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Show I ; ' ; ; 1 Emergency I Jim j B7 H. LCTJIS RAYBOLD i j 4 JIM went down to the station to see t the two girls off his sister Cou- stance and her chuui Madge on their I adventurous expedition to the big city, armed with two exquisitely engraved diplomas of the local business college and unlimited expectations. Jim was gloomy and took no pains to conceal the fact. Dutifully he kissed his sister, then seized Madge's little gloved band. "Remember," ha said hoarsely, "when the Fifth avenue high hats are chasing you, I'm still ! thinking about you back here holding j down my lkile old Job In Perkins' I hardware store. If you want me In an ! emergency well, I'll be waiting." This was merely an attempt to convey con-vey to her as well as a man could In the presence of his sister that be wag "hers to the death. And now they had been here six months, rooming together In a tiny apartment opening on an alrshaft where air was air without anythlnf particularly fresh about It and sunshine sun-shine was to be had only by going out after It. Through employment agencies, each had landed a small position and a fact which seemed more Important to each than the Job both had acquired an esquire of sorts. This had come about through a former for-mer acquaintance of Constance's In the business college, one George Per-, kins who, hearing from the folks back home that Constance was In New York, bad got her address through them and hunted her up. The second time he came he brought with him a friend, a smartly dressed, personable boy who looked, Constance said afterward. Just like his name which was Mortimer Peyster. Madge was smitten at once and by the third meeting was convinced not only that she was In love with him but that, properly encouraged, he would return her sentiments. But first there was that little mat ter of "proper encouragement," for as the days passed, the young man in question, although friendly and always willing to make a fourth at their good times, failed to hint at any desire for an engagement, much less a wedding. Tet It was Mortimer himself who let fall the word which might have proved Madge's undoing. "I sure miss good home cooking," he remarked one night "These sandwiches sand-wiches are the berries." The next time he came Madge had made not only more sandwiches but a chocolate cake, one of those luscious, three decker affairs with a generous topping of frosting. Mortimer sampled sam-pled It freely while Madge watched him gleefully. When he had gone, she made a brave proposal to Constance. "Let's Invite the boys to Sunday dinner," she suggested eagerly. "I'm willing to do every bit of the cooking." Constance was doubtful. "On a two burner gas plate?" "On one, If necessary 1" retorted Madge. "Plank steak and all the fixings fix-ings 1" So It was settled and the two young men were duly Invited over the telephone. tele-phone. Now It la no small matter to get up a large-sized meal in a small-sized apartment out of a very slender food budget In fact. It was only by considerable con-siderable planning, scrimping and self-denial self-denial that the thing was managed at all and, by the time ths Sunday selected se-lected for the affair had arrived, Madge was beginning to wonder 11 even winning the handsome Mortimer was worth the effort expended. The meal, as a meal, was a tremendous tremen-dous success from start to finish. The steak was done to a turn and not a shade beyond: the regetables were tender and decoraUvely fluted; the dessert, made earlier In the day, was coldly delicious. If Mortimer was leas lively than usual, Madge was too concerned con-cerned with her serving to notice. Her moment wag to come when, replete re-plete with the good things she had given giv-en him, Mortimer should expand and perhaps suggest that she cook for him the rest of his days. For Madge imagined im-agined that that was what she desired above all else. Came the moment Constance, Insisting In-sisting that Madge had done her share of labor, was sociably doing the dishes In the kitchen with George. Madge j and Mort had the tiny sitting-room to . themselves. "I've got something to tell too," said Mortimer suddenly. "Yes?" encouraged Madge, her heart skipping a beat or two. "I'm going back home to my father's fa-ther's office," be said. "All this" he signified his surroundings with a wave of his hand "and your dandy meals and all have made me well, sort of hanker for a place of my own. There's a little girl npitate there I used to know that yon remind me of. Pm going back to her and I wanted you to be the first to know." Two days later, Jim Brenton entered Perkins' hardware store with an expansive ex-pansive grin on his face. In his pocket was a night letter from the girl he had loved since kindergarten days and It said the words he most wanted to hear. "Dear Jim: "There was a man I thought I ; wanted to propose but when he didn't i ( was glad after all and It must have ' been because I love you, only It took i an emergency or something to show j me, and do you still feel the same? i "MADGE." |