The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1919-10-02


Their in his courtship than to linger
after dinner ccaslonally-always with
some other table companion present
to talk with Bernlce In the old-fash.
Toned, gloomy drawing room, and occa-
sionally to meet her for five-mlnute
tete-a-tete, he felt that he would have
no great difficulty in winning her af-
lection. There was something in her
expression toward him that he did not
see when she talked to the others.
us Miss Bernice homer he asked
the maid of all work who answered
his ring early one afternoon when he
had determined to have little talk
with her away from the rest, and the
young lady was in the kitchen. Bur
ton felt thrill of happiness.
1t had bothered him a little that Ber-
nice never appeared to be helping this
patient mother of hers, but now 1t oc-
Cured to him that she really did help
with the cooking, though she was al
ways at leisure at meal times and after
dinner. SO quite unceremoniously he
followed the maid back into the
kitchen, and there stood the lovely
Bernice, lovely in new. half-made
frock, with the patient mother on her
knees before her adjusting the ruffles
and flounces that embellished it.
Bernice beat hasty retreat, with
an "Oh Mr.. Monroe" at being thus
discovered and then Burton saw the
mother for the first time. She was
not the worn, tagged, oldish person
he had expected. Her hard work had
apparently rather added q cheerful ro-
tundity to her figure, and though there
were tired shadows under her eyes.
there was no look of actual exhaustion
there. She started to her feet and
Burton, laughing, put out a hand to
help her.
There was the flavor of cooking APP
pie pies, uncloyed by any of the other
scents of close kitchen, for Mrs.
Purdon was noted for her immacu-
late housekeeping. And somehow Bur-
ton always associated the fragrance
of apple pies with that first meeting.
Burton told the mother of Bernice
that he was glad to meet her. and
she laughed and he was so surprised
to find how mistaken he had been in
his notion of what Bernice's mother
would look like that he didn't notice
Bernice after she returned. When
he did the fairness of the daughter
seemed to pale beside the mature Sc
renity of the brown-eyed mother.
That evening after the long days
work was done he was waiting with
the finest motor car he could rent to
take the mother on an airing through
the warm spring air of the country.
When Burton saw that it was obvious
that Bernice chose to regard herself
as included in his invitation he asked
one of the boarders who happened to
be present to go too so that they might
sit together in the back seat while
he and the mother sat in front. Then
for several nights this little quartet
went spinning In this car that Bur
ton explained had been lent by a for
mer employer of his.
81 say that's a mean trick Miss Ber-
nice is playing" commented one of
the boarders to another on their way
from the house not long after. "She's
shaken him for Tom Sprague and
while poor Monroe runs the car and
pays for the gasoline he has to sit
with mother in the front. / guess
she got wind that Tom Sprague's get
ting a raise"
And the next morning came the cleo
trifying information. James Monroe
wasn't James Monroe at all, but that
big financier, Burton Hall. Bernice
had found it out-she happened to
see the name on a letter that dropped
from his pocket, but she hadn't told
even her mother.
"Now, / guess she's sorry she threw
him over for that Sprague fellow"
commented the boarder to his compan-
ion as they left the house the day
the startling news was verified.
"Why, man alive" chimed in third
of the boarders, "it's the old lady he's
been after. There's something funny
about 1t somewhere"
"But then" reflected the other,
"she's a goodish looking woman-can't
be over forty, and even millionaire'd
be proud to have wife that could
make her apple pies"