Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1918-06-27
WANTED:
A COOK
q
By Raymond Maxwell

the holy estate of matrimony with
high ideals. During their engagement
they passed many happy evenings ar.
ranging the details of their future
home.
The servants were to be treated with
a firm but mild kindness which was to
reduce them to a condition of loving
submission. Julia said that it would
be very pleasant to be served always
by the same faithful creatures, and she
even went so far as to imagine Ar.
thurs funeral when his bier would be
surrounded by a group of white-haired
servitors who would sob that they had
lived with master" for As years. Ar.
thur answered that If the servants
did stay for As years that they would
be most likely to call him "the old
man." yet he was pleased with the
idea. He was also to have the priv.
lege of bringing home company when.
ever he wished. His wife would re-
ceive them with a smile and then they
were all to sit down to a simple.
though perfect dinner.
The Van Tyne's built a pretty little
houses with every modern convenience
to add to the burden of their exis.
.tence. They had steam heat, electric
lights, stationary tubs, dumb walters.
soiled clothes chutes, telephone, burg.
lar alarms at every window, hard wood
floors, patent ventilators, and every
other thing that the architects fertile
mind could suggest. When the house
was finished and furnished their
friends called it a "little paradise"
None inquired after the serpent, but
she was Thereon rather not there
most of the time. Her place was in
the kitchen. The serpent was nominal
ly known as the cook.
The first cook stayed two weeks, then
quarreled with the second girl and de-
parted. Another cook came, fingered
for five brief days and then left be-
cause she said thin convaniences wud
set her crazy inside Of a month" Then
cook after cook passed through the
Van Tyne kitchen, pausing only long
enough to kindle hope in the heart Of
Mrs. Van Tyne and then quench it.
When the little Van Tynes began to
come to live with their parents the
question became even graver. If the
fourth little Van Tyne had been a rag.
ing lion instead Of a sweet, pink baby,
he could not have caused more misery.
He made his mother lose q "jewel"
who had been with her for over four
months and who had promised to stay
forever if Mrs. Van Tyne would have
a new porcelain lined sink put in the
kitchen.
Arthur Van Tyne became a past
master in the wording Of alluring and
misleading advertisements. He said
that he expected to be arrested at any
moment for obtaining cooks under
false pretenses, but he gave full reign
to his Imagination. He always spoke
of his family as rather large, but quiet
and easily pleased" while as a matter
Of fact the young Van Tynes were
small but lively. He knew to his mis-
cry now that "plain cooking" meant
the ability to boil potatoes, fry asbeef-
steak and make weak tea, yet he al
ways put it in his advertisement as a
bait.
Then after he had spent a small for
tune in lads" he turned to employ.
ment agencies. One day while haunt
ing the agency Of Mrs. Sarah B. Hack.
EFT, he found a cook who said she could
really cook and didn't object to small
children. She went home with him
and put on her apron. The Van Tynes
found that she could cook and then
they waited patiently to learn her in
frmity-for by this time they had
learned that no cook is perfect. They
found out that first evening.
The weird, long drawn notes Of an
accordion came floating in from the
kitchen. The Van Tynes looked at
each other and smiled. In his rash
youth Arthur Van Tyne had said that
he would never tolerate an accordion
in his house, but now he only grinned
foolishly as he listened to 1.-THE Geor
gia Camp Meetings.
The cook played the accordion in all
her leisure hours, but the Van Tynes
we're too meek now to hint that they
pIS1cIlcu ddOllicl lllSll ul1culs LII LII
lull Van Tyne wrote to his parents
asking them to pay him a visit. q!
want you to see our babies," he wrote
$50 hurry up and come while we've go
a cook"
A day or two before he expected
them, Mrs. Van Tyne ventured to tel
the cook. When she returned to the
library she said: "We can't have you
father and mother just now, Arthur"
"Why not?' he asked.
"Cook says that she doesn't like PEG
pie staying in the house. She don't OBJ
ject to 'mealers' nee in a while, blu
she won't have 'sleepers,' because !
makes so much fuss at breakfast"
Van Tyne said something behind hi
book, then added, II suppose I'll hav
to telegraph them not to come. w
can say we think Minnie's comini
down with some disease, for I dom
want to hurt their feelings. And !
won't be any lie, either, for she'll cate
~.- - A. ~ IL l.