Show ww a wn yiv taking a stand staid I 1 iopu hope you won t misjudge mo me dick but I 1 have lad to take a stand in the matter urn um deighton aid sald regret fully as baving having measy od a cupful ot of nour flour und and dropped it into the bitter sitter she looked across u the kitchen at her brother do you really mean kate that you we not going to invite the family to celebrate mother birthday in your home ai as w we have done for the last six ix fact ever dicce she obe came back from the eat to 1 live with your her brother asked exactly mr mrs deighton measured another spoonful poon ful of flour set not it on the table stated herself on a chair near and faced her visitor 1 I quite expect ed that lie be coming dick to learn my plane plans for mother mothers birthday and youre entitled to know teem to fol you at least have always been ap app precIA recta tive you see entertaining 22 chit dren and grandchildren cf ct coiner has meant a lot of work end expense tor for me but I 1 bavo have felt that it was worth while if it only mother and the family were pleased out but human nature especially woman nature craves appreciation and cince since ire lye heard of certain eging remarks about my method of entertaining made by dif ferent members of the family I 1 have decided not to have the birthday meet ing thia this year but wo we ve always bad had a splendid time dick urged you take the family a persona personal view hut but the he general view and I 1 h to know that most of ua us thought last years en the beat best of the lot I 1 beard heard that freds wife said she never bad had a duller time mrs delab ton replied It maybe laybe she warn t feeling well that makes big differences dick BUZ sus and jacks jack a wife eald said that I 1 might have used my beet best tablecloth and nap king as she would have done if it it had been her mother mothers a birthday Bes bessie a only a bride and maybe she would have put on more frills trills and lesa less roast beef dick eald said sooth angly Al margaret argaret criticized me for baring having the children she said they made her nervous that a because she he any of her own however I 1 must say that if I 1 were to baye have the family this year I 1 wouldn t invite the children at least with the grownups grown upa they got int into 0 so much mischief last year when I 1 could couldn t b t around t to watch th them in well im lm sorry youve decided not to bare have us this year dick said as he rose to agn if it every one were as appreciative as you are wed have it as usual mrs deighton replied proceeding to meas jre ire another cupful of flour dick reached for his hat Is that one of bour your famous sponge cakes yours you re making be asked no its it the white pound cake recipe birthday cake I 1 thought dick stopped well alyo alv my love to moth er tr I 1 ra sorry not to see her today but m glad she it having a good sleep thia this morning lucy and I 1 will come in to see her on her birthday if you 11 be at home kate be at homet why of course ill be at home where else should I 1 lie be on an mother mothers s birt jay mrs deighton askea wonderingly tomorrow I 1 11 hall make the sponge cake and coc banut layer cake jack a favor lie ito thursday morning I 1 shall boll the ham and roast the beet beef of course the boys and their wives will fee feel that the least they can cati do Is to come to see mother on her birthday Is there any special time like us to come kate asked dick I 1 between elx six and half hall past lira mrs deighton answered promptly mark gets home a little aate six we well H be her dick said 1111 lei let jack and fred and dob bob know Is there anything you d like us to bring kate nothing except the children l ive lve ve made a batch of lemon and one of gin ger cookies especially for far them and dick I 1 hope that neither you nor any of the othera others will feel hurt at the stand I 1 ve taken this year tear about the meeting here on mothers birthday I 1 feel that I 1 couldn coulden t have it after all the you understand dont you out but I 1 thought dick began mrs deighton counting out a dozen egg eggs from a basket placed the twelfth one on the table and then said a note of 01 b in her voice you know its one thing to invite a num br b r of people to your house and quite another thing to have that same sami num her come as in duty bound ive cade m de even more preparations than I 1 did last year because there 11 bo be 21 of us in stead of 22 since a niece nieces are hecq and not a soul will dire dare to criticise criticism critic ise things because of being self invited do you eee see maybe but I 1 think it will take a woman to understand Y jr argument dick ans answers werA laughing |