The Cordele Dispatch

THE BIRTHDAY CAKE
Harriett Larson

Jim-mie-e-e Jimmie! I gave a long call in the doorway. Where was that boy! I needed him to run an errand for me, but he was nowhere within sight or hearing. My aunt was out of town and our cook had been urgently and unexpectedly called home. It was Mary's birthday and there was no birthday cake. I simply couldn't make one. The clock had already struck two and I just must go to the football game-but-Mary--oh yes, I would try it.

I was progressing quite nicely when ting-a-ling went the telephone very angrily and the dressmaker asked if I had forgotten to come to try on my coat. I felt very sweet and sugary so it was necessary for me to change my dress which I speedily donned wrong side out. In my frenzy to get it off I tore a big slit in it, and had to find another frock.

When I returned home I hurried to the kitchen, and having forgotten just where I left off, put three eggs too many into my neglected cake.

Just then I heard Jack calling. He had recently begun the study of Geography, and I had promised to help him. He was reading aloud and as I hastened down stairs I heard something about cold religion living around the north pole.

I grabbed the extract bottle, but got only one tiny drop into the cake before I noticed that it was turpentine oil. I did hope nobody would taste it.

My cake at last in the oven, I courageously attacked the icing, but after a few minutes, I smelled something burning. That fire did seem frightfully hot!

I scratched and scraped and scraped and scratched to remove the coat of black, and after piling on great white mountains of icing the cake really looked too beautiful for words.

I set it out on the back porch table to cool while I tidied up the kitchen, my hands a storm of dishes and my head a whirl of football. Would Cordele win? I thought so but still one of the best players was out of the game.

I heard a noise-the cake: Someone had left the door open and, much to my dismay, a stray dog had made a hopeless wreck of my sister's birthday joy. But it was time to get ready or I would miss the game. Let the dog take the cake for all I cared. I hadn't a minute to weep.

When I left the room I heard Jack reading very earnestly: "The earth-quake is a line around the earth just half way between the two poles."

Cordele won, and in the excitement I forgot all about my afternoon's experiences until I reached home to find that my aunt had returned, and much to Mary's delight, had brought a very pretty birthday cake.