The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-09-29
Chapter %
Four Quarts OF Raspberries

(napLer 20
FOur Quarts OF Raspberries
I AURA'S small cottage lay q
IL short distance to the right
from the fork to the North road.
The fork to the North road was
q spot that would remain forever
in Cecily Stuart's memory. The
path TO the North road was the one
that led to the little shack, to
Locke, to her heart.
There were dewy cobwebs on
the grass at that early hour. There
were bright thistles and little
crickets. New things to see in the
early morning. Cecily greeted
them all.
Laura's house had the look of a
house asleep and, rnomentarily,
Cecily felt that she ought to let it
remain in its peace. But the pangs
Of hunger assailed her. She raped
loudly on the white door.
Laura, sleepy-eyed. opened the
door. What brought you here?"
Starvation" Cecily answered
concisely, "and a desire for COM
pany. Lead me to the kitchen and
prepare to be waited on"
You know where it is. You'll
find bacon and other things in the
cupboard. I'll be with you in a
jiffy." .t
Cecily threw her coat on a set
tee and found an apron. She tied
il on, took mixing bowls and skill
let from Laura's pantry and went
TO work. Break the eggs into the
bowl Add a teaspoonful of ice cold
water and one of thick cream for
each egg. Have you any Wor-
ceStershire? Good! Six drops per
egg. Beat the daylights out of
them.
Homemade bread? It's too good
TO toast. Put the coffee on. Why
does coffee cooked over a wood
fire taste like something from
Heaven? Cook the bacon quickly
and put it on a piece of brown
paper to drain. There, now, pop in
IaiC DGdlSu cSSS.
Thick yellow china on a plaid
cotton tablecover. A brown beam
jar filled with marigolds. Sunlight
like a benediction. Oh. it's fun to
play housed 1t would be heavenly
10 have house of ones own. No
wonder the song writers get lyri.
cal over hearthS and little white
cottages and curtains in the
breeze. They never write about
mansions on Fifth Avenue, do
they? Or French windows, or
steam pipes?
"Yuml" Laura, wide-awake,
her nose eagerly shifting the break
fast smell. came into tn kitchen.
so you've domestic taler Isl"
TRY a snack Of this and find
out Cecily said. helping her gen.
erOusly from the platter of eggs.
How was the party?" Laura
said little later.
Well, it was exciting. Very for
NAL al first. In fact, very formal
10 the very end, but there was an
interludel 1t began with may-I.
presents. went on to clear mush.
room soup. broiled sole. pheasant
IN wine sauce, peas in cream, arti-
chokes and a dessert made of fresh
raspberries. cream and I-wouldn't-
know what-but glorious.
"All .ght. gourmette! Was that
all the eXcitement?"
Cecily laughed. "Pll weigh two
hundred before I'm thirty if |
keep up this Maine appetite. No.
pet. that wasn't all. Lady Rath-
bone lost a valuable diamond pin
ard practically accused all of us
Of taking it,"
''Jci"
"Ye:l But Madame Brewster
handled it so beautifully. I'm sure
t.lat just by t0illing it. she made
the pm appear exactly where it
should have been after we left.
suppose things like that seem ter
rlbly porientous up here just be-
cause things like that don't hap
pen here. as Aunt Olivia pointed
out"
Ioeke's Strike
-PUT something must have hap
II pened. If she doesn't find the
pin. surely there'll be police Off
GERS"
oh. Laura, don't be ridiculous!
Can you imagine a police officer
rendering his card at Mrs. Brew
ster's front door,"
1t does sound exciting. Cecily!
What good luckl Late yesterday
the orchid yarn that Miss Cham
pion ordered came in. can take
II up TO her this morning and see
IL the pan turned up"
Miss Champion was Mrs. Brew
ster's companion secretary.
Don't you want to take a blood
hound with your" Cecily laughed.
Cecilv kept her bemused smile
e herself when she saw Laura
looking at the clock later that
morning while she unpacked her
case of yarn.
Il really ought to take this to
Miss Champion. she ventured.
why don't your" cecily pre-
tended that she didn't know Laura
was burning up with curiosity.
A half-hour later, she was glad
that Laura had gone.
Locke presented himself at the
screen door back of the shop.
i brought you a present, he
said grandiloquently and he pre-
sented her a small jar Of jam.
"Jami" che said, as though 1t
were a jar Of rubies.