The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1920-01-10

CROSSED WIRES
BY HAZEL 3. CUMMINGS.

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RSopyrlsht. Mcclure Newspaper sYudleateJ
Ihey had beeH married TWO months.
ana the secret was "oIt Of the bag
now-tle secret that often has a string
Of tragic results tied to lt-cooking.
Or more specifically in Mabel's case.
baking.
She knew perfectly that the thing
Jimmie adored, next to herself, was
good cooking, and SO there followed IN
sad succession applr pies, spice cakes
and many kinds OF mysterious war
breads. But as the weeks passed the
disappointment in Jimmie's eyes grad.
ually resolved itself into open resent.
ment.
One crisp Wednesday morning he
arose with a rare crouch. A broad
strip of sunlight fell across the break.
fast table as he stirred his coffee. cast
ing a glance of ~antagonism at the
heaping plate of corn mullins and the
brown fapjacks."
mo eggs?" he querled briefly.
"Why, my dear. ! thought-well YOU
are rather late this morning and | was
afraid you might miss your train if"
She hesitated and fingered the table
cloth nervously.
He selected a muffin sullenly, BIZ into
1t, and then the long-dreaded declara-
ton of war came. Mabel! What did
you put in these things?' And ris-
ing from the table he continsed
angrily: DO you expect me 10 go in
and do a mornings work on those salt
buns? I'll be a hopeless case from
Indigestion in another week"
He strobe into the hall, calling bach
with cold significance: II won't be
home for supper" Then the front door
slammed and the tragedy in MabeI's
eyes deepened as she recalled that for
the first time since their marriage he
had not kissed her good-by.
She sat there for a long time: the
flapjacks had grown cold.
The passing hours and a good lunch
had the effect of greatly subduing
Jimmie's wrath, and late afternoon
found him thinking regretfully of his
harsh words at the breakfast table. He
began to wonder what Mabel was
thinking and was forming a resolution
to atone for his unkindness by calling
her up and telling her they would take
supper in town. when the phone rang
sharply. He answered it. There were
voices on the wire. "Hello-helloi !" re
peated Jimmie impatiently, and then
1 tho 1fcnr6nr af uafooe Jfo1 or-,. ,-1
a man spoke quickly:
Hello Thought I'd better call you
and tell you that your wife left here
awhile ago and forgot her umbrella (:
We were delivering a small quantity of
arsenic to her. but she was in a hurry
land left lina-was cut of Abrupt
". Terror was flashing in Jimmie's
eyes. Arsenicl lie sfgnaled the OPP
orator wildly:
you've cut me Off" he fairly shout
ed.
"What number were you talking
with?" came the leisurely inquiry.
"I-I-Oh, | don't know" his voice
sounded like a low cry, as he replaced
the receiver.
He felt strangely weak as a few mo
ments later he found himself being
borne in a mud-splashed taxi-at the
highest rate of speed allowed by the
law. to the suburbs.
Every ONE Of the journey in
creased his agony of suspense-ar-
senicli Bitter regrets for his heart
lessness and ill-humor of the past
couple of weeks crowded his mind, and
all of the deep love for the little wom-
an who had tried so hard and was
perhaps even then lost to him forever
brought a mist to his eyes. Twilight
had long set in when he finally arrived.
Then an odd sound reached his ears,
there was a peculiar odor, and turning
he saw a thin ray of light under the
door leading to the kitchen. He flung
it open, and there in a blaze of light,
with a background of pans and meas
uring tins. stood Mabel, in a big apron.
her cheeks rosy with the heat from
the stove. She was just lifting a cake
from the oven-not one of the fiat, pale
variety, but a beautiful, d~elicately
Drowned onel Jimmie stood dishev-
elled and wide-eyed in the doorway.
"Why, Jim! You're early she be
gan, but in a second he strobe toward
her and caught her in his arms, to
| he evident peril of the freshly baked
cake.
'Thank heavens you're here-you're
all right?' He looked at her keenly
and kissed her again and again. She
drew away from him in puzzled aston
ishment at his odd words.
"Of course I'm all right. Jimmie
what's the trouble?"
He tried TO laugh lightly. Il
nothingi Were you out this afternoon
shopping? Did you-er-forget your
umbrella. Leave it in a store-?"
eyes, dear. l was out, but I brought
my umbrella back all right.
Next morning Jimmie stood waiting
for the elevator to carry him TO his Of
fre on the sixth floor. As he stepped