Monroe High School - Senior Issue Yearbook (Monroe, MI)

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cakes and and fashionable salads. She proved herself a fine manager, too, by keeping the first and second girls fhired for the evening, from nibbling the cakes and flirting with the butler falso hired for the time beingl. Mrs. Allenby had thoroughly enjoyed herself the night before, so thoroughly, in fact, that now lying in her luxurious room she groaned, My stomach feels terrible. That shrimp salad, I do believe. She groaned again and looked at the clock. It said ten. She turned over, closed her eyes, and began drawing deep breaths in what she imagined was a dreamy way. In reality they were small moans, sounding something like the giving out of a bicycle pump. It is no use, she said, I must have a cup of coffee, and she arose and went downstairs. Meantime Ellen was entertaining the usual ,bunch at the usual time and place, with a most unusual lunch. The salad and cake left from the night before was being devoured at an alarming rate of speed and lack of manners, and to help out, the policeman had bought a watermelon, of which half had already been devoured. He stood before Ellen on the lowest step with a large carving knife balanced on one hand and the watermelon on the other. His tongue was already between his teeth as a preparatory aid to slicing the melon. Ellen, seeing his tongue, laughed very loud and long, though musically. This laugh, unfortunately, floated through the house to Mrs. Allenby, making her groaning way to the dining room.. It frightened her a little, for why should her cook be laughing so loud and long to herself? She hastened to the kitchen. Mrs. Allenby advanced and caught the policeman in the act of carving the melon, his tongue working in time with each downward stroke of the knife. Her groans and pains forgotten, she hastened to the door above the steps, to order him away, when she caught sight of Ellen. She was sitting with the ice man on one side and the grocery boy on the other and the milk man on the step above, who were finishing the cake. Mrs. Allenby gasped. Ellen turned around to meet a stare that ex- pressed the poor lady's amazement. Mrs. Allenby spoke first. Ellen, in a voice in which amazement, surprise and a tinge of disgust were mingled. At that word the policeman vanished around the corner of the house, with the half melon in his hand and holding the butcher knife straight out in front of him. Ellen collected her wits. So long, boys, she said, as they beat a rather hasty retreat after the policeman. Not one answered. She picked up the platter of crumbs, cpened the door and walked in after Mrs. Allenby. There the storm broke out. In two minutes Mrs. Allenby had ex-. liausted her supply of adjectives and nouns and was breathless. Ellen said ncver a word. Mrs. Allenby stood staring a minute, and then retired with as much dignity as could be collected in so short a time, and with the parting

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with Mazon's prize Russian wolf hound lying beside him. If he's asleep, came from Peggy excitedly, we had better get out of this house. No, we'll not, said Meg quietly. He has stolen the dog. You and Madge go for some help. Billie and I will remain here. Without a murmur of protest, the girls obeyed Meg's instructions and the car was soon out of sight. After they had left, the girls sat on the porch and Billie whispered softly, Oh dear, why don't they hurry. I can't bear waiting. Oh, Meggief' she called happily, after a few minutes, from the top of the steps, they're really coming. The car came to a halt at the gate, two officers jumped out, ran up the path and into the house. A few minutes later they appeared on the porch again, their faces wreathed in broad smiles. Girls, you have captured John M. Bead and the hundred dollar reward is yours. When the girls returned the car to Mr. Owen that afternoon and told him of their adventure, his grey eyes were smiling, but he shook his head gravely. Oh, girls! Be careful! MRS. ALLENBY: SHE IS A DARN COOK G1.ADYs Osooop, '22 LLEN was Scotch and very young and pretty. She had a fine job - being cook for the Allenby's, the wealthiest people in town. The Allenby's were Mr. B. and Mrs. B. Ellen was very happy and her work was very satisfactory to her employers. The house was large and beautiful and the delight of Ellen's heart. Behind the kitchen, her domain, was a latticed porch with a screen door opening on to seven broad lovely steps. These broad lovely steps were the rendezvous for Ellen's admirers-the two icemen, the milk man, the grocery boy, and the policeman who patrolled the alley behind the house. On fine mornings they would gather on the steps with Ellen in their midst holding a platter of cookies, fruit and sometimes pie, raided alas! from the too convenient ice-box. They certainly had good times, and praised the day they had begun them. The wonderful thing about these parties was that they had never been discovered by Mrs. Allenby. That good lady, having social aspirations, reclined in her bed all morn- ing-that is, if it was the morning after the night before. Olther mornings it was ten-thirty or later before she arose. And so the parties went on. It was a particularly hot fine morning in August. There had been a very swell and forma! party at the Allenby house the night before. Ellen had excelled as never before in fher history as a cook, in making delectable

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shot: ML Allenby will speak to you personally, Ellen, and he will decide what is to be done this evening. That evening, however, Mr. Allenby dined at his club, Mrs. Allenby alone. After dinner just at dusk, Ellen wen-t out doors to hang up the dish towels. Slyly the alley gate opened and a stout figure appeared. It strode towards the steps. It was the policeman returning the knife, and incidentally improving the opportunity of seeing Ellen alone. She knew him at a glance and he came and sat down on the back steps beside her. Well, Ellen, are yuh fired? asked he in a cozy voice. Firedl laughed Ellen, this twentieth -century cook! Say, she can't fire me. I belong to the Union, and she couldn't get a cook. Goodness knows what she'd do then. Why, the only reason her husband ever comes home to a meal is because she Jocsn'l cook it. Ellen, darlin', said he, edging closer on the step and stretching his arm out behind his 'darlin',' come and marry me. You're working too hard here. Come and live wid me. I got a swell little house on Tenth. You'd have no work, and wid me earnin' a foine salary, we could- Oh, l-lol Terrence O'Dowd, that's you're scheme is it? cut in Ellen in a hard voice. Fine salary is right! I am making more a day than you make in a week, and work-say, I'd rather work hard here and do as I please than -to marry you. With that she got up and walked into the house. lVlr. O'Dowd departed, still holding the long knife in his hand. Any- thing like being refused disturbed his mind greatly. When Ellen turned on the light in the kitchen, her face was quite red and her eyes sparkled, but there was the most satisfied look about her mouth. Now bring on the rest of 'emf' Calmly she turned off the light and went to her room for a good night's sleep Cwhich, by the way, she gotj.