The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-04-19

could manage the way she does. /
don't suppose you could be tempted
to take little of this planked steak ?"
She had put quite q generous piece on
the warmed plate and was passing Il
to him.
"But, daughter" suggested DR..
Forbes, kindly. "if DR.. Andover has
had dinner, 1t will only be doing him
an unkindness In forcing more upon
him"
But DR.. Andover mumbled some
thing about rather light supper" and
for the next few minutes Joined the
Forbes household in the delectable
task Of eating perfectly br6iled
planked steak.
After that, though It was sometimes
little difficult for DR.. Andoyer to
walk right up to the front door of the
Forbes house when he knew he would
be met there by the disconcerting
Helen Forbes, It was even more diff
cult to stay away. Sometimes he
would definitely decide not to call. His
own evening repast was early and this
seemed to add to the desirabflity ca
short after-dipner walk down College
street.
But despite his decision not to stop
at the Forbes house, he would stop.
Sometimes he was tempted even fur.
Their by the tantalizing aroma Of din
ner, huckleberry pie or roasted lamb
or fresh aromatic coffee. Mrs. Taylor's
coffee could never be smelled that
way when It cooked. DR.. Ogden re-
membered that she had once told him
that the way she made it she kept all
the flavor in the coffee pot and that
was what made It taste SO good.
1t was the test Of good coffee, she
said, not having the smell of 1t escape
from the pot. But Helen Forber's cot
fee always smelled all the way rouno
to the front Of the house, and to DR..
Andoyer it was perfection in the cup.
So it happened that quite often,
without exactly intending to do 80,
the young college president shared
some of the good things that Helen
had prepared for her fathers dinner
and always when he did there was
the evidence of the greatest pleasure
lessor, who though he may have worn
his coats until they were shabby GER
tainly did not curtail himself on the
good things Of the table.
"0f course, though" said Helen
once when DR.. An6over had come out
with an enthusiastic bit Of praise or
her cookery. "If were a perfect
housekeeper like your Mrs. Taylor
could set better table on much less
money. She must be quite remarkable.
Why, Just today she was telling us at
the missionary society that she can
make pound of coffee go two weeks
and the meat bills aren't SO a week.
OF course, she said she couldn't man
age that way unless she felt real In
terest in you. You really were mighty
lucky to get her. Really, it was quite
amusing.
Poi. Patridge's wife told Mrs. Tay-
Tor that II you never married 1t would
be her fault, and then Mrs. Taylor said
that at any rate you'd never marry for
good home and good housekeeper.
l though that was SO sweet OF her"
Eyes, I am sure 1t was" weakly re-
Joined DR.. Andover. He recalled then
that he had fried cornmeal for
supper, although he had begged theper
feet housekeeper to omit cornmeal for
few weeks. He had never liked It
anyway, he said, but he didn't say
what he felt, that. he had been corn
mealed to death, since her arrival. :.
OF course it was because of the econ.
omy in using corn meal that she per.
sisted, and DR.. Andover did eat It be-
cause he had a healthy young appe-
ttte and he had to eat something.
"But, them, continued DR.. Andover,
"a man doesn't marry for home or
for good cook. II the woman he
loves happens to be good house.
keeper and all that sort Of thing It is
Just an added blessing. suppose"
DR.. Andover was preoccupied after
that. He tried to discuss the new sys.
tenn Of student grading with Dean
Forbes, but his thoughts did not aeem
to collect. At quarter to 8 he rose to
leave. Nine was the deans habitual
bedtime.
He babe the dean good night rather
hurriedly, and then as he turned to
Helen he looked very intently at her,
so intently that the radiant Helen
dropped her eyes. "Tm coming back
at half past 8. See me alone on the
N6rduub.
1t was rather chilly spring night
to be philandering on verandas, and
Helen slowly went down to meet him.
TITS about marrying you that want
to talk, Helen" he said when they had
reached the : dark shelter Of an old
lilac hedge. "You have always been
the kind Of woman I'd wanna real
woman, magnificent and radiant and
beautiful. It's the kind of woman rye
always dreamed about. But, hang It
all, l don't want you to think I'm ask.
Ing you because you are such a won.
derful cook and housekeeper. I'd feel
such contemplate blackeuard to
marry woman for a housekeeper.
You know it is you, Helen. that /
want? I've feared there wasn't a
chance you'd have me-"
It's funny how gossip goes IN a Iit.
tie college town like that. A week
later when Helen and DR.. Andoyer's
engagement was announced there
wasn't professors wife in town but
had known it for weeks.
Helen, they said, had always been
setting her cap for the new president.
For time they said It seemed as n he
might have preferred Mrs. HfldeeTade
Taylor, in spite Of the slight differ.