The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1941-07-19
Pies and Romance
By ISABEL W. WATT
Mcclure Syndicate-WNU Service.l

another old food sale for the new
church"
Nobody heard Bessie sigh. No
body knew how starved she was for
love, for Bessie had passed the sun
ny side of twenty-five without the
faintest glimmeF of romance. The
only men she knew had either mar
ried her friends, or were gangling
youths who treated her with ter
rifying generation. Keenly she felt
the tragedy of being an old maid.
All the talk about bachelor maids
with independent careers she saw
through as pitiful alibi. She wanted
a husband.
Gingerly she loaded her roadster
with succuIent apple pies. 1t was
ticklish piece of business not to in
jure those six crispy crusts.
You'd orta deliver 'em three to a
time" her mother suggested.
"Oh, I'll MANAGE" Bessie said.
Little did she realize that that de-
cision would change her whole life.
But the country road was rough.
She wished she could leave the pies
for the North end of Main street
| somewhere while she distributed
the other three to the South end.
Then she saw the Jiffy garage at
the Corners. Bessie drove in.
would you mind" she asked the
| pleasant looking mechanic, "if l left
a few pies here just for half an
hour or so? I'm afraid they won't
be fit to sell, time I've bumped 'em
down to the Birches."
my, they look good! No, don't
mind" He was spreading clean
newspaper on a seat of the truck he
was working on. "Only you'll leave
those pies at your own risk. What
kind are they?"
apple"
"Um. l thought so. My favorite
kind" He grinned as Bessie drove
away Don't forget to come back
or can't promise what might hap
pen"
81 won't forget" smiled Bessie,
wondering who this new man was.
Nice manners, too. She would drive
out here again for gas. II want
this to be our most successful
food sale"
In less than an hour she was back.
No one was in sight, nor were her
three golden brown apple pies repos-
ing on the truck seat. Hes gone
away and some one has stolen
them!" Bessie honked her horn.
The mechanic came crawling
from beneath huge limousine. His
reddish hair was awry, his overalls
and hands and nose were too we'll
creased, but he still grinned. He
had fine teeth, she saw, almost as
fine as hers.
ooh, it's you! You've come after
your pies. Wait moment"
I'm sorry you had to move
them. I'm afraid I've been bother.
Where did you put them?"
''Well," he laughed, handing her
an empty tin, 81 put one of 'em in
side of me, and it was so larrupin'
good I'm amin to do the same by
the others. You said they were for
sale. How much are they?"
Bessie took the pie plate. "You
have eaten one of the large pies.
That will cost you fifty cents, mis-
ter"
Barnes. Jimmy Barnes"
"Mr. Barnes. The smaller pies
are thirty-five each, but they've been
promised to Sally Knight and Mrs.
Kenneth Wheeler"
81 don't care if they've been
promised to the Presidents wife,
want those pies. Tll-why, I'll pay
you a bonus-ffty cents per. You
can't imagine how good little home
cooking tastes to a man who's lived
in boarding houses and restaurants
all his life"
''I'm glad you like my pie" Bessie
said. But a promise is promise.
Tell you what I'll do, you give me
those to deliver and tomorrow morn
ing I'll bake you fresh, hot one, in
time for your dinner"
"Apple?"
"Apple."
Thus it happened that Bessie
Miller was seen driving into the
Jiffy garage oftener than her small
mileage needed fuel. It gave the
inquisitive little New England town
something to whisper about. But
when Bessie brought that new COM
er, Jimmy Barnes, to Thursday
prayer meeting the tongues simply
flew. Bessie was such good girl.
She deserved the best, everyone
said.
Look here, Bessie" Jimmy said
some months later, you'll be the
ruination of me. 1 can't afford
to be perpetual food sale; it would
be cheaper to marry the cook. Then
l won't have to pay for my pie.
Will you, Bessie, now that you
tempted me with an apple pie the
way Eve won Adam with an apple?"
Bessie was used to Jimmy's teas
ing. "All right, l will, you old
gourmand. I've always heard the
way to a mans heart is through his
tummy."
silly" said Jimmy, 'T'd marry