Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-11


calamity. Mrs. Peter sighed and
sewed and washed and ironed for the
girls and cooked and baked and con-
cocted harmless liquid refreshments for
the great unanchored who drifted in to
see Nav or Stella or Kathy or Prissy or
all four. Nice enough boys. OF course,
but none of them with steady jobs or
serious intentions
Peter, / never saw such MASTERS OF
time and food in my lifel" Mrs. Peter
walled one time after she had put the
last dish in the cupboard at midnight!
College towns are terrible!" Peter was
trying to sleep, so he groaned some
thing uninteligible. May Is. 70 and
never had a serious"
"Oh. say. Peterkin," he groaned, Tets
not decide any fates tonight; somebody's
got to bring home the bacon and lemons
and / can't work on a sleepless night!
A moments pause. Where are they?'
he added
ASK met" staccatoed Mrs. Peter.
Gone riding, I suppose. Oh, Peter,
wish we had a couple OF sons sand
Wiched in somewhere. Girls are So
Peter interrupted with chuckle.
We've got the loveliest bouquet OF fem
| mime buds he began
"Well-poetry won't do the cooking!
We've got to get a maid" Peter ex-
| ploded
Maid" snorted Mrs. Peter "one
wouldn't last week Besides. it's too
| expensive"
We'll, why don't you let them get
their own spreads?"
! They can't"
| "Oh, you're always preaching that!
Their brains just won't register cooking
recipes And clothes are SO terribly.
high"
why don't you let them make"
"Oh, Peter. go to sleep!'
| Sure! Now when I'm so wide awake
could quote statistics, you tell me to
go to sleep!"
Silence. At / o'clock Peter Worden
was still awake. At 80 he heard the
girls tiptoeing to bed. At 2 he dozed,
but was awakened by a groan. He
reached up and snapped on the light.
Mrs. Peter was lying face down.
oh, Peter. I ache SOL" she moaned.
In 10 minutes the house was blaze OF
light and four kimono-clad girls bumped
into each other getting hot-water bot
| ties. smelling salts, electric pads and
| smothering MRS. Peter with them all at
once. She had never been sick before
in her life. Prissy was smiling real
tears, Stella's teeth knocked together
like castanets and Kathy was crunpled
| in heap beside her mother, rubbing
her hands with spasmodic little jerks.
May was calm.
| The family doctor was out. Young
Dr. Bill came in his stead and scattered
them all into the living room, and there
they cuddled together like sheep in a
snowstorm. When the doctor finally
came out he summoned May.
| She's resting. Neuritis. Tired out.
Nerves" he stage whispered.
Mother never had any nerves."
walled Kathy.
Maybe they weren't exposed to the
family view" suggested the doctor. III
send nurse in the morning
No" said May, III take care of
her myself The girls are having their
vacation They can help"
IF you think" began DR. Bill.
| Il know I can"
III look in every day" he promised
| The morning found May installed in
| the sickroom. Kathy and PrisSy as sec
ond girls and Stella in the kitchen.
Peter Worden stayed around home till
| noon, then went to his Office Every
| hour he telephoned. That night he
| went home to liver underdone in the
center, bacon curling about in agony
on cold platter: watery potatoes and
! tlQulQ ketatin. ne ate ike nero.
Stella apologized.
You see, dad. It's my first real
| dinner!"
You keep digging. sister. and you'll
win!" he said heartily. He found his
wife resting in an immaculate bed with
May beside her.
III take care of Peterkin at night,
| he offered
| You can't and work daytimes" de-
cided May, looking very competent and
| handsome in her neat. plain dress. III
take nap now and sleep on cot in
here tonight
There were tears and burns and dam
ages beyond repair. but never in his
| life had Peter Worden enjoyed anything
as he did the development of his four
, daughters. After Steila'S week in the
kitchen 16-year old PriSSy traded Jobs
with her, and single week proved her
the natural-born cook of the family
May prepared all the sickroom trays
With great patience and increasing skill
Peter insisted that Kathy take her turn