The Raymer enterprise., 1922-03-30
NIGHT Be WORSE
y sELLE HALL.

Ane COOK was "peeved." The mQyOn.
natse had separated aud 1t took the
whole white Of the egg. added drop
by drop, to bring II back to lts cor.
rect creamy thickness.
The kitchen registered ~ degrees
at the carving table, Its coolest corner.
and cook surveyed her puffed and ach.
Ing ankles with eyes that blurred.
Getting absolutely dat.footed in
this confounded place." she raved In
wardly. ~ she gave the luncheon card
vicious thrust back on its nail and
took down the dinner menu.
Fathers and mothers twenty-nfth
anniversary" the daughter Of the
house, . bride Of q month. had written
facetiously over the line: Dinner for
Y At $780,"
Twenty-Five years-isn't Il thrill.
Ing" shs had smiled ut cook. tapping
her tiny teeth with her pencil % she
calculated Just how many oddly deli.
cious things she could manage to crowd
onto. one slip Of paper. for daughter
was practfcing the menu part Of house
keeping just now Ia mothers house be.
fore she went Into her own home on
her return from abroad.
twenty-five years! Thrilling |
Humph!" Al she chilled and glazed
and ineringued the dinner for 12. back
along the years the cooks mind trav-
eied to another seethlng summer day
another home not 90 very much mora
simple after Oh, but yet her own. where
she had waited with mother and
laughing bridesmaids by her side. tear.
ful but happy. for the one man to lead
her down to the waiting minister, the
relatives and friends.
Over them oil, her thoughts raced
back-the struggling years. the full
years, the lean years. the lonely years.
the well-w0rn years-her self pity
growing stronger and stronger. and
through It oil the thermometer mount.
Cd and the dinner for II progressed,
until at $50 cook dropped into the
chair with finul growl It the little
kitchen maid: "Now. let them rave
on, kid; we'll be ready"
.Fine!" ventured little Maggie.
Frightening vlsibiy ut the frst nearly
pleasant word that hnd smanated from
her top boss that day.
.Listen. cook, let's Joy ride over
with John when he takes Bridget home
will yer?"
10y ride do look like Joy rider
marisd the cook. "And what are
those pansr
Them are the clean pans for the
milk. Come on. WIN yerr
Yea, m 60"
@Ws'll make him drive 10 home by
the crazy folks house, the longest
way round" whispered Maggie to
cook, and then-"Will yery she
called to John when he came out from
the tiny grocery. where he had gone
for yeast cakes. after leaving the
laundress at her door.
.Will yerf
"All che can say ID WIN YER"
shouted cook. above the crankine Of
the servants Lizzie-m e-mobile-"Haye
you ume!"
"Yes." said good-natured John, com.
fortably. Il guess 30. The boys will
start the milking"
Down the shady country road they
chugged along the gardens VI the
state inhrmary.
Just now work for the day was
over. In groups under the shade trees
the old men waited the call for sup
per. The boys played a random game
Of ball. The women, sullen and indlf.
ferent, trooped down the walk from,
the laundry.
John guided the car through the
gates and drove slowly round the
dnveways. past the big stone build.
ings.
Cook, growing cooler In the soft
hase Of the June afternoon. forget.
ting for the moment to look inward
and backward. sased out thoughtful
y 1t the blue denim clad figures.
Cooks kitchen with lts diversity
Of daily troubles, began BY contrast
to take on q roseate hue.
Don't they never 30 out, John?
Are the doors an locked on 'em?
What's the bars forr plped Maggie.
bouncing from side to side trying tO
look everywhere at once.
Behind the bars are the very worst
cases." John told her. ''the hopeless
ones and the violent ones. And that's
the hospital"
How much she had to be thankful
for. cooks thoughts ran on--her
health and earning capacity, her
strength and active mentality. Even
memory became sweet. a.. one by one.
the blank faces passed In review.
Look At al the children? Where
do they al come froml Can't they
ever get outf Gee, they ali look like
you do when you're awful mad, cook.
Are we going out this gatei Gee, I'm
glad we're going out IN We ain't lame
nor blind nor sick nor uutbin': amt