The Shasta courier., 1865-06-24
" Where's your mistress. Polly ?v

manded Mr.. Verdon, biting his lips with in
ward yexatien.
$ She said she mightn't be back before
night
Where are the children 2"
"Gone to their Grandmam's in Brooklyn,
sir.u
And what am to do for dinner ?"
: Sure, sir, don't know"
Here's pretty FIX grumbled Mr.. Yer
don to himself as he stamped despalrlngly
about the Kitchen . And I've asked How
ard and Talboys to due here at three.
What demon has got into Cathiel Why
couldn't / have held my tongue the other
night should really like to know what |
am to do.
He tore bis hair in perplexity.
PollyY'
"Sir.', ..--.
"What is there in the house for din
ner? ?''
There's tongue, strand Goldfish
and cabbage, l believe"
Bring 'em on, Polly, and I'll cook 'em
myself. You know'how to boil tongue,
don't you?"
81 don't know, sir''
"I wish I had cook book" groaned Mr..
Verdon, in great tribulation. "Any how
you fry fsh-and cabbage is very good
boiled, with butter. Fetch on the frying pan,
Polly, and bring lots of kindling. In
afraid the Goldfish is a little tough and dry
confound the creature how it sticks to the
pan Polly, you set the table while | strip
off all the nice big cabbage leaves-those
little sprouts arnt any use down in the mid
die. I'll send to the bakers for an apple
pie, / guess. | wouldn't have Howard and
Talboys suppose we didn't keep professions
al cook for any money. IfCathie were only
at homel" .'---..-
Mr. Verdon dropped the cabbage leaves
one by one meditatively into the pot as he
spoke. f
.Shure, SIR" interposed the staring hand
maiden, Missus always washes them
frstv
Washes 'em?n calculated Mr.. Verdon,
whats the use of that when the pot is half
full Of water? But women go to the work by
the hardest. Give us that tongue, Polly,
and sharp knife-I suppose the plaguy
thing has got to be skinned. Hal-loor
+ Mr.. Verdon uttered an agonized howl as
the knife slipped. inficting disagreeable
cash in his hand He tied it up with his
pocket handkerchief, and went on with his
rather difficult job
There y he exclaimed, as he trium-
phantiy jammed the tongue down among the
cabbage leaves, that's done. But I'm
afraid my fish is quite old-it doesn't fry at
all favorable. Perhaps you ought to grease
the pan.''
He took the fish out by the tail, and an
ointed the kissing pan literally with butter,
then set the establishment on the fire once
more.
But Just as he was bending over the fire,
his sleeves turned back, and his countenance
dripping with perspiratlon there was sud
den sibilation and an upward blaze-the
butter had taken fire so had Mr.. Verdon' S
hair and shirtsleeves.
Luckily he had presence of mind enough
to dip his face and arm instantaneously in
the pail of water that stood in the sink; and
at the moment that he stood there scorched
and dripping, with singed hair and no coat,
over the highly favored ruins Of the luckless
Goldfish, Polly threw the kitchen door wide
open, and announced:
Please sir, two gentleman,
And Messrs. Howard and Talboys entered,
considerably surprised at the state of things
before them.
Halloop' exclaimed Mr.. Talboys.
"Why, what's the matter, Verdon?'' quer-
led Mr.. Howard Not case of spontane
Gus combustion, eh ~
While Alexander, scarlet and confused,
| jumbling vainly for the linen cuffs, garnlsh.
ed with gold sleeve buttons, that had blazed
into light cinders long ago.
"I-I,u he stammered. Every stupid OF
the girl to bring you down here-I just came
for a glass of water-let me escort you up
stairs
He preceded his guests up the narrow
stairway. blissfully unaware Of the ash
besprinkled neither garments and sooty coun-
tenance, that gave his friends such task to
keep their countenances.
ssExcuse me one minute, gentlemen" he
growing hot all over, as he caught glimpse
of himself in the parlor mirror, and lodged
out to renovate his toilet, muttering to him
lself:
+ tssWbat has become of Cathie! I'd give q
hundred dollar note if she were only here"
i AS he issued once more from his room q
soft, familiar voice sounded on his ear, and
his heart gave a great bound of delight
Cathie had returned in very truth, and was
| in the parlor at that instant talking with his
friends.
| Cathie." he whispered, holding the door
half ajar, 'Cathie !"
/ But she was too busy descanting on the
merits of some Pre- Raphaelite artist to pay
any attention to her husbands husky sum
mons.
- It's burning, Cathie,' he whispered
looming into the room, and gently twitchine
| her sleeve.
i 1T smell the cabbage quite plainly"
! But Cathie never stirred, nor broke off iI
| her pretty, enthusiastic chatter.
/ Il think ought to have creased the in
side of that pot" thought Mr. Verdon
! y Nothing but tongue and cabbage for din
ner: and Howard boards at the Cosmopoli,
tan. and Talboys keeps French cook
| What will they think? Cathie, | say-it's
almost three oclock'i
| Dinner ready" calculated Miss Polly
/ ostentatiously throwing open the door.
i Dinner was ready, as MIR. Verdon found t.
his cost, as he and Mr. Talboys followed Mrs
j Verdon and Mr.. Howard into the dining
room, where, upon greasy table cloth, re
lposeo the skinned tongue, with one sid,
|snearly calcined. and a handful of burned
cabbage leaves, forming green island il
the center of mammoth platter. Their.
was half loaf of Bread. sooty pot of but
ter. and tall tin coffee pot, wherein Polly
had brewed muddy and villainous mixtur,
that she fondly fancied to be coffee.
Alexander Verdon looked with eyes o
piteous appeal to his wife.