Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1923-09-13

ana where's the Gill funce IN QOuFlSH-
r1ent? The whole beams there. only
not in one place. And / know a way
to cook oil into beans so't the chill
dren don't taste it, and put in nice
dash Of Indian meal, and land, they
don't need nothing more to a sitting.
They get as nourished as they can
stand. You know a lot Of folks are
overfed"
Ground hereY inquired Uncle
Jerry, with lazy ambiguity.
She faced him with a flush on her
cheeks. "Uncle Jerry, you don't
mean that the reason you don't-don't
take meals with us oftener isis"
"Good Lord, no, Car'line," he ex-
ploded in amazement. "Ain't anything
would suit me bettern to eat with you
all the time, but the work I'm trying
out is-it means Irregular hours.
That's all, honest. Why, you don't
s'pose I'd be such blame-fool as to
criticize All is, it kind O. gets me
to think what family you came out
of and the bringing up"
She lifted her hand quickly in a
gesture that brushed the past out of
existence. Don't you know that's
why can live this way and be happy
doing It? I've come to see that the
more possessions you can eliminate,
the better you can breathe and the
more time you got for other folks
and that's the main concern, amt it?"
'T'll be running along" said Uncle
Jerry, with whimsical smile. Time
get back you'll have yourself argued
out of food and furniture, expect. ;"
mo, / won't" she laughed. 'Tll
make a stand for a certain amount
of both, but I'm going to remember
that enough is all | want. There's
Perennial Prue," she added softly, as
she caught a glimpse through the
open front door. 400 bad you're
going off. You might
"Well, now, IL don't have to go
straight away" admitted Uncle Jerry
slowly.
Mrs. Penf1eld gave him a sly glance,
but made no comment. 1t was begin
ming to dawn upon her that Uncle
Jerry admired Prudence Hapgood-
that he regarded her as a superior
being, worlds removed from the sort
of existence which he had known.
Before her he was sometimes shy, al
ways awkward, always self-conscious-
he, the nonchalant, self-possessed
Jerry Winston-and yet he stayed by I
Mrs Penfield wondered.
Certainly Prudence was different
from anyone else in The Custard Cup.
She was like a quiet little rowboat
that had strayed from its moorings
and had foated into group Of varie-
gated craft. Always gentle and
friendly, she yet had the slightly
aloof manner of one whose thoughts
are turned often inward. So far
from being modified by her surround
fngs, she had brought her own world
into them and kept it intact. Her
carefully preserved silk gown; the
fine old lace around the neck and edg-
Ing the sleeves; her sweetly sad
poise; the calm expression of her
eyes-these set her apart from her
neighbors, intangibly but undeniably.
She had brought bit of crocheting !;
Mrs. Penfeld got out her sewing
Jerry Winston nervously proffered
some "reminiscences of the Oregon
woods-in the interests Of pillow
tops; Lettie was quietly cutting pic
lures out of an old Weatherstone mag
azine. Conditions were ideal for
congenial confab-when like a bolt
out of the blue, word came that Mrs.
Enslow's baby had been taken Ill.
Would Mrs. Penfeld come at once?
OF course she would.
'YOu entertain Miss HApgood," she
reminded her household, with a part
ing wave Of her hand. "Ill come back
as soon's can"
No one knew upon whom the mantle
of hospitality had fallen. Uncle Jerry
became more communicative about
trees and out-of-doors, strangely easier
now that his niece was gone. Lettie,
however, understood that the honOrs
were hers. When Penzie was away,
surely she was the next hostess in
line She put aside her pictures and
directed her mental energy to the
question of hospitality.
Talking amt much good" she said
to herself, watching Uncle Jerry, who
was expatiating on the value of Ore
gon pine. "We'd oughter feed her
Folks don't think they've had a good
time to your house less they've ct"
This decision was cemented by the
fact that Miss Hapgood had treated
Crink and Lettfe to cake a few days
before. II gotta feed her somep'n. I
just gotta" She sprang to her feet
and stole into the kitchen.
She stood for some time, thinking.
Without looking, she knew there were
no treats available in the cupboard;
neither was it permissible to take self
help liberties between meals. She
would have to begin at the beginning.
Crink was on the back steps, whit
Ting pieces of wood which would
some time, with slight infusion of
Imagination, be put together as a
steamboat. Lettie approached him
with utmost ingratiation.
"Got any money. Crink?" she In
CURED gently.
"Well-er-why you wanter know?''
He looked up in shrewd caution The
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS