OCR Text |
Show NEW YEAR'S -jAELIGfr A bugle sounded. The army band began to play a slow march. Molly straightened. She'd have to be there soon. But she'd never be able to get through the crowd in time. She decided to go through the back j door. She knocked. "Come in." A red-headed soldier was staring at a big unfrosted cake, on the kitchen table. Without looking 1 up he murmured, "Well, it's about' time you got back, Sophronia. Cap-j tain Adams just told me to go get his wife. Said she could cook any-; thing. Sure need somebody. The Old Man is in a jam. Everything's gone j wrong since this general got here , about an hour ago, inspecting for j the War Department. He don't seem to think much of the Old Man, and he's right likely to lose his rcgi- j ment. If he does, I lose my job as colonel's orderly. Don't look like it's I gonna be much of a happy new jj 'cP "Well, it's about time you got back, Sophronia." ear. And on top of it you didn't show up this morning and" . i So colonels, too, had problems. Molly smiled. Don had been going to send for her. Gayly she said, "I'm not Sophronia." "What?" the soldier turned and looked at her. He groaned. "Just my luck! Guess I'll have to find that Mrs. Adams." j "I'm Mrs. Adams," she said. "We'll have to get busy. How much time have we?" "'Bout twenty minutes," volunteered volun-teered the soldier. "I see," smiled Molly. She surveyed sur-veyed the kitchen. A knife would improve im-prove the sandwiches. Punch was simple, with lemons and oranges and tea in the refrigerator. She made the icing. Fluffy white and rich brown chocolate. The soldier tasted: "Say, ma'am, it's swell! But oughtn't it to be a little fancy? Roses and things like that?" "That's an idea!" Molly'a dim-pics dim-pics appeared. Once she'd made a cake for Don and put his initials on it in chocolate frosting. Printed lettters must have a magic charm. That night Don had proposed. Humming Hum-ming a tune, she spread the smooth chocolate. Don would have to admit now that she was a good army wife. Wasn't cooking the way to a man's heart, and hadn't Napoleon Napo-leon mentioned a soldier's stomach? stom-ach? She stopped in sudden realization. realiza-tion. What were the colonel's Initials? Ini-tials? j , Molly sighed, "I'll have to find ' out." She hurried into the library. Ah, the silver! She carefully copied cop-ied the letters, Q.M.C. The cake was beautiful. One look and the colonel would be impressed. She'd been right. Molly watched the colonel stand still and stare. So i did the guests. There was an odd . expression on the visiting general's lace. Still, thought Molly, probably generals never smiled. Then she utarted. Mrs. Major Arnold was talking talk-ing to Mrs. Captain Fox. "I wonder won-der what the general thinks of Colo-j Colo-j ncl Jones' having the initials quar-j quar-j tcrmaster corps on his coke. Unusual, Un-usual, to say the least, when Colonel .Tones is in the field artillery." Don stopped her. "Molly, what did you mean?" "I'm sorry they were on the silver." sil-ver." "The colonel," Don laughed, "hasn't got his things here, so he borrowed from the quartermaster. Darling, It was a wonderful idea. The general was quite flattered. Ho used to be in the quartermaster corps. In fact, everybody is happy. Come in, Molly. Wish the colonel a Happy New Year. And It will be, thanks to you." |