The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1920-06-14
JUST PIE
BY ALICE PIERCE.



ocean and in the next records the safe
delivery of deceased aunt's remains
to Mr.. Blank. of Blanktowp. via parcel
post at the trifling cost Of forty-three
cents. we are compelled to describe
Phoebe Hurlburt as an anachronism
Long ago, when the whalers set sail
from the little port. Photbe's grand.
mother made most wonderful pies
Phoebe makes them just as de!ectable
-and by the same recipe. Not the
most noted man of science can sug-
gest one Improvement in the pies the
old New England housewives con
cocted. Phoebe didn't try. and there
In laysher success.
Phoebe HurIburt occupied n place in
the sun not too close to forty at the
time her romance began. Cousin Jane
was close behind Jane had all along
Intended 1t to he her own romance !:
but, somehow, in the last act the cues
cot twisted and John Beliayre walked
into the Hurlburt kitchen where
Phoebe in an immaculate calico house.
dress. vas in the act of removing from
the oven two crispy, fragrant apple
pies. instead of into the orchard where
Jane had staged herself in an act
worthy of Relasco himself John stay
ed in the kitchen to have a sample
served with clothed cream, and stayed
so long that finally Jane, all u<assist
ed, climbed down from the tree in
which she was precariously seated.
1t had been along about Christmas
time when Jane met John Bellayre
He had been the guest of honor at
so-called Sunday morning breakfas,
party. AS matter of fact both
morning" and breakfast" were mis-
nOmers. for the guests assembled al
one o'clock, and what they had to eat
was rather elaborate luncheon. Jane
had written her country cousin all
about it and had kept her informed
Of the progress of the friendship
Jane liked to be called "clever," and
1t was with that adjective that the
other women present at the breakfast
described her manipulation Of John
Bellayre. But to do Jane justice she
was an attractive woman, and Bel
fayre didn't need much managing te
drift into close friendship.
Phoebe usually listened in on the
conversations, now and then surprising
everybody by putting In a brightly In
telligent comment In exactly the right
place. She presided over the house
cool, competent, immaculate. But to
all invitations to visit in the city she
returned polite but final declination.
She didn't like cities.
1t was here in the charming old New
England village that Jane had planned
that the browning event of her life
should take place. John Bellayre was
dramatic critic for one of the city dai
lies. He knew many desirable people
and he was himself an extremely lik
able man. Jane calculated that her
oft-repeated statement that she wou6
not give up her freedom before she
reached the age of thirty-ive would
help, rather than hinder. Men pre-
ferred to have some obstacles to over
comet tickled their masculine van
ity.
1t didn't suggest itself to Jane tt
take into consideration the fine SENSE
of values which dramatic critic mus
possess to take him high in his pro
fessiOn. 1t never occurred to her tina,
she looked as an orchid would were II
used In the stage setting Of the "O.d
Homestead" She merely noted caSu
ally that John seemed to enjoy sitting
on the veranda where Phoebe vas al
ways to be found In the afternoon with
her erecheting. He would sit Tiers
laKily by the hour. hardly speaking al
all. Jane usually spent those hoars
In FO&<-
On the last eveaing Of her guests
stay some restless irnpulse, foreign to
her placid nature. drove Phoebe to ths
kttehen. Che explained to her mothe,
that II promised to be het tomorrow
and 10 she guessed she weuld do some
baking before she went to bed. She
had heard James words to John Bel
iayre ns her cousin went upstairs di
rectly after the early supper. IT have
some notes to write, John; will meet
you In the orchard at kaN-past seven
Then, at seven. she had seen hel
cousin steal out Of the side door ar
rayed in q pale mauve gown, one
Phoebe had never seen before ant
which struck her as almost indecent
in its daring simplicity.
John Bsllayre caught q Whit Of tn.
fragrant edor Of steaming apple pie a,
he started down the path toward tn.
orchard. Without IN the least an
aiyxing his swn motives, he refracet
his steps, opened the kitchen door ant
walked In.
II It Is true that the way to a man.
heart is through his stomach. II II
equally true that every woman is a.
heart a born firt-even the mos
placid. Anyway. when Jane returned
to the house, after maintaining to n,
purpose her precarious position in tn.
apple tree. when II had grown too iarl
for the Gimnlo limos nf hor uoouvo oo,,-,