1939-06-21 — Page 8

MUTT AND JEFF

MUTT! MUTT!

WAKE UP!

I CAN'T WAKE HIM!

I SET OFF THE ALARM,

"SHOOK HIM, YELLED·

IN HIS EAR AND EVERYTHING - -

IDEA

Page

POP

THE CHINA MAIL, JUNË 21, 1989.

By BUD FISHER

VINEGAR?

YEH!

ROMANTIC

TURBULENT LOVE SET

IN A MODERN ARCADIA !

THE DAILY SHORT STORY

THE COFFEE POT

Everyone thought it was fine when Abby Pierce went to live with Myliss Calvert, Myliss' husband had died was auddenly and the poor old soul

Ionely. miserable and unhappy and Her three children were married and lived in distant cities. Of course they' all urged mother to come

and

live with them, but she declined.

"I couldn't leave this place," she told them. "I was born here and mar- ried here. Your father and I lived here together for thirty-nine years. I couldn't give it up now."

The children understood. They came out as often as they could, but Old Myliss took to brooding, and the neighbours were alarmed for what might happen.

Then Abby Pierce's

strangely silent had gone she was

Then she while they did the dishes. picked up Mrs. Linnet's coffee pot and headed for the door.

"That isn't Mrs. Linnet's pot," Abby called. "Its handle isn't broken."

Myliss looked down at the pot. Sure enough the base of the handle had been scorched away from the solder. She looked the pot over carefully. She was positive the pot didn't belong to her.

"It isn't mine," she said "Whose is it?"

"Oh, yes, it's yours," declared Abby, She rinsed the dishpan and hung it under the sink. "This one belongs to Mrs. Linnet."

ទន

SHE WAS

WILD RIVER

QUEEN SMASH- ING AT AN

INTRUDER-

blows that left only the sting of love!

But her hate struck

brother,

Myliss looked at the pot Abby in-

It was the same style for dicated. whom she had been keeping house, the one she was holding, but looked finally passed on after a long illness newer. She remembered having bought and Abby was left alone. Abby, un- it three years before Albert died.

friend. Myliss shook her head and started married, was. Myliss' oldest When the arrangements were made to speak. Then she hesitated.

that known everyone was glad. Wasn't it was looking at her in fine! The two old friends would keep manner. Suppose Abby were each other from being lonely.

Suppose she returned the broken pot But the neighbours, of course, saw to Mrs. Linnet and it wasn't the right. only the board view of the situation. one? Mrs. Linnet was the type

Abby

lordly

right?

to

The LADY FIGHTS BACK

A New Universal Picture with

KENT TAYLOR IRENE HERVEY

WILLIAM LUNDIGAN WILLIE BEST

TO-MORROW ALHAMBRA

At The

The China Mail

...

DEALS

CONCISELY AND ACCURATELY

WITH THE NEWS

ARLIEST WITH TH

By Stanley Cordell

and say

coffee

The facts were that Abby and Myliss accept the inferior article were not as well acquainted as they nothing, but do a lot of thinking. or their friends thought. Both had That-night Myliss couldn't sleep. led separate lives, both had become She kept thinking about the set in their ways. Abby's natural pot, and about Abby. Abby was posi- doniineering manner had developed. tive Myliss had made a mistake, and meals She was capable, efficient, thorough. Abby, had been getting the She didn't like to be crossed. These lately. Perhaps she did know which traits had been indulged and encourag- pot was which. ed by her brother, who was an easy- going, indifferent sort of person.

Now Myliss was naturally retiring and timid. She hated arguments. She was used to giving in.

off Toward dawn Myliss dropped into fitful sleep. She awoke at seven and while she dressed a gleam came into her eyes and her mouth set grim- ly. She went downstairs, got coffee pots and went over to Linnet's.

"Which pot," she asked, out both, "is yours?"

both Mrs.

thrusting

"For goodness' sake," declared Mrs. Linnet, "don't you know your

But a strange thing happened. My liss discovered she resented Abby's imperious manner. The discovery sur- prised and shocked her. She analyzed it and learned the reason. When Al- bert, her husband had been alive, she had never resented his positive ways coffee pot? This one's mine, because Albert was part and parcel tell by the broken handle." of everything, that was hers.

Abby was in the kitchen when Myliss wasn't. Abby was an outsider. And, got back. "Well?" said Abby, a smug, Myliss decided, no outsider was going indulgent smile on her lips.

Abby

to crowd her out of being mistress of her own household.

own I can

"The broken pot," declared Myliss,

For a time Myliss did nothing. She "belonged to Mrs. Linnet. I knew it was thankful enough to have some did, just the way I know all my own one around to talk to. Abby com- things. I've lived in this house ever manded and Myliss yielded, but sooner since I was born. Everything here, is or later, she knew, she and Abby mine, and no one can tell me differ- would have a showdown. Myliss ently. Now or till I die!"

couldn't go on being bossed around in her own house, Somehow, she had Abby looked at Myliss, started to to show Abby that she (Myliss) was mistress.

A month after Abby's arrival Myliss made plans to hold the regular meet ing of the Wednesday Two o'clock club at her house. There were thir- teen in the group and Mylias found it necessary to borrow an extra coffee pot from Mrs. Linnet,, her next-door neighbour.Abby, of course, helped with the arrangements. In fact, Abby assumed most of the responsibility, set the table, arranged the flowers, placed the chairs, Inwardly Myliss. boiled. She liked to do these things herself, because the way the house looked was a reflection of her own personality.

When the club ladies arrived, Abby took complete charge, served, the re- freshments ahead of time, awarded the prizes, Myliss' mouth set in a line. When the ladies

speak, stopped. And that's the way it has been ever since. Abby would. like to speak a great many times but she remembers the coffee pot incident, and restrains herself. She is getting- used to it, which is fine,

(Released by The Associated News- papers).

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