Show J J I fiCTION GRE GREAT GRAPE GLUE KUE III By MARY K CHEATHAM HA Cornet f Agnes was so thrilled over her new home that she didn't realize what f. f arbor would to her newly-found newly happiness a menace the grape rape prove r- r t until it challenged her to the supreme test X THEN HEN they bought the house WHEN much V Agnes hadn't thought I about the grape arbor She knew It was there of ot course but It was spring and the tend tendrils rills were just beginning to green out along the back walk Now it was summer and the vines were heavy with C t purple clusters j 4 Boy Isn't that something said Greg at breakfast Our own vineyard viner vineyard vine vine- r yard right in our own back yard And if il theres there's one thing I like to toI I cat its it's fresh homemade grape I z Jelly jay Agnes felt a twinge of ot misgivings but even then she failed tailed to recognize recognize I nize the arbor for tor what it t was a was a menace to her marriage Guess Ill I'll have to make some she answered with just a shade of ot doubt Ill Til go out and pick the grapes right after I get you off ocr to work Fine beamed Greg swallowing swallowing swallow swallow- ing the last of ot his coffee Mom always always always al al- ways makes it with pure grape juice and sugar Better call her if II you have any trouble i Oh Ill I'll manage answered Agnes Agnes Agnes Ag Ag- nes smiling with a great show of ot confidence After Alter all I learned to cook didn't I 11 I Sure did Hon agreed Greg reaching for his hat Got to run along now Good luck with the I I jelly They exchanged their usual after after- I kiss and I breakfast groom bride-and-groom r Greg hurried out the front door When the breal breakfast ast dishes were carefully cleared up Agnes took a dishpan and approached the arbor It was pleasant there Working inthe in inthe inthe the sunshine to the busy humming of ot bees she felt the lightness comeback come comeback comeback back into her heart After all anybody anybody anybody any any- body could learn to make jelly Dewlay Dew Dewlay Dewlay lay heavily l upon the purple globules as she placed them bunch by bunch butch in the dishpan She breathed deep of ot their winey fragrance and smiled I in her new sense of ot ownership Making jelly called her neighbor neighbor neigh neigh- bor across the back fence Those I cranes rapes always did make the best jelly jeU l lit it S Going to try it Agnes called R back Ive never made any before S but I have a good cookbook and I P think I can do it all right Its easy said the neighbor I never bother with a cookbook my my- self Agnes took her grapes Into the kitchen and began washing and sorting sorting sorting sort sort- ing them at the sink When they were ready she put them into a saucepan and crushed them slightly as it said in hi the cookbook She Sher r added a small amount of ot water and brought them to a slow boil letting letting them cook gently gentl until the juice had run out Straining the juice through i a cloth was a messy business but i easy enough as she remembered having seen her mother do it at homeI home I wonder she thought why I didn't pay more attention to jelly- jelly making She brought out the little glasses i and sterilized them until they were crystal bright In the grip of a quivering quivering I. I ering aring excitement she measured the juice and sugar Now came the frightening part Tensely she propped the cookbook within view while bringing the juice to a vigorous vigor vigor- ous boil boLL She added the sugar and stirred carefully until it had dis dis- solved She studied the jelly test pictures until her eyes ached One picture showed the jelly dripping from the spoon in two drops the theother theother theother other two drops running together and leaving the spoon in one flake The important thing was to know just when this took place f I Back and forth Agnes gazed from picture to spoon from spoon to picture picture pic plc ture tore until both seemed to blend into one At this point she thought the mixture had neared the jellying stage but her eyes ached so from their intentness she was no longer certain whether two drops had really run of the spoon or she had just imagined it Better cook it a little longer she thought to be sure Slightly after the time specified she poured the jelly into the hot glasses Not until then did she relax Her nerves she realized had been pounding like trip hammers As she tidied the kitchen Agnes gazed with pride at the glasses on the utility cabinet Her first jelly It looked a trifle dark but then liked to twit her about her conversations conversations conver conver- I conver-I with the girls Why dont don't you use commercial I pectin asked Lucille when Agnes had confided her failure Then you can use the short boil method and its it's practically fool Because Gregs Greg's Mom doesn't Agnes answered crossly Its got gotto gotto gotto to be the long-boil long method or noth noth- ing I Fiddlesticks concluded Lucille I Buy the pectin and come to the card club tomorrow afternoon I But Agnes shook her head stub stub- I No old grape jelly she said is going to stand in the way I of ot my wedded bliss I She went at it again the next morning with great determination I This time she was careful not to overcook the boiling mass Jubilantly Jubilantly 1 she poured it into the glasses There she thought setting it to I e y f a af f r f k 1 C a t w we t t tim r li i c f L o f lJJ Gre Greg she cried See if it your folks would like to come over to I dinner Well We'll have crispy little biscuits and and and- i i grapes were dark naturally She had a good dinner waiting for Greg when he came from work I r thought we might try a little for dessert she suggested bringing bringing bringing bring bring- ing out one of ot the glasses right Greg recalled hap hap- pity Grape jelly It He plunged a spoon enthusiastically into the glass He pulled hard Great grape glue he cried what have we here Agnes stared astonished at the gooey blob on the spoon Fine sticky threads trailed behind it from the glass like fronds of ot cotton candy She blinked back the tears just in time and changed her exclamation exclamation exclamation ex ex- to a laugh If It only she had thought to try it first I Perhaps she suggested we could spread it on paper to catch flies O ONE NE of ot the tears spilled over th the edge of ot her laugh and Greg caught her to him Never mind he soothed It tastes good anyhow any any- how He kissed her and they both nibbled at the spoon like two children children children chil chil- dren sharing a lollypop When you try it tomorrow he mistakenly continued Mom can tell you what you did wrong Agnes pulled stiffly away and begun began began be be- gan gun stacking dishes dishes- She shoved the jelly glasses s viciously out of ot sight and went around the rest of ot the evening evening evening eve eve- ning feeling vaguely irritated at Greg behind the evening evening evening eve eve- ning paper he appeared not to no no- tice He even failed to notice when Lucille Lucile called though he usually cool cool- Just let my fine Gregory find fault with that She put on her frilliest apron and smiled at Greg over the This time tune when he plunged his spoon into the glass he did not have to pull The jelly trickled of off the spoon in a ruby stream Greg grinned uncertainly Wonderful Wonderful Wonderful Won stuff for tor pancakes he said With great restraint Agnes checked the most amazing desire to throw something After Alter all it wasn't Gregs Greg's fault fult he had a stupid wife wUel She sighed wearily but that evening evening evening eve eve- ning too had a defensive overcast she accepted the unexpressed unexpressed unexpressed pressed apology in Gregs Greg's goodnight kiss Honey he said you know I dont don't care a hoot about those old grapes The following day was hot but Agnes doubled her hours at the kitchen stove The warmer she became became became be be- came the greater grew her resent resent- ment Why she asked herself did we ever have to buy a house housew w with th an old grape arbor Batch after atter batch she cooked alternating between syrup and gum Somehow she just couldn't get it right Grimly she poured the last sticky mess into the glasses Not waiting to clear the kitchen she marched upstairs and threw herself across the bed Only a silly bride she said would cry over not being able to tomake tomake tomake make jelly But the tears soaked Into the pillow all the same and discouraged and exhausted she fell asleep She awoke with a start at Gregs Greg's touch on her shoulder Late afternoon afternoon afternoon after after- noon shadows lay across the floor She jumped up guiltily but Greg pushed her gently back against the pillows Im home early he said Relax Relax Relax Re lax poor kid Youre You're all tired out out outI I knew you could do it he added added added add add- ed and Agnes became aware forthe for forthe forthe the first time that he had something in his hand He was taking huge bites from a piece of ot bread and butter butter butter but but- ter and yes and yes something else gleaming gleaming gleam gleam- ing in jeweled beauty upon the yellow yellow yel yel- low surface That last batch mumbled Greg with his mouth full has Jelled Agnes leaped out of bed her face ablaze with excitement Greg she cried See if il your folks would like to tome ome over to din din- ner Well We'll have crispy little biscuits biscuits bis bis- and and to she reached out and touched the quivering rubies with a reverent finger Great Grape Glue she breathed rapturously Jelly I |