, 1919-08-28
WafAes
n
BY r. RAY BAKER
opyright. 1919. by the Mcclure News
pape Syndicate.l

Dale Morgan had a n~ever-satiated
appetite for two things. One was mu-
sic and the other was waffles. He
never got enough of either.
He could have eaten waf1es, with
butter and maple strip, three times a
day; but he let his good sense guide
him sufficiently to cut 1t down t
one.
Usually it was in the evening that
he went to McSwenson's cafe to in
dulge in the delicacy that he craved
constantly. They had to be good
waffles; they had to be made just
right, and McSwenson's was the only
place in town that could please him.
For a year or more he had been a
patron of the place, and for only two
weeks of that period was he dissatis-
fed with the waf1es he obtained.
Dale knew something was wrong
the minute the hot, honeycombed cake
was set before him. 1t looked too pale
to suit him.
"a new cook making Them" he told
himself, In tones akin to CONSERVATION.
"r1l bet Jat's quit her job"
LIZ caiiDiCu IIS "tiii uAo thSh 6oh
up and left it. 1t didn't taste right.
SCOT a new cook?" he inquired of the
waiter, and held his breath until the
latter answered:
NO: Jat's just gone on a two
weeks vacation. She's coming back
all right"
So Dale went without waffies for
two weeks, and was happy when Jat
returned to her post in the kitchen.
No one else could satisfy the craving
Of his inner man.
After his evening meal Dale usually
went to a musical show. whenever he
could find one, which was not often,
because the town was small and theat-
rical attractions not up to'a high stand
ard.
Finally he bought a photograph, and
that helped some, although nothing
could take the place of a real live mu-
sician. He tried to be one himself, but
his voice had no more music h a a
cowbeIl, and he simply couldn't make
his fingers behave on the strings of a
violin much less could he master the
art of reading notes.
Came the day when Jat did quit her
job at McSwenson's, and that day
found sorrow in Dale's heart. Life
would never be the same. BE searched
the town over and finally located a
place where he could get waffes that
were halfway good, but nowhere near
ly as satisfactory as those that Jat
had made.
"Why didn't I get acquainted with
that girl and marry herr" he asked
himself man a time as he bit into
a si~rup-covered cake and shook his
head dismally over the taste of it.
"But it wouldn't have worked out
right" he would add, because I've
got to have music, too, and can you
picture a restaurant cook singing the
'Miserere?'"
Finally Dale outgrew the town and
vent to the city to try his luck. In
his birthplace he had made a fair
living as a building contractor, but he
had worked hard. In the city he hap
pened to strike It just right, and he
accumulated a great deal more money
with much less effort. Less than two
years after his change he had a small
fortune in he bank and a magnificent
home on a fashionable street; but
there were two things lacking-a COM
panion to share the home and an eff
cient "wafler." He advertised far
and wide, and tried out at least twenty
cooks, but none could he find to fill
the bill.
OF music there was a plenty. Near
ly every night found Dale at a theater,
usually one where a musical comedy
or grand opera was the attraction. So
he was well satisfied on that score.
The fact that his palatial home was
n rather desolate place, because there
was no one to share 1t, created a
yearning in his heart, and o he be-
gan looking about for some one to
make him a suitable wife. He found
her in grand opera.
Jessie Fairburn was the prima don
ma in the Acme Musical Concert COM
pany, and she became the object of
Dale's admiration-first because of her
voice, and second because of her phys
ical charms-from the time his eyes
first rested upon her.
Having a friend who knew a man
who was well acquainted with the
manager Of the theater, he contrived to
get an introduction. and during the
month that the company remained the
attraction there he wooed the new
found ideal. At the end of the month
the company went on the road, but
with a new prima donna. Jessie had
consented to occupy the big house with
Dale.
Then how that house did resound
with musicl Jessie also was a motor
enthusiast, and Dale bought her a car
that she pronounced perfection. Ev-
cry afternoon she would take a long
drive. usually with a woman friend,
for Dale seldom could get away from
h~ucinqse