The northwestern bulletin., 1922-07-22
TO A MANS HEART
BY ELSIE p. oILPATRIcK.


the opinion that the way to a mans
heart Is through his stomach, and
Ruth Cameron must have believed 1t,
because when she found Paul Hub
bard hungry and disgusted with his
boarding place, she took him home
and cooked for him a roast chicken
and escalioped potatoes and every
thing else to match.
Inevitably, then, followed Paul's neg
lect Of Nancy Barksdale, whom he
had been counting for a long time, and
who, by her own telling, didn't known
what the inside of a kitchen looked
like. In her home number of serv-
ants carried on the work behind the
scenes, but Ruth had been reared un-
der no such handicap. She could whip
mashed potatoes to a fluffiness that
made you afraid they might blow away,
and beat a cake into q lightness that
made 1t ft for someone who was much
more Of an angel than was Paul Hub
bard. Paul was tremendously human.
AS his dinner invitations from Ruth
multiplied, his evenings with Nancy
diminished.
Then the Jimmy Bentons, who were
fond of Paul, took hand In the affair,
and asked him to board with them.
"Now Wen see If he goes to call on
that Cameron cook so often," chuckled
Jimmy to Mrs. Jimmy. after he eats
your cooking three times day, I'll
bet Miss Ruth loses her drawing card"
But it was already too late, or Miss
Cameron was too charming a cook, or
something, because after that Paul
paid her more attention than ever. Mr..
and Mrs. Jimmy had difficult time
of it, trying to keep him home even
when Nancy happened to be calling
there.
81 tell you, a fellow who works hard
for living ought to marry girl that
knows how to cook" he would declaim
vehemently, as though someone were
disputing him, and 1t soon became
plain to everyone that he was intend
ing to marry Ruth. Though he hadn't
asked her, that young lady herself
often made verbal speculations upon
the style Of wedding ring she pre-
ferred to her friend Marjorie.
To help matters along, Mrs. Benton
sprained her ankle and lost her maid
the same day, and Paul Hubbard was
obliged to go back to the dark, greasy
inn for daily sustenance. After three
days Of trying to endure lukewarm
vegetables and clammy salads, he de-
cided to marry at once, and move into
a cozy apartment right next to the
Jimmy Bentons.
That evening, on the Camerons' We
randa, he talked and talked and talked,
until almost every topic in the world
was exhausted, except the one he was
thinking of, and then, just as he
got his chair moved closer, and his
throat cleared, and his heart thump-
ing violently, the telephone rang. Mrs.
Benton was calling Mr.. Hubbard.
81 have found someone to help In
the kitchen, so you may come back
here for your meals tomorrow" she
said.
Thanks, Mrs. Jimmy, you've
saved my life" Paul felt so relieved
that he lunged forward quickly to tell
Ruth about 1t, but the hall was dark,
and he stumbled headlong over foot
stool. Ruth answered his groans by
coming at once. She found him nurs-
ing a great welt on his shin. Some
how, after he had picked himself up
and got back to the veranda and
Strengthened his pompadour, he didn't
feel so much like proposing, so he
postponed it until Sunday afternoon,
in his canoe, under the willows, aud
took his leave at 10 o'clock.
In spite of her sprained ankle and
her unframed kitchen help, Mrs. Ben
tons Sunday dinner was a great sue
cess. When Paul offered to serve the
dessert, she gratefully sent him to the
kitchen, where he saw q blue apron
almost hiding a girl as she stood at
the sink washing dishes. For a mo
ment he stared. then he took big
strides in her direction.
"Nancy, what are you doing hereT
For answer, Nancy looked fright
ened, and said nothing.
"NancyT Paul's tone was very ten
der.
"You weren't supposed to know 1t.
I only came because Mrs. Jimmy said
you were starving"
Two strong arms kept Nancy from
whiting, and a torrent of tender words
made tears out Of the question.
1--WE been starving for something
better than food. Nancy, am I going
to get it?" She held up her mouth
for kiss.
From the dining room Jimmy Ben
ton was heard calling loudly for his
dessert, and so a lot Of things which
would have been very pleasant just
then had to be put of until they went
canoeing an hour later.
"You were a darling to do all that
for me, Nancy, and you know I never
stopped loving you, only / got crazy
notion-Nancy, you're the sweetest
girl in the worldv'
Presently they heard voices In a
canoe which was still out Of sight