The Taney County republican. (Forsyth, Mo.) 1895-1992, 1920-07-01
Wedding Cake
BY RALPH HAMILTON

sixty had bowed his Silvercd head TO
the decree Of adverse fortune. II
helped the bearing Of his burdens TO
have wife who contributed some
thing TO the sparse family income by
baking cakes for special occasions, re-
CeptlOns, chrlstcnings, weddings. for
she was a perfect cook and Alice,
aged eighteen, was dainty, artistic
assistant.
Robert Page had lost business and
fortune overnight in greHt conilugra-
tIon. After he had lQuldntcd his
debts there was left few hundred
dollars and the house where Alice
had been born.
"Reglnning all over again" cncOur.
aged Mrs. Page. 1T will keep us
from being DUH"
"And idle" smiled Alice. "Tve
thought it all out, father, dear. For
a year Mt least we won't try any am
hitious flights. The doctor says you
need and mast have absolute rest"
But now VIII we llNeE
"Oh, have arranged for that" de-
clnred Alice huoyantly. III you will
help me with the sweet peas, the
roses aud the asters, will guarantee
to sell every one Of them at Il profit.
Mr.. Randolph, who owns the news
stand next to the postolllCc, agrees 10
give me n window to display the flow.
crs IN their season, and his hoy viii
attend TO customers for n small com
mission"
well. It won't hurt my pride TO
carry the baskets down to the store"
spoke Mr.. Page CourHgCOUsly.
II have planned also to turn my
culinary skill to some real advantage,
spoke his wife. "'rhe Ladies' EN-
change can get me orders
Thus lightly and pleasantly mother
ana daughter heNrtcncd the husband
and father
Two miles down the river were some
large mills, and somehow in the work,
Ing community the perfection Of Mrs
Pages famous cakes gained several
customers, and the humble folk from
overseas became settled element in
the baking proposition. There was
wedding nearly every Saturday night
among the mill workers. and It got
10 he go that Il nuptial feast without
a fancy wedding cake was rarity.
| Alice. had made an arrangement with
confcctioner's supply house in the
city which sent her cake ornaments
on order. Thus, some romantic swain
from fair Italian shores could have
his wedding cake surmounted by a
frosting piece showing suGarcd castle
turrets, or shepherdesses, or dancing
fairies, but the most popular ornament
wns royal canopy over an altar, Mt
which IN satin sheen knelt the white
veilcd bride, her nfianced beside her
in immaculate dress suit.
There was one OF the mill workers,
dark eyed, swnrthy man Of about
thirty who acted rs translator and
agent for his fellow cOuntrymCn. and
several times he had come to the
Page home bringing the order for
some special occasion. Alice dStrust-
ed and dlsllked the fellow, who at
tempted no familiarity because he
dared not, hut whose piercing glance
viewed her with an admiration he
could not repress,
| Dallas Blake, who was the only
young man Alice allowed to call more
than once a week, was present on one
Of these occasions, and he openly re
sented the presence of a man he In
tuitively diScerned was greatly nt
trartcd by AlIce's beauty.
The man. Raphael, appeared late
one afternoon In great ilustpr. The
hour Of wedding for which the
cake had been ordered, he claimed
was to be two hours earlier than ar
ranged. He had a taxi at the door
Would Miss Page bring the Cake and
the ornaments and. as usual with her
|
no Jar would disturb or injure them
Unsuspectingly Alice agreed. Dusl
came on while they were going In The
direction of the mills. II wus full,
dark when the machine turned into
nm obscure lane, circled into an oil
barn and, throwing scarf over th'
face of Alice. her rompanion Rnnlne
II, tore her from the machine anr
carried her into a house beyond.
hideous old hae greeted him as HI
brought the aTrlghted Alice into he
presence.
j "The cake shall celebrate our wed
ding, yours and mine" declared Ra
= phaeli. "Ah have loved you long
I GO for friends and a priest. Marta
IL she resists-the drug. She shal
be mine this day"
D He hastened from the place. As h
l. came out at the barn exit he was sur
prised to view there strange automc
p bile. From II sprang Dallas Blake.
"You scoundrel!' ~ he shouted.
got lust a glimpse of you and Mis-
Page as you flashed along the stree
@ What have you done with heri'
i The swift gleam Of stiletto ar
IS swpred, hut before the nurderOu
v blow could be dealt the chauffeu
sprang bodily upon the assailan
m | a A