Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1924-08-06
INCINERATING
HER APPLE PIE
BY GLADYS DUNHAIME

' . = go '*''s''s
o. 1924, by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicatt

apartment at so Winter street would
nave been amazed. Not at the window.
lor It's glass was crystal clear-it had
oeen polished only the day before. Not
at the room, for neither it nor its fur
hlture was remarkable in any way.
lie may have felt some surprise that
the tiny, dropping geranium in the
bracket on the wall could look so de-
iectedly sick and yet persist in living
If he had known Theresa better he
would have known that it was because
the corner was gloomy she had most
carefully selected the brightest red
geranium old Florist Dixon had, and
mad hung it there to tighten the sur
rounding gloom. hard-hearted indeed
he would have been if he had expert
enceG no surprise, no flood of sympa-
thetic concern, at the sight of Theresa
sobbing in abandonment of grief
She was kneeling before the cas-
stove, in the corner. her head buried
in her arms on a kitchen chair, her
shoulders shaking. From the open
oven door came smoke and the un
pleasant odor Of burned foodstuif on
the projecting rack of the stove sat
black, charred circular object
The close connection between Their
esa's grief and the reekins ruin on the
stove shelf would have been instantly
apparent to anyone who had looked
into the little kitchen a few hours ear
lier-Old Mrs. Plunmer, for instance,
Theresa's landlady, who had the flat
above.
OF the brides who had in succession
occupied Mrs. Planners lower fat
until their finances permitted larger
quarters or their increasing family
made it necessary for them to transfer
to larger quarters, Theresa WAS e~s.ly
her favorite. Intrigued at first by her
beauty, almost spectacular in its per-
lection, by the ebb and tide of the rich
color in her cheeks, by the sweep of
her feathery dark lashes, by the dim
pies that played in her cheeks, Mrs
Ilummer was held in the thral Of
friendship by the younger womans toy
atty, her sincerity, her courage.
"Whateyer on earth are you doing.
childf' she had asked, as she came in
about noon. And Theresa had &3yly
led her into the boaoured pantry
4 am literally immersed in making
pie, as you see" and the high color
Of her joyous excitement showed
through the daub Of -four on her cheek
his is my pattern" she explained
gayly. 81 bought it at the church food
sale yesterday. | had all sorts of rrou-
bic hiding it from Walter when we
were coming home. Tell me, don't you
think he'll be surprised tonight? Can't
you just hear him smack his lips oh,
Pin so glad l thought to get a really
successful one to tear up and study.
This one is really a masterpiece, and
I'm trying hard to equal it.
"AppIe pie is Walters fayorite. did
not realize until night before last how
mach he really liked pie. We We're
having supper at his mothers and l
couldn't help ehvying her little when
he complimented her pie.
I'm almost afraid one pie is NOT
going to be enough. l started to make
two, but decided it was better for the
FIRST time to concentrate on one. Don't
You think so?" And Mrs. Plummer
thought so.
HaVing watched the pathetically un
skilled movements for a few minutes,
the kind old soul had offered to finish
tho pie for her
No, thank you, dear Mrs. Plum
me?, | am quite determined to make
it entirely alone. Thank you just the
same" And the old lady had gone
away, saying to her self as she climbed
the stairs. Too much excitement amt
good for nobody, and her expecting an
addition to the family
Later she could hear the piano be-
low stairs and concluded from the joy
Gus n )te in the music that the pie must
be cooking satisfactorily. When a
body can make music like the very
angels own, she can well he excused
from making pies. she thought. For
tunately for her quick sympathies She
could not see the tragic denoument in
the fiat below She could not see
HeTFSd AlGlU u Li!t temptation VI
stretching her tired body out Gust for
n minute" and return to consciousness
only when the fumes of the burning
pie had awakened her
Coming home later Walter found thu
apartment strangely quiet and unusu-
ally malddorcus. HuuVing through
the living room and dining room, he
rushed an2rehonsiyely into the Kitchen
ana found Theresa fast asleep on the
floor before TIE stove She reused her
self drov SLY at the sound of his en-
trance 'hcn consciousness of hel
swollen Yves and tousled appearance
came over her, together With@a vivid
" Object IN of the pies treaChery.
'W}y, dearest. are you sick-what's
the matar?" solcitously,
Il M; lie a wonderful pie for your
supper and then fell asleep and incin-
,retpF II Pphold :" and the voice