Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1923-09-14
(By Blanche NJ, Jones, in Pacific
Homestead.

Page as she buzzed about the we'll
kept blue and white kitchen with
its brightly polished steel range.
There were no flowers in the win
dow Of Mrs. Pages kitchen, but
neither was there a speck of dust
to be found on the white enamel
window sash. There were no new
fol.de-rols in the life of Sarah
Page, but she prided herself on
always managing to get through
with the essential things, and
cook three good meals each day
sit would be mthinkable that
any one should pretend to keep
house and do less than that.
Sarah Page would have said it if
she had given expression to her
ideas On the subject, but Sarah s
way was to do, rather than to cog
itate about such matters.
On this particular Thursday
morning she had found herself
through with the kitchen work at
500 o'clock. The house had had
its semi-weekly sweeping and
busting the day before. There
was plenty on hand in the cooler
for emergencies; and Sarah was,
temporarily, through with the
work, so to speak.
Now, the cause of this unusual
and unexpected crisis was the nee
essity of a mid-week trip to town
for John Page. who had been call
ed to serve on the jury. The chill
dren, Clarice and Ted, had taken
their lunches and were off to
school for the day,
"l'll just call this my day eff, ;"
repeated Sarah Page, the idea
growing upon her the more she
thought about it, "and I'll do just
as | please all day." she decided,
declaring confidently and aloud
her intentions. Eve been want
ing to see Martha Hill about the
grange picnic, so I'll just take
that pillow case [ have been want
ing to finish the embroidery on
before Silas' folks come out for
their visit this summer. The
others been done for a month,
but the spring sewing for the
children has kept me so busy that
| never thought to get them done
in time at all" and Sarah bustl-
ed about, changing her morning
dress and stout shoes for a pretty
blue gingham, organdy trimmed
frock, and some dainty white OK
fords and stockings. Her crisp,
light hair was tlufed out becom-
ingly and crowned by broad
black hat wreathed in blue, pink
and purple cornfowers. Sarah
was not displeased with her APP
pearance as she glanced hastily
in the long mirror of her dresser,
before leaving.
A loud knock at the kitchen
door called her to earth again.
"Mr. Page sent me around with
crate of loganberries," announc-
ed the intruder. "He said he'd
forgot to tell you that he had ord
cred them for today, but it would
be all right, as you'd be at home
anyway, and not so busy as usu-
al"
The berries were mloaded on
the back porch and the neighbor
drove away.
Sarah glanced ruefully at her
self in the glass before she took
off the festive fower-trimmed hat
and pretty gown. She hung them
carefully away in the closet, and
changed back to her work-a-day
dress and shoes, preparatory to
canning those inopportune logan
berries. They were already over
ripe and must be taken care of at
once. AS she looked from the
window above the kitchen sink
where she was washing and fill
ing jars, she saw coming up the
lane, Clarice, her ten-year-old
daughter, leading by the hand
seven-year-old Teddy, who droop-
ed as he walked and seemed to be
crying miserably.
In alarm Sarah ran down the
steps to meet the children and IN
quire what had brought them
home at this unusual hour.
80, Mother, is dreadful sick, :"
walled Ted. ~ throwed up cher
ries all the way home, and I'm
never going to eat cherries off of
Tommy Walkers tree again"
Poor Teddy looked limp and
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