Sharing Dad with Judy by Madge Macbeth

Author:Madge Macbeth
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: fiction, short story
Publisher: Distributed Proofreaders Canada
Published: 1919-12-15T05:00:00+00:00

* * *

But the bitterest dose of all was the time when Judy actually shielded her from her own father. Such a thing was past human endurance—from a step-mother.

“You are starving me, good wife,” laughed Johnson across the table heaped with good things. “How can I exist without any of those toothsome cookies which lend appetizing variety to angel cake, devil cake and all the intermediate stages of spiritual bakings?”

Judy blushed with pleasure. “Baby,” she said. “One can’t entertain neighbors and make cookies at the same time. The operation is delicate. However, I promise them for to-night, no matter what happens.”

“Good!”

Dad smacked his lips like a greedy boy and commanded Nan to watch the preparations even if she could not render First Aid: “You must learn the trick, too, daughter,” he said, “for I can keep two chefs busy where it comes to Judy’s cookies.”

He had gone to town and Nan into the kitchen. But she sat in a far corner and neither watched nor helped. She pretended to be absorbed in a book, Judy sang happily and ignored her.

The oven was full and savoury odors hung about the room. The cookies were just beginning to brown and the critical moment approached when they must be snatched like a brand from the burning. Then the telephone rang. Judy frowned.

“Nan,” she asked, “would you rather answer the phone—it may be your Dad—or watch the cookies?”

Nan chose the latter exultantly. She listened to Judy’s hurried admonitions—“If I am more than two minutes, turn off the gas and open the door”—and watched her run from the kitchen. Then turning on the cock to its fullest extent, she went back to her corner and the book.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.