The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-05-17


afford SO much cream-this IS solid
cream, Tn sure" she said, tasting Of
the frozen dainty. "Eyen If you corld
afford it. I'm surprised that you use
1t, knowing how active Lollabelle' was
in food conservation"
A gloom spread owe the party with
these words. and although Mrs. Keen
did manage to eat all of the refresh
ments, and apparently with relish, she
said she did so because it was just as
wicked to waste them as 1t was to yiO-
late any of the other regulations Of
the food administration, and then,
turning to one Of the guests: "Mr.
Blank, don't you think that the clean
plate idea is splendid"
Taylor remembered later that he had
heard Of wheatless day before and that
he had also heard of meatless day.
But he had left those things to Lola
belle and he imagined that she had in
structed Dinah to make any necessary
restrictions Of that sort. Now he
thought Of it, they had been having
meat every Representatives twice and
three times q day. and there had been
bacon every day.
1t was the day after his guests had
gone and he was hurrying to his
commuters train, through the short
back-cut. when he beheld Mrs. Keen
lowering in his back yard. He paused
and shielding himself behind a lilac
thicket, watched her as she went GIN
gerly up to the large covered pals in
which Dinah deposited refuse from the
kitchen. Mrs. Keen removed the cover
and, with a stick. poked about with n
critical gaze. Presently she brought
up the stick with a piece Of bread
almost a quarter of a baf-jabbed on
the end. She examined this infinitely
and for five minutes moSe examined
various trophies that she brought to
light in this way with equal attention.
swell, I'm comparatively In the dark"
thought Taylor as he took to a jog trot
so as to be able to catch his accus-
toned train. AS he was hurrying on
he met Patricia. Patricia seemed to
blush as he spoke to her and, for some
reason that Taylor did not wish to an
alyze, he felt the color rise to his W
checks just a little, and he went to
town that day with an annoying re-
currence of the image of the pretty
Patricia as she had looked when she
passed him.
Before another week had passed
Perry was frankly alone. His engaged
friend could not spend another week
end. as he had to visit his fiancee and
the dancing friend had announced his
engagement. He actually thought Of
seeking Patricia's society for conSola-
ton, but Patricia was unaccountably
cool to him. Mrs. Keen had called n
day and delivered n long lecture to old
Dinah, which Dinah did not under
stand, and had left a little card which
she wanted Dinah to read and then fat
up in her kitchen window. But Dinah
only muttered to herself after she had
told Taylor Of the proceedings and said
something about reckoning she'd
never skimp for no one-least wise not
when she was cooking for Mr.. Perry"
Once or twice after that Mr.. Perry
noticed that Mrs. Keen, who must have
suddenly become exceedingly eccen-
trio, was poking around in the refuse
pals In his back yard. Once he met
Mrs. Keen and some other women of
her following on the station platform
and he felt that they all looked upon
him with something like GOODNESS.
For two or three evenings in suc-
cession he, telephoned to Patricia to
ask whether he could not come to G
her, for he was lonely, but always
Mrs. Keen answered the phone and
made some excuse for Patricia. Then
one warm night as Taylor was sitting
dejectedly smoking in a little summer
house in Lollabelle's garden, Patricia
stole through the hedge and came and
sat down by him. II just. had to ex-
plain" she told him. Mother hasn't
let me see you. She's so unreasonable.
And-now-now she says she'll report
you to the food administration officer
and she wOuld-only she found that
Lollabelle is the food administration
officer in this district. But she says
you let Dinah throw away lots of
bread and things. m she got the
butcher boy to tell her that you have
meat every day-and you know the
cake. But / know you can't help 1t.
You don't mean to be unpatriotic, do
you, Mr.. Perry?"
And then after Mr.. Perry had with
almost unnecessary fervor assured her
Of his perfect loyalty and thanked her
for coming to explain to him. she
asked: "How much longer will Miss
Lollabelle be gomez"
1.-TWO months" sighed Perry. "You
don't mean to tell me I've got to keep
track Of all those meatless and pork
less and wheatless days all the rest
Of the summer. do you?"
u don't believe Dinah could
SO there isn't anything else to do. is
there1"
mot unless You took pity on me and
married me-. Patty-Patty. It is your
patriotic duty-put It to your mother
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