Imperial Valley press., 1936-01-26
LOOKING BACK

the children, Roy, aged 20,
and Mary, aged 18, have
been away at the state uni
Versity. The children have
just come home from school
for the holiday season and
find Mrs. Hennesee (Helen)
strangely unhappy, although
reluctant to admit it. Mary
has gone out with friend,
while Roy is helping his
mother with dinner. In the
kitchen he catches her cry.
ing.
why, you great big baby"
Soothed Roy taking his mother
in his arms while she wept en-
Enthusiastically, half laughing and
half crying on his shoulder.
T-I-guess I'm foolish. Only
it does seem to me that Dad is
strange of late. He is gone so
much of the time"
whats this, a love scene 2"
asked John Hennesee. coming in,
middle-aged looking and yet
somehow youngish. There was a
flower in his buttonhole. His eyes
were dark and very shrewd look
ing. One instinctively felt that he
knew his way around.
Roy looked at his father and
then at his mother. II was just
trying to coax mother to buy
some new things, Dad" Roy said.
"Oh, Mother doesn't care about
clothes. Meals are her long suit
these days. She is getting to be
quite an expert; did she tell you?'
Yes, she did. think it's great,
too, but I thought every woman
liked clothes and pretty things"
"Oh yes, in a way. Younger
women, perhaps. Mother is a
pretty practical person, though"
How would you like baked
eggs and cheese, like 1 fixed the
other day, John? 1t would be
nice with dinner and then you'd
have lots of eggs tonight"
THAT wouldn't be hard to take
at all, dear" he answered.
Put cup of milk in the dou-
BILE boiler, Roy, AND then crush
that stale bread in the box up in
crumbs and put in about cup
full" she said.
Helen Hennesee sat down and
seemed to be looking into the
future instead of thinking about
wholesome dishes to eat.
20. K.," said Roy, bringing her
back to their problem. What
now?"
oh" she exclaimed, startled.
"Yes, beat up the yolks of three
eggs and put that in along with
a tablespoon of butter, and a
little salt, and then put it on the
fire. Let it cook slowly until the
eggs thicken and then when it's
still hot add about a cup and a
half of grated cheese. You'll find
the cheese in the cupboard there.
I'm going to run upstairs a mo-
ment; I'll be right back. You do
that and then I'll tell you what
is next"
In few moments she was back
and Roy noticed that her face
had been powdered. Could it be
to cover any trace of tears? She
continued without much emotion,
however. That's about ready.
Here, beat up the whites of your
eggs, fold them in the mixture
and then pour it into those brown
individual baking dishes. Before
you put it in, however, grease
the dishes. We can bake it along
with the omelet. They'll take
about 25 minutes, but we can
have that instead OF a second
helping of omelet."
Roy noticed his mothers con-
fusion as she talked, and was re-
membering that she had said she
often thought of new clothes. His
father picked up a knife, looked
at it closely-without seeing it
laid it down again. He walked
over to the window and straigh-
tened the shade, turned on side
light.
The atmosphere of the kitchen
was tense, without any one seem
ing to make it so.
Thought Roy, This is tragedy,
stark tragedy, somehow. It's as
though the body of murdered
man was buried beneath bloom
ing tulip bed. Sunshine and flow
ers on top, and death under
meath"
We'll, guess I'll wash a bit for
dinner" said John, walking
wearily out of the kitchen.
Thinking that it might help to
get her mind off on something
else, Roy encouraged his mother
to talk of Mary's new dress she
was planning.
What is it going to be like,
Nom ?" he asked.
well, I've named it Romance
in my own mind, but it isn't 60
ing to be as expensive as most
romances." ..-
Roy let a low whistle escape
him. "BoY." he said. "a re Won de-