The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-12-06
Mr.. Maye's
q, Memory

forget, Brother Toni"
What is that Emma?
Don't forget to go to the help Of
new girl is good for nothing, and the
old one can't do everything. Young
or old, man or woman, don't care,
only send me up a competent cook by
10 o'clock this morning"
Don't look SO desperate, sis; I'll
remember it. l want things in pref
ty good style for Maxwell; he is used
to it's fond of good dinners, and /
guess I'll send you up a good, smart
man cook, Emma"
II hope Mr.. Maxwell won't expect
things too nice; but I'll do my best
In other matters, Tom, If you'll only
provide some one capable Of serving
good dinner"
Mr. Thomas Maye disappeared with
a reassuring nod. He had proven
bially bad memory; pretty Emma
Maye knew it very well, yet IN this
desperate emergency she trusted him.
Dangerous; but what. could she dof
During the two years she had had
charge Of her widowed brothers
family, they had been blessed by tho
most skillfu1 of cooks; but Joan had
taken a fancy to get married, and her
place was hastily supplied by one who
soon proved incapable. At this juno
ture Mr. Maye received tidings that
his deceased wife's favorite brother,
Arthur Maxwell, just returned from
Europe, would pay him visit.
From the first, Emma had been
nervous over the responsibility of en-
tertaining this elegant young man
whom she had never seen. She was
lovely and accomplished: but she
could not cook-she had never tried.
Certainly, 1t seemed task enough for
a young lady of twenty to superintend
a family consisting of her brother
and herself, two boys and their tutor,
two little girls and their nurse maid.
with two other servants. But though
arduous, it had been well performed.
The house was the perfection Of
neatness and taste, the children well
trained, and Emma was much beloved
in her brothers. family. To him she
had beeMpdevoted, in sickness and
healsh, and he gratefully intended to-
make her tasks as light as possible.
But he had q proverbially bad mem
ory, and, unfortunately, Emma had
been obliged to trust to It,
1t was half-past o'clock when Mr..
Maye went down town. He took moth.
ing but a cup of coffee at z, and
lunched at his fayorite restaurant at
H. At halfpast the Mayes dined,
and Mr.. Maxwell was expected by the
80 train.
'Therei" sighed Emma, when, two
hours after her brothers departure,
the house was in its usual exquisite
order, and the viands and flowers sent
UP for dinner; eff Tom doesn't for
get, and If he sends up good cook.
everything will be nice enough"
She did not dare consider the pos
sibility of Toms having forgotten, or
that of the cook not coming for any
other reason; but when, precisely at
10 o'clock, the door bell rang, a secret
weight was lifted from her heart She
ran herself to answer the summons.
A medium-sized, well-dressed, mod
est-looking young man stood at the
entrance, and she frightened at sight
of him
81 am very glad you are SO pune
tual; I was afraid l should be disap
pointed" leading the way to the
kitchen, without an instant's delay,
'Let me see-10 o'clock. / shall have
to set you to work at once to prepare
frst-class dinner. We are expecting
company from New York, our cook
has left me, and do not myself know
anything about cooking. What is your
name?" relieving the young man OF
his hat, and hanging it as high out OF
reach as possible.
His reply was rather faint, but she
thought she caught 1t.
Mac? You do not look like an
Irishman. But it doesn't make any
difference. Are you good cook?"
The smile of the young man was
rather puzzling.
"I'H do my best" he said, pleas
antly.
~Yoa see there's nothing In the
house but cold chicken" continued
Emma, unconsciously wringing her
hands as she continued to address
the new cook, who certainly listened
very, attentively. But my brother
has sent up some pigeons-to be roast
ed, suppose"
"Yes'm."
"Can you make celery salad?"
81 think can"
"And mayonaise sauce for the cold
chicken?"
'Yes'm."
Can you make French soup?"
II can"
"Oh well, / guess you will do" be
ginning to look relieved. BE sure
the vegetables are not oyerdone, and
the coffee good-my brother is very
particular about his coffee. And We
will have a Florentine pudding?"
with an inquiring look.
tfu--t.-. % xoadflu