The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-12-29
WAR GARDENERS
BY LOUISE OLIVER.

Ing. just what he could not yet tell,
but he knew that 1t 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 distln-
guish II more clearly-tomatoes In
some process Of preservation
How weary he was of this canning.
Night In and night out 1t seemed
FOR weeks and months past 1t had been
the same thing. He had come home to
find Laura overheated, overtired, not
dressed, and her temper at the snap
ping point.
The bungalow as he approached It
looked so bare and cheerless that he
was almost tempted to turn back to
away from trouble. The porch boxes
that last year had been varicolored
mass of foliage and trailing vines We're
now innocent of so much as coat OF
paint; the awnings, so bravely and
cheerfully striped year before, hung
stained and respondent fromsdry, dus-
ty caves; the flower beds formerly
gorged with peonies, big orange pop
pies, roses and q thousand varieties Of
everything, and the close-clipped emer-
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" 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, no! There are the toma- |
toes yet and picalilli and catsup!"
Fred did not argue. But he smelled |
the tomatoes now and predicted an
other triangular meal in the kitchen.
| He was ht-almost-except that
tonight's meal had but one dimension
IA baked potato.
II was just too tired to cook, Fred"
declared Laura YEARLY.
And then Fred said things he'd never
meant to say about coming home to
Imussed-up house and a dickens-of-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 {
MFR. Prompter, the senior partner and
by long odds the hardest worker in the J
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 f
ner, but the old man was deaf, some t
what: moreover, he was changing his a
seat to talk to Fred. t
IT was just thinking" the old man
was saying. ''that our young men in =
the office weren't taking the interest
IN the business they ought TO, but It :
seems I'm wrong. Tn glad to see, my t
BOY. that you are willing TO do your bit
n this sudden extra pressure of work" $
NV cnalyfru in | /
Did Mr.. Prompter took 1t for granted $
hat Fred was going back TO the Office !, !.
o work like himself. And Fred was y
90 paralyzed to enlighten him. a
"After ALL" thought Fred, at won't W
lurt to let him think I'm a little tin il
nigel. I've been after raise and this p
nay help some. I'll go get a bite K
telephone to Laura and 5!
lumor the old chap by working like =
sailor all evening""
That night Fred came tiptoeing in IN
{ twelve O'Clock fearful of waking his a,
wife, but she was sitting up sewing be- as
ide the living room lamp and looking SC
Ike his honeymoon wife Of last year OF
he was dressed in a gown he liked 81
nd her hair, always lovely, looked y, 81
rettier than it had FOR months. =,
Before Fred could say a word Laura ca
prang up. poor dearie, you must be
red. Come on and sit down and Wen ur
ave one Of our old parties. I've been an
n awful person to you lately, and I'm as
ever, never. never going to put up an IN
Their thing and neglect my house and
usband as long as l live, war or no
ar"
Fred took her in his arms and patted r.
or head tenderly. Listen, dearie. it's
lie best investment you ever made.
Id Prompter got so worked up when
was the only one who turned up for
ork that he-youll never guess it-he
ok me into the firm. That baked POI
Ito meant thousands of dollars year 8
us. You'd better put IL in alcohol
the mantle"
opyright, 1911. by the Mcclure Newspa-
per Syndicate)
Champ Has New Version.