The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-03-09
Frosting First
or Last
By MAE LOUISE FOSTER
@. by Mcclure Newspaper syndioats
WNU Service

"EARLY?" 4ueried Glenn, poking q
red-thatched head around tho
door Of the tiny apartment which Alice
shared with girl friend
Perfectly punctual," Alice didn't
look up. Bubbles seemed to burst In
Glenn's heart and puff away his breath
Ing as he watched her In that ridicu-
lous frill Of an apron, preparing din
ner-for him.
He hoped fervently that this one had
turned out as desired. Others, several
others. hadn't. Glenn loved that firm
little rounded chin, but Alice was quite
as firm as her chin. No amount of
coaxing could change her determine
ton not to marry Glenn until she had
learned to cook.
Up until a year ago she didn't even
have to comb her own hair. Then
crash the family fortune vanished and
much to her surprise she found her
self holding a job. Glenn had urged
that II she'd marry him she'd find her.
self cooking just as she'd found her
self working.
What II she said no this time
Glenn's heart seemed to part In the
center to let an ice-cube through. She
couldn't say no today because the COM
pany was sending him to Argentina Sat-
urday. He wouldn't be back for two
years. Two long years without hert
Impossiblei She must go with him.
The salad was good. So was the cold
meat. The asparagus was scorched and
after the first taste he neglected II
But the jellied fruit and coffee proved
in turn delicious and when Alice pro-
duced a cake dotted thick with pecans,
he leaned over and kissed her. per
feet" he declared.
"WhichP asked Alice, with q little
smile that shouldn't have looked mold
ed. but did.
Both" he asserted, "and the next
time you see me I'll have a marriage
license In my pocket" Gathering his
courage he explained quickly, That
export job materialized Unexpectedly.
We are leaving for Argentina Satur-
day."
AtlCC
a little laugh, she asked, didn't you
like the asparagusT
''It wasn't bad" he said lightly,
wishing he'd had sense enough to eat
II. 'Why worry about the sidedishi
The rest was perfect"
"The rest" replied Alice slowly,
"came from the delicatessen."
Alice's mouth twisted, "Once," she
said, II overheard a conversation In
which you declared can openers were
the first step to the divorce court. Re
member?"
He caught her hands tightly. "Just
because this dinner went phooey Is no
sign another will. Try again. Try
now. This Is a matrimonial crash.
Let's lick it. Is cake hard to makef"
II never tried, but I'm sure they are,
whyr
Lets try one now and If it's okay,
wen say Its written In the stars, all
signs favorable-and Mrs. Glenn win
learn to cook In Argentina"
They were In the kitchenette, ex-
ploring shelves.
"There," she checked carefully with
the cookbook. "Now go away and don't
come back for an hour"
'Tll CO." he told her, stealing q
nour-dabbed kiss, "and get the license"
All the way to the license bureau he
was remembering cakes. Cakes his
mother'd made, cakes he'd pilfered
from pantry windows. He saw one
in a bakeshop window, three layers
with crinkled frosting. It looked COM
plicated. He suddenly hated all cakes.
Back In front of the apartment he
shifted from one foot to the other.
Half an hour more to wait It couldn't
do any harm to sniff outside the door.
One sniff was enough. He opened the
door, the oven, the windows. Then he
carefully sealed the marriage license
and put 1t in his pocket.
'What a messT' he groaned, survey
ing that thing which should have been
q cake and was cinders all over the
oven he found note on the table.
"Glenn, DEAR" 1t read, "the cookbook
says II should bake forty minutes. I've
set the alarm and am resting" Glenn
snatched up the clock and praying she
wouldn't notice set 1t back ten minutes.
He swept the debris from the oven
into a newspaper and dashed out. On
the way to the bakeshop he tossed II
behind billboard.
Half an hour later he held his breath
while Alice opened the oven door.
There on the rack was three-l layer
cake with white crinkled frosting.
Perfect" he cried, holding her
close.
II was Saturday and they were
standing on the top deck Of a liner
watching New York sag irregulariy
into haze-fiung sunset. Glenn's arm
was about her and her scarlet beret
snuggled against his shoulder.
"Glenn. DEAR" she murmured in q
.fessing-up' voice. you don't know
how near came to spelling that pretty
crinkled frosting. The recipe didn't
say whether to put 1t on before baking
or after and almost didn't put It on.
Wasn't It queer though" she added.
"that II came out white when made
chocolate?"
Il saw that mess" she whispered.
"and hid because / couldn't face you.
But If you'd take that much trouble to
cover your wffe's plumbers, well,
thought that If 1t didn't matter whether
the frosting came first or last"
She didn't finish. she couldn't.