OCR Text |
Show tt "f - I - fgTtflS CONTRACT 0 (pLlJks. WITH SMARY BARKER Dinner nt tho Mauleys was a mova-bio mova-bio feast. Sometimes they had It at 8 o'clock, sometimes at 5:30, and sometimes some-times not at all unless they went to tho restaurant around tho corner and had It there. This Irregularity in dining was not duo to an aversion on tho part of-tho Mablcys to methodical habits. On tho contrary they nro tho most systematic people alivo, and would havo preferred to dino promptly every evening at 7 o'clock. For many years, however, tho accomplishment of that deslro had been prevented by tho vagaries of tholr long succession of cooks. Ono evening when Mr. Mabley came homo at G:30 and found that dinner had been stono cold for moro than an hour ho dismissed tho present Incumbent of tho kitchen, and early tho next morning morn-ing went around to tho employmont agency and hired a new girl. That girl's namo was Mary Barker. Mr. Mabley talked to hor kindly but firmly. "Mnry," ho said, "wo will sign n contract con-tract for ono month as a trial term. I will pay you tho exorbitantly high wages of $7 a weekend if, at tho cud of a month, you havo furnished us with threo meals a day, well cooked and properly served, I will give you a present of $10 extra." Then ho wrote out n contract In which It was specified that If, in ono sIbsIo Instance, Mary Barker failed to havo an appetizing dinner ready for tho Mableys to sit down to nt 7 p. m. sho should bo forthwith dismissed, nnd Mary signed it in tho prcsenco of witnesses. For ono week after tho advent of Mary Barker tho Mabloys wero happier hap-pier than for any corresponding period In tholr housekeeping career. Tho reason thoy did not continue to live in such idyllic conditions was not tho fault of Mary Barker, but of tho manager man-ager of the firm whoro Mr. Mabloy was omployod. "They've made a lot of changes In tho staff down at tho ofllco," said Mabloy Mab-loy irritably. "After next Monday I shall havo to report at tho ofllco about 2 o'clock. From 6 to 7 I shall bo allowed al-lowed a recess of two hours, after which I shall havo to go back nnd "- work till 10 o'clock. That's what I' call a dog's life. It's a shamo to work a fellow that hard." "How about dinner?" said Mrs. Mabloy. Mab-loy. "Mary Is under contract to havo It ready at 7 o'clock, and you will havo to ent about 5; 30." "That's so," groanod Mabley. "But t guess wo can talk Mary over all right. Sho seems a real nice sort of girl." Mary Barker was undoubtedly a "nlco sort of girl," but sho refused to bo talked over In tho matter of changing chang-ing tho dinner hour. "Hero is mo contract," sho said. "Would ycz," sho asked, "want mo ta go back on mo wor-r-rd?" "Bother your word," muttered Mnb-loy, Mnb-loy, Irreverently, but Mrs. Mabley, who had a highly doveloped sense of honor of her own, frowned upon him reprovingly reprov-ingly and said: "Heaven forbid. I am glad, Mary, that you regard a-promlso a-promlso as something sacred." Nevertheless sho spent tho greater part of tho following forenoon In trying try-ing to persuado Mary Barker that hor duty to her employers called for tho preparation of a piping hot meal at 5:30 o'clock Instead of at 7. But all her arguments wcro unavailing. So for tho remainder of tho month Mr. Mabloy dined nlono down town at 5:30 and Mrs. Mabloy, In order not to waste tho excellent food prepared by Mary Earker, dined nlono or with Invited 1 guests In her own homo at tho sped- I fled hour. When tho month was up I they talked about a new contract. I "Do yez want mo to sign for slvln I o'clock again?" asked Mary. I "No!" thundered Mabley. "Don't montlon any regular tlmo to mo again. I Got tho meals ready at any old hour I that suits you. Maybo they will hap- pen to hit us at least once a week."" I Under tho now arrangement dinner I and the Mableys manago to coincide B rather oftener than that, for Mary Bar- H kcr is inclined to be accommodating. H Of course, nobody Is really happy, H but then, as Mabloy philosophically ro- ' marks, that would bo too much to ex- H pect in this dyspeptic world. Now BJ York Times. jU |