Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1917-11-15
WAR GARDENERS
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

ing, Just what he could not yet tell.
but he knew that II came from his own
kitchen as surely as he knew that the.
sun was coming up next morning. AS
he came nearer he was able TO dlstln-
guish IL more clearly-tomatoes Ia
some process Of preservation
How weary he was Of this canning.
Night In and night out 1t seemed
for weeks and months past It had BEEN
the same thing. He had come home tdl
find Laura oyerheated, overtired, not
dressed, and her temper at the snap-l
ping point.
The bungalow as he approached nj
looked so bare and cherries that he
was almost tempted to turn back to-
the station and take the frst train
away from trouble The porch boxes
that last year had been q varlcoloredl
mass Of foliage and trailing vines were
now innocent Of 50 much as q coat of
paint; the awnings, so bravely and
eheerfully striped a year before, hung
stained and respondent fromsdry, dusi
ty caves; the flower beds formerly
gorged with peonies, big orange pop-l
pies, roses and thousand varieties Oh
everything, and the close-clipped emerl
aid lawn, had given way to vegetable
garden.
But Fred's thoughts were bitter, not
so much on account Of the war dress
of the house as with conditions with
In. He thought Of Mary Ann, that
precious family Jewel who had come
to live with them after the Honeymoon,
and Of the three delectable meals he
and Laura had sat down to every day.
Mary Ann had left at Christmas. But
the worst Of the whole thing was
Laura's Unsuitable penchant for cam
ming.
"For goodness sake, can't you ever
get through r. Fred had asked despond-
emily the day before. when laura, up
to her neck In pear butter. had SET
him down to fried egg and potato
on the corner Of the kitchen table.
Goodness, mol There are the toma.
toes yet and picalilli and cats1pr
Fred did not argue. But he smelled
the tomatoes now and predicted an.
other triangular meal in the kitchen.
He was right-almost-except that
tonights meal had but one dimension
"a baked potato.
81 was just too tired to cook, Fred"
declared Laura WEAKLY.
And then Fred said things he'd never
meant to say about coming home % a
mussed-up house and a dickensDf-a'
looking wife, and flung out of the
kitchen and out Of the house, climbed
on the train, got seat on the river
side, and settled back for his twenty
minute ride.
Suddenly some one leaned forward
and said In his ear, you're getting
back early, my boy"
Fred turned in surprise. It was old
Mr.. PrOmpter the senior partner and
by long odds the hardest worker In the
firm, In spite of his age. He was very
rich and lived In fashionable section
two stations beyond Fred.
Fred said something about his din
ner, but the old man was deaf, sornea
what moreover, he was changing his
seat to talk to Fred.
'T was Just thinking" the old man
was saying, 'that our young men ~
the Office weren't taking the interest
In the business they ought to, but Il
seems I'm wrong. I'm glad to see, my.
boy. that you are willing to do your Bit
In this sudden extra pressure OF work.
Little by little IT was soaking tnI
Old Mr.. PrOmpter took 1t for granted
that Fred was going back to the ofhceI
TO work like himself. And Fred wasI
too paralyzed to enllghten him.
"After ALL" thought Fred, ut WON'T
hurt to let him think I'm a little TIM
angel. I've been after raise and thisI
may help some. I'll go get biteI
somewhere, telephone to Laura and
humor the old chap by working likel
a sailor all evening"
That night Fred came tiptoelng inI
at twelve o'clock fearful Of waking hisI
wife, but she was sitting up sewing bel
like his honeymoon wife of last yearI
She was dressed 10 q gown he liked
nSa her hair always l9yelA loOE .e..
pfettler than it had for months
. before Fred could sAy d word Lsurd
sprang 1p. poor dearle, you must bel
tired. Come 81 and ST down and Yenl
have one Of our old parties. I've beenI
an awful person to you lately, and rhI
never, never, never going to put up aA-I
other thing and neglect my house apdI
husband as long as live, war or hoI
war;"
Fred took her In his arms and pattedl
her head tenderly. Listen, dearle, itAI
the best investment you ever made
Old Prompter got SO worked mp whehI
was the only one who turned Up forI
work that he-you'll never guess libel
tOOlx mo into fha Arm nhak hatraN no