The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1920-08-13
Witches Loaves

/, chat for a while across the showcase.
He seemed TO crave Miss MarthA's
cheerful words
He kept on buying stale bread.
Never n cake. never a pie. never ono
OF her delicious Sally Lunns.
she thought he began 10 hook thin
ner and discouraged Her heart
ached to add something good to eat
to his rncagrc purchase. but her
courage failed at the act She did
not dare affront him. She knew the
pride OF artists.
Miss Martha took TO wearing her
blue dotted silk waist behind the
counter. In the back room she
cooked n mysterious compound Of
ounce seeds and borax- Ever 90
many people use Il for the com
plexion-
one day tfs~ customer came In as
usual. laid his nickel on tho show
case. and called for his stale ioaves
while Miss Martha was reaching for
them there was great footing and
changing. and n flre-engine came
numbering past
The customer hurried 20 the door
10 look. az any one will. Suddenly
inspired. Miss Martha seized the op
porsunsty.
on the bottom shelf behind the
counter was a pound OF fresh butter
that the dairyman had icft ten min.
utes before. With bread knife
Afsss Martha made n deep slash IN
each OF the stale loaves, inserted a
generous quantity Of butter. and
pressed the Ioaves tight again.
When the customer turned once
more she was tying tho paper
around them.
When he had gone. after an UNI
usually pleasant little chat. Miss
Martha smiled to herself. but not
without n slight fiuttcr OF the heart
Had abe been too boidl Would he
take offenseg But surely not There
was no language OF edlbles. Butter
Was no emblem OF unmaldeniy for
wardnexA
For n long time that day her mind
dveit on the subject She imagined
the scene when ne should discover
her little deception.
He would lay down his brushes
and palette. There would stand hts
casei with the pictur. he was paint
ing In which the perspective was bc
yond criticism
He would prepare for his luncheon
OF dry bread and water. He would
slice into a loaf-ah'
Miss Martha biushed. Would he
think of the hand that placed II
there as he ate7 Would hc---
The front door bell tangled vicious
Iiy. Somebody was coming in. max
ing n great deal OF noise.
Miss Martha hurried TO the front
Two men were there. One was a
young man smoking n pipe--a man
she had never seen before. The
other was her artist
on the back Of his head. his hair
was wildly rumpicd. He cienched
his two fists aid shook them fero
ciousiy at Miss Martha At Miss
Martial
"Dummkopf-' he shouted with ex.
treme loudness: and then 'Tausen-
donfcrr' or something Ike IL In Ger.
man.
The young man tried to draw him
away.
II VIII not go.- ne said angriiy.
He made n bass drum OF Miss Mar
tha's counter.
"You haf shpoiit me-" he cried. his
blue eyes blazing behind his spec
tacies Il viii tell you. You vas
you meddngsome old catf"
Miss Martha leaned weakly
against the shelves and laid one
hand on her bluedo silk waist
The young man took the other by
the collar.
"Come on he said. you've said
enough" He dragged the angry one
out at the door to the sidewalk. and
then came back.
Guess you ought to be told.
ma'am," he said. what the row IL
about That's Blumbcrgcr. He's nm
architectural craftsman. I work In
the same office with him.
Hes been working hard for three
months drawing "A plan for a new
city hall. n was n prize competi-
tion. He finished linking in the lines
yesterday. You know draftsman
always makes his drawing In pencil
first. When It's done he rubg out
the pencil lines with a handful Of
stale breadcrumbs. That's better
than India rubber.
"BIumberger's been buying his
bread here. Wen. yesterday--well,
you know, mn'am. that butter isn't
we'll Rlumberger's plan isn't good
for anything now except TO cut up
into railroad sandwiches"
Miss Martha went into the back
room She took off the blue.dotted
silk waist and put on the old brown
serge she used TO wear. Then she
poured the ounce seed and borax
mixture out OF the window into the
ash can