The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1920-07-12
JUST PIE
BY ALICE PIERCE.


In these days when the avera ge edi.
ton Of city daily contains In one COL
umn such start rg item rs the sue.
cessful flight Of al ;iirplAne across the
ocean and In the next records the safe
delivery Of deceased ANTS 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, PhUebe's grand
mother made most wonderful pies.
Phoebe makes them just as delectable
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 lay her success.
Phoebe Hurlburt occupied a 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 be her own romance;
but. somehow, In the last act the cues
got twisted and John Bellayre walked
into the Hurlburt kitchen where
Phoebe, in an immaculate calico house
dress, was 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
IF TIL
ed in the kitchen to have a sample
served with clotted cream, and stayed
30 long that finally Jane, all u1assist
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 a
so-called Sunday morning breakfast
party. AS matter of fact both
morning" and breakfast" were mis-
nOmers. for the guests assembled at
one o'clock, and what they had to eat
was rather elaborate luncheon. Jane
had written her country cousin all
about 1t and had kept her Informed
Jane liked to be called CLEVER" am
It was with that adjective that the
other women present at the breakfast
described her manipulation of JohE
beilayre. But to do Jane justice sht
was an attractive woman, and Bel
layre didn't need much managing to
drift into close friendship.
Phoebe usually listened in on the
conversations now and then surprising
everybody by putting in brightly In.
telligent comment in exactly the right
place. She presided over the house.
cool, competent, immaculate. But d
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 he,
.oft-repeated statement that she would
not give up her freedom before she
reached the age of thirty-five 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 to
fol- int 10 a.
of values which dramatic critic must
possess to take him high in his pro
fesslon. 1t never occurred to her that
she looked as an orchid would were II
used in the stage setting of the "Old
Homestead" She merely noted casu.
ally that John seemed to enjoy sitting
on the veranda where Phoebe was al
ways to be found in the afternoon with
her crocheting. He would sit there
lazily by the hour. hardly speaking al
all. Jane usually spent those hours
In rest.
On the last evening Of her guests
stay some restless impulse, foreign ia
her placid nature, drove Phoebe to the
kitchen. She explained to her mother
that 1t promised to be hot tomorrow
aud so she guessed she would do some
baking before she went to bed. She
had heard James words to John Bel
layre as her cousin went upstairs di
rectly after the early supper. 81 have
some notes to write, John; will meet
you in the orchard at half-past seven
Then. at seven, she had seen hel