Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 May 1912 — Polly’s Pancakes [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Polly’s Pancakes

By Dorothy Blackmore

(Copyright, 1911, by Associated Literary Press) “It does seem too bad that some nice man doesn’t find Polly,” remarked Mrs. Earlington. “She is destined for an old maid, my dear; I told you that long ago,” her husband answered consolingly. “And the sooner she accepts the Inevitable and stops struggling, the better.” “You’re absolutely heartless, Frank, and Polly Is the best friend either you or I have in the world, and you know it.” Mrs. Earlington’s eyes filled with tears as she bent over her crocheting. She was a sympathetic little woman, and every time she thought of the difficult and lonely life of her dearest friend* Pauline Bates, her heart overflowed with compassion for the girl. Pauline —Polly, they called her —did tutoring In and about the small vty lage of Glenville, and most of her tricorne was sent back home to support her widowed mother and two younger sisters. She was a wholesome, womanly. attractive girl, well out of her teens, and although every one, men and women, liked her, no man who was worth while seemed to have fallen in love with her. And yet there was pot a girl in the little circle of young people in Glenville who would have made so admirable a wife. Mrs. Earlington had known her for years, and- the cozv home of the Earlingtons was always open to Pauline. In fact, as Mrs. Earlington frequently remarked, she didn’t know how - they could keep house without Pauline to call on. If the nurse were out, or ill, Pauline always man aged to be on hand to help with the children. If the cook left, Pauline never failed to drop in to help prepare the meals. If Frank had to be out of town, Pauline came to stay with Mrs. Earlington. If the Earlingtons entertained, Pauline was the

ever ready helper, for she played the piano, made a chafing dish supper, or did mere parlor tricks better than either the host or hostess. “Frank, I want you to listen to me,” began Mrs. Earlington, opening thesubject again. Her husband looked up from his rural journal. He was deep In the mysteries of how to prune fruit trees, but he suppressed a sigh and looked across the reading table toward hls wife. “I’m serious about Polly—we must find a husband for her.” “Did she say so?” asked the man, blandly. Mrs. Earlington withered him with a look. "Does Pauline ever say anything foolish?" she asked. “Not often enough—that’s one of her faults.” "Her principal fault, so far as I can see, is being entirely too good and conscientious and capable for any mere man. No one appreciates her,” retorted Mrs. Earlington. Her husband rolled hls precious magazine into a tube and frowned. “Well? What can we do? I can’t go around the world dragging .men out here to meet her and extolling her virtues. You know how a man takes to the sort of girl you have to do that for.” “Of course not—but there must be subtle ways of getting at It,” Mrs. Earlington said vaguely. "You’ll have to do anything subtle that’s done In our family, dear. I’m as far from being subtle as—as a blow on the head.”

Hls wife did not hear him; she was thinking. Suddenly a smile flashed across her face. “Polly is a grand cook!” she said. “But who knows it?* asked Frank. "No one but you and me, and —her family, perhaps. Most of Polly’s charms—ls cooking may be called a charm—are hidden under the proverbial bushel,” sighed Mrs Earlington. Her husband agreed with her. a “And I think—oh, Frank, couldn’t you Invite the boys and men of the choir of St. Paul’s to a—we’ll say, a pancake supper, and we’ll have Polly make the pancakes?” Mrs. Earlington’s eyes fairly danced at the prospect .‘l—could,” Frank said, half-heart-edly. "You could very well. As a member of the vestry. It would be only

natural that you show a little attention to the choir—especially before Christmas, when they are doing such good work.” , Very well, dear —it’s your party. I’m wilting. And what then?" j Vou goose—Polly will make such delicious pancakes—it’s one of her very best stunts —that the men will—- . well, you know a man when some- > thing appeals to his inner self.” I “Yes—it isn’t every wife who can make good pancakes or teach her , cook to do likewise,” admitted the man. “And I’m to ask the choir to a pancake supper-—here—to eat Polly’s pancakes?” he asked. “Not at all—say nothing about : Polly. That woulld spoil it all. Merei ly ask them to a pancake supper next i Wednesday night,” In due form the choir of St. Paul’s was invited to the Earlington' home Ito eat pancakes and almost4n a body lit accepted. The small boys and the i men were always glad of an oppor- , tunity to spend an evening in thia hospitable little home. I Mrs. Earlington and Pauline were busy preparing the batter for the feast and a pile of hot plates was already on the top of the great range when the telephone bell rang long and loudly. «> “Won’t you answer, Polly, dear?” asked Mrs. Earlington. Polly ryshed to the ’phone, a glad . liglt in her eyes. Her heart beat quickly as she took up the receiver. I “Could it be he?” she asked herself, over and over. i For a few minutes she talked earn- , estly over the wire and when she rei turned to the kitchen a bright spot of red burned in each cheek. Mrs. .Earlington thought she had never i seen the girl so pretty. To herself, ■ she commented that the combination Of polly’s pancakes and her oeauty ought to bring some one of the halfdozen unmarried men in the house to her feet tonight. i “I took the liberty of Asking an 1 old friend who has just come to town from back home—here tonight,” Polly said. Mrs. Earlington looked at her earnestly. “Why, of course, dear. Who is it?” “Arthur Fisher —a boy I used to play with when I was little and —” “And what, Polly? Why do you hesitate?” “Well, when we were—oh, dreadfully young—I quarreled with him because he wanted me to marry him and settle down in that little town and keep house. I was ambitious and wanted to do something else in I the world —then, I told him I couldn’t keep house and wouldn’t cook and—” “And you blush because he’s going to find you baking pancakes for a whole regiment of hungry men now? Oh, Polly, why didn’t you tell me of this Arthur before?” “I thought he had forgotten me until I had a letter from him the other day saying he would be in this neighborhood tonight. I wrote him that I would be here tonight and that if he came he might call me up. It would seem so good to see some one from home,” she ended lamely. “I think he’s more than ’some one,* Polly,” said Mrs. Earlington, pointedly. “Perhaps—but we-must get these pancakes on the table. Isn’t that enough to start on? I don’t know how they are—l did not try them and I mixed the batter hastily,” Polly said as she hurried into the diningroom with a platter full of round, hot griddle cakes. She placed them before Mr. Earlington, whose wife had just supplied him with a pile of hot plates, and then—the doorbell rang. Without ceremony,’Polly rushed to answer it herself. “You found the way?” was all Mrs. Earlington heard, and then, for a long minute there was silence. Mrs. Earlington hurried to the kitchen, where she and the cook kept the griddle hot and tried to make pancakes enough to supply the hungry men. Presently Polly returned to the kitchen—she had stopped to introduce Mr. Fisher to her host. “Did—you need me?” asked PoDy. innocently. “Oh, no," Mrs. Earlington said, “the pancakes are of no consequence —now,” she said, with a meaning that was discernible only to herself.

Clean Paint and Good Health. Great care should always be take* Sn the cleaning of paintwork and baths, especially as this is often neglected on account of the trouble and danger of discoloration and wearing the paint which Is caused by the use of strong soaps and unnecessarily hard scrubbing. There is an excellent cleaner now on the market specially made for saving labor, which at the same time preserves the paint, and should prove to be a great boon to a woman whose greatest aim in life is to see her house clean and the paint always spotless. It is also highly efficient for cleaning silver and plated ware, and answers a double use, end should always be in the store-cup-board.