Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1933-01-26

chair. Birgitte laughed. almost out
of breath. Katie, too, laughed. This
was almost like kidnapping.
Katie brought her cook book and
sat down in a chair beside the old
woman. Birgitte looked. Birgitte
talked. Katie listened.
When Henrik Woodwork couple
of hours later came home, he was
greeted by smiling and excited young
wife and by a very unusual smell and
sight. In the middle of the dining
table stood a cake and what
cake. 1t was a wonder nothing
less. A wonder of beauty, and, as
"good taste' Old Birgitte sat in a
chair, deep satisfaction all through,
and looked on.
| From that day Katie's troubles
were over. Henrik had small gate
made and put in the fence between
the gardens, and many, many times
did his wife open and close that gate.
going to old Birgitte for help and
advice. Also, many, many times did
Henrik take Birgitte home in the
car; it was quite hard for the old
woman to walk, and she loved to go
and help Katie when anything seemed
unusually difficult.
One day Katie told Birgitte about
the chicken. Birgitte couldn't help
laughing, and Katie laughed with her.
Now she could afford that much. do
fyOu know" she said, that l am so
happy because l have found you. Now
am not afraid of anything and l
used to be so frightened. Especially
was afraid of Mrs. TOrgenson. She
is such a good cook, and, we'll, it
seems to me that she is a little =
what would you say, merciless, when
she is talking about someone's fail
ures. l must admit that / used to
be very much afraid of her.
Birgitte smiled. She was happy
too, because the young woman had
found her. This had made her feel
useful. once more, and, isn't that what
makes people happy = to feel that
they are of some use, that someone
needs them? 1t is.
Dear" said Birgitte softly. 81 am
happy that l have been able to be of
a little help to you. l am almost
living my own youth over again. But
you need never be afraid of Mrs.
lTorgenson. She was absolutely i'm
POSSIBLE as a cook when she married.
She couldn't even cook potato de-
Gently. And the first time she fried
a chicken! Well l don't like to talk
about people much. But she is,
as you say, merciless. Not little,
but very much so. She made much
worse mess of that chicken-frying
than you did with yours. She forgot
to clean it out. She left everything
in it. Imagine. / know, because l
happened to come into her kitchen
just when she took it out of the
oven and stood there wondering what
could be the matter with it. Talk
of odOr! o, dear, | can almost feel
it in my nostrils yet. l never told
anybody before. 1t didn't seem quite
the right thing to do; but / tell you
about it so you will know that there
is no reason for being afraid of that
lady. She has it coming to her, if
someone should happen to remind her
of those days. She seems to have
forgotten. She has wasted many,
many dollars worth of food before
she came to be the swell cook she is
now"
ut does not seem right, but I can't
help being glad that you told me
that" said Katie laughing. II used
to feel so = so Inefficient, so little
when Mrs. Torgenson was near.
belive l shall not feel that way any
: more, thanks to you. l wonder il
; you know just how much you have
done for me. l will never be able
to thank you enough for it."
''Oh, yes, you will = easily. And
: don't l know? Oh, my! l was not
born perfect cook, you may be sure
l made my mistakes, plenty of them
That's the best way to learn = kinda
. opens the eyes, you know"
; "Oh, yes" said Katie. Il know and
: 1 will not forget"
, Katie was making supper sing
ing like lark" The sound of hel
, voice went through the open window
, over strip of lawn, fence, small
! vegetable garden and into the kit
chen where her neighbor, Peter Han.
sen, was about to prepare his supper