The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-04-20
Revelations of a
Wife
WHY THE FIRST. DINNER WAS A
FAILURE

AS Dfcky led his mother to the chair
at the right of his own. my spirits
rose. The table was really very at
tractive. had inspected 1t earlier
and knew that Katie had correctly
laid It, and the spring blossoms in the
centre seemed to I'LL the room with
fragrance and beauty.
l knew that the dishes had planned
were a success, and that Katie, deft
and efficient. would wait on table prop
erly. As bent to slip the the hassock
before my smother-in-law's chair I felt
almost content
And then I saw her stoop to the
chair and hold something up, some
thing shapeless and crumpled.
Whatever in the world Is this" she
asked contemptuously, holding the OBJ
ject out at arms length.
knew what 1t was even before she
held it out to me, and my heart sank.
It was Katie's kitchen apron.
After her early morning work was
done it was Katie's custom to put on
over her working dress an immaculate
white apron. This she covered with
a darker one when doing the rest Of
her work If she were called to the
door or into the other rooms she re-
moved the kitchen apron.
But it was her habit, OF which
had tried in vain to break her. to de-
post the kitchen apron in all sorts of
places. had rescued it from the tele-
phone stand, from the living room
mantel and from any number of chairs.
And now it appeared like a spectre
at my luncheon table!
tried to put the best face possible
on the matter as took the apron from
my motherin-law's hand.
II am so sorry." I said APOLOGIZE
getically. ut Is Katie's kitchen apron
When you sent for her this morning
she was slightly Illustrated by the pros
pect of waiting on a stranger, and hur-
ried out of the kitchen. remember
now, without removing her apron
suppose she dropped It in the first
chair she passed"
It was tactless speech. I realized
it as saw Mrs. Graham stien.
II am very sorry" she said icily.
that I should have been the cause of
so uDsetting your maid"
ooh, didn't mean It that way"
cried awkwardly Katie has done
this before. have tried to break her
of the habit. but have never succeeded"
Evidently not" The two words
might have been volumes.
Dicky to the Rescue
tapped the bell for Katie. and she
came so quickly with the tray bearing
the tomato bisque that I knew she
must have been listening. Her face
was flushed. and as she caught my
eye she gave me an angry glance.
realized that she had heard my words
about irving to break her Of some
habit without understanding what I
meant. At least l had the power to
reduce Katie to reason. however.
When she had served the bisque and
was moving toward the door, l said
quietly:
Katie, take this with you. please
which held out to her. then snatched
1t and fed from the room.
Guess that1l hold Katie for awhile
Dickv chuckled.
There are the possibilities for the
DEVELOPMENT Of very good maid out
Of that girl II she be only properly
trained" commented his mother.
I bit my lips at the insult, for
could consider it nothing less which
my husbands mother had flung at me
at my own table.
Gee! I'm hungry" Dicky flung
himself manfullv into the breach.
This tomato thing-um-bob is lust
right. Madge. May l have another
helninR?"
surely" said "hut there's steak
on the way. Won't you spoil your
appetite for it?''
"Of course. Didn't know you had
a steak. That's a bully idea of yours,
Madge. having dirne- at this time to-
dav instead of tonight
II am glad you like it, said quiet
". Actually, was afraid to give my
real reason for the early dinner. 1
had thought that Dickv's mother might
he hungry from her long ride. but I
did not dare say so, for fear it might
offend her in some mysterious wav.
Out of the corner Of my eve I could
see that she was eating the bisgue
with evident relish.
"Wil1 you not have more of the
bisuue?' I asked as she finished.
ooh. no, thank you" she returned.
still with the lev dignity which had
been hers since made the unfortun-
ate remark about katie's nervousness
over serving her.