The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-12-28

nc desire to cultivate. But her dissatisfaction
soon vanished under the /, fuence of The pie .sant
ID, c. inber sunsl inc, aud the strange quiet and
Ps"ce n,aess. which VS. part aud parcel of this
New England homestead.
The likely young man vas not forthcoming
that evening, and Maud noted his non-appeAr-
snce with sigh of relief
One evening without siran9ers,' size murmur.
ed, in satisfaction. And that is considera bly,
better than none at all aud 80. at Uncle Hi
| sans (ss che lad been desired TO call him re-
quest, she seated herself at the old piano and
sang tor hours the simple airs which the old
eentlemtn selected. Bonnie Doom AID 'Uld
Hundred Pop goes the weasel and Lennox,
followed each other il quick succession, and she
Was just in the midst OF Hail Columbia! when
in burst Aunt Nancy, ali OF aglow with excite
ment and exercise.
Whats the matter, wife 2 asked the old farm.
er, breaking off from Heaven. born Band with
II suddenness that caused Maud instinctively To
follow his example. 'Auythin, wrongI
oh, dear yes said The old WON ali, enereeti-
| cslly removing her wooden hood. IS lille Browns
sick, and can't come tomorrow to help in my
baking, and thsIes nobody else in the neighbor-
hsod can get, and what on earth shall do it's
beyond me to Imagine. 1 can get along we'll
enough il the regular Christmas dinner; but
| one pair Ut hands amt nowhere in the baking
that's got to be done beforehand" and the poor
woman very disconsolstely gathered up her
wrappings and rose from her chair.
Mercy, Aunt Nancy! said Maud, cheerily,
don't worry about that ! don't believe but
Im just as good "a cook a. Sallie Brown; and
Was going to ask you, anyway, to let me help
you Tomorrow. Mother laughs at me, because
like the kitchen, and brioe our cook to let me
make Cake or pie once in while, hut tell
her was born with a knaok for it, and ought
to put II to some account but don't get much
chance home, and III be perfectly deliA hted if
you'll play 1'm Sallis Tomorrow
To this arrangement the old lady made few
objections and the next morning found Maud
duly installed assistant cook in the house OF Se,-
mour. Mrs. Avery would have wrung her ,nds
in holy horror at the picture presented by her
lovely daus liter on that eventful day. Her soft
quilted merino wrapper Aunt Nancy immediate.
ly vetoed AZ too nice for the 'mus.y work Oh
hand, and, for lack of anything else, brought
forth che OF her own dark calicoes Three of
tiny Maud Avery could have Occupied it comfort
ably, but by dint OF pin here loop thera. and
general taking.in ill over. she at last declared
it able to stay on This was then enveloped
and covered bys voluminous white bib apron,
which, although serving to hide sundry plaits,
ETC., did not take from tho general dumpiness !;
Ler abundant 0avy brown hair, concerning
whose reality there had been standing disputes
ever since Ler dedut was tightly coled round
.bout hor dainty little head, and, altogether.
Uncle Hiram's criticism was just.
You don't look 40 Gifted but, according TO
my way O thinkin', you are good sight
prettisr.
Aunt Nancy was busy in an animated lecture
on pumpkin pies. p box of ginger in one hand
aud box OF cinnamon in another, when her
liege lord hurried IL with the information tina,
Hugh was coming up the road. Both boxes
were dropped in iiffy, and, with hurried
Now, child, don't forget! only half of the
pumpk'a Is to be seasoned with ginger, because
som 'olks don, like it, and some folks do, she
flashed to the front door.
Maud WAS vesed with herse!, for at the nero
name of Hugh the hot blood rushed to her face
in torrents.
What goo you are. Maud Avery " she
murmured. -cornfu!ly, closing the door between
the Kitchen and the sitting.room the while
What's Hugh Wetherill to you, any more than
any other man, that chance name should set
you to thinkiSy Of him, and IN AXE you blush
like school girlF Bah Pm ashamed of YOU y
and very deliberately che proceeded to the meas.
uring OF her different spices, but the sound OF u
deep voice IN the sitting room upset all her com
pesure. The box of ginger dropped into the pan
Of undivided pumpkin, tho cinnamon followed
| suit, and, all in a tremor of embarrassment the
| self.constituted kitcheu.maid sought In despera.
| ton for some way Of escapa. At that moment
she would have gone straight back to New York
city without changing her dress, but il could
not be done. She could not get out to the high.
way without being seen from the adjoining
apartment; nor could she get upstairs withou,
passing through it, She was literally cornercd
Yes, came from the next room IN that farnil
lar voice: I'm here, Aunt Nancy, and you ough,
to feel considerably HAttered, for, l tell you,
| fau cd d,
Hum said Uncle Hiram. rel ctively, Il hop,
you ain got no sweetheart!
The other laughed-a hearty, magnetic ugi
it was.
why, Uncle Hiram, when was here teior
you wouldn't be satisfied because l hadn't sucl
u possession. You talked matrirnony from morn
in. till night. What has changed you? ?
oh! .aid the GA man, lowering his voice t.
ali appalling whisper plainly perceptble to til
blushing listener, I'm of the same mind now
: bat don't want you to take up with anybod,
and we've got the incest little woman hex
visiting-'
oh interrupted tho other. so you propos
turning natch.maker but it's no use, Uncle II
ram. haven't exactly sweetheart, but kno,
young lady whom should very much like I
. see ia that role. aud if l can't get her / won
have anybody
Who can she be-? wondered poor halfco,
scious Maud, while the old farmer sighed h
disappointment and then asked with some int
est, is she city girl =
oh, yea! returned the other. But don't l.
that prejudice you against her, Uncle Hiram
o She's not u bit vain or affected, and want VI
to be real good friends if--pshav! am tai
l ing at random. My partner, John Marvin.
' you've seen him, uncle-is following her up at
:, great rate, and if he don't marry her, it will
the first time he ever tried for anything al