
to fry bacon, was badly ratified, broke
down and confessed that she was a
lady, that they were in private house.
and the rest of the situation. Mr.. Sum-
merwall thereupon turned in his shirt
sleeves and acted as chef, assisted by
the young lady. The two managed
u -