Evening star., 1927-11-27
TURKEY IN THE OVEN

was Just a bit of responsibility that
went with that key
The girl in the train? What did
she expect him to do next? Heloise
having been provided for, snatched
from the freezing. as it were, instead
of the burning, should he merely lock
up the house again, put the key under
the mat and disappear? Just little
bit abrupt, perhaps? Family sug-
gestive of disjointedness? With n
chuckle. he found himself visualizing
advertisements in the personal column
of some Sunday paper.
"Wil a certain gentleman who as
sisted a certain lady in n recent some
what delicate dilemma concerning a
stove please accept thanks for the
same-and report where he left the
knife that he cut the ham with
"Will the uncertain lady who ran
away TO town to meet an uncertain
gentleman please notify amateur ami
NAL rescuer of name of steamer and
date Of sailing so that all due con-
gratulations, etc, etc.
Peep. Peep. Peep reused the
turkey.
sleepier. Even Heloise? Not a bad
ring sort of chirp.
X X X
MAKING from the sleep that had
w encompassed him so unexpect-
edly Merwyn found himself staring
into the eyes of rather k-look-
ing old lady in a black k-stringed bon
net and a gray alpaca duster.
Good lack cried the old lady
so you're Holen's admirer, are you"
Merwyn stumbled to his feet.
Helen? Helen? Oh, yes, OF course.
the girl on the train.
ooh. yes-yes, indeed" he attested
heartily. II certainly do admire Miss
Helen very much"
The old lady gave a snort.
Don't YOU Miss Helen anybody
to me- she said I'm Helen's aunt,
Helen's maiden aunt" she added, not
without a hint Of righteousness.
"Well. now" babbled Merwyn, "you
have every reason to congratulate
yourself upon that fact
Which fact?" demanded the old
lady.
"The fact Of. being Miss-Miss
Helen's aunt" he rallied valiantly.
"All is." said the old lady before
him, 'all is-have you, or have you
not, been faithful to her?'
Have I-what?" gasped Merwyn.
He lifted hand to brush the last
blur of sleep from his eyes, then
laughed, instead.
"Faithful?" he said. Upon my
soul! Since I set eyes on your niece
| have never even spoken to any
other woman--except you"'
"Oh-pshaw." f'uttered the old lady.
She began to preen her skirts little.
Something just a little crafty crept
same she confided, just bit sharp
lv. II don't hold so specially with
Helen, you understand? She's too
dreamy. 1t makes her wasteful. She
leaves faucets running. And burns
things. She burned just one thing
too many. 1t was a pie. The min.
ister's wife gave it to me. 1t was
made out of some mincemeat that
the bishops wife gave her. Helen
left it in the oven too long while
she went out to pick up some baby
robins that had fallen from their
nest She was just little girl. but
I've never spoken to her since"
Mercy" groaned Merwyn.
"Where is Helen?" she questioned.
lowering her voice to a whisper.
With the full explanation Of every
thing just trembling on his lips Mer-
wyn changed his mind, quite unac.
countably
"She's gone out to--do an errand,"
he confided. Something about
luncheon"
Quite unahronted by the apparent
mockery. the old lady gave a chuckle
and started toward the door.
That's as it should be. 1t was
you that I came to see."
ME? T." stammered Merwyn.
"After ALL" she confided. II don't
hold go specially with family feuds.
Not in prolonging them unduly. that
is. If l like Helen's young man. l
said. I'll-'"
And If you didn't?" bantered Mer
wyn. Just in a minute, he reasoned,
she would be gone. and Miss Morrow,
Turner-on of Faucets and Forgotten
of Mince Pies, could make such ex-
plantations as she saw fit about this
later blunder. AS to his own most
casual relation to the matter, cases
Of mistaken identity were as common
as automobiles. Unless the old lady
were utterly insane, she would hardly
accompany her niece to the Orient;
there had been a mistake,
But / like you"' she said. you've
got roguish laugh. But steady
eyes, Your hands look awful strong!
But l wager they can be tender. too.
You'll make a kind trainer. Helen
needs kind training. Maybe l wasn't
kind enouoh--but-'
The pale old eyes swept the young
mans face again.
"Of course" she confessed I've
known that you were coming. But.
when ] heard that the taXi-man had
brought such a real handsome young
fellow to the house l thought l
wouldn't take any chances. so | came
right over" She pointed to the bag
in her hand. $50 don't you worry
any" she chuckled. Pm on my way
to make n new will. Everything for
Helen. Helen and her husband, Not
so much. but tidy. A hundred thou
sand. if it's a cent. And my haircloth
furniture, beSides"'