Connecticut western news., 1873-09-12

then were still. Hetty closed the door, and the sunbeams and the huge pan of doughnuts had the big kitchen all to themselves.
 Mrs. Baxter sat examining chestful of woolen clothes, in the cool solitude of the north chamber.
 "Those pesky moths have got in here, after all, she remarked, as her niece entered the room. "Look. at that, now" and she exposed to view an ancient garment completely riddled with small holes. "You just sit down here, Henrietta, and sort out all the stockings into that basket by them selves. You'll have just about time be- fore you set the supper-tabl
 Hetty sat down as directed, and was soon deep in a musty heap of stockings and hannels.
 "There's Will Lowry going by" said her aunt, pausing moment in her oc- cupation and glancing out of the open easement. "I must ask him about Aunt Elizy.-Good-evening, William," she called, leaning over the sill, and ad- dressing good-looking, ebroad-shoul- dered young fellow who was passing the gate. "How's all the folks, par ticularly your aunt Elizy ?"
 "All the folks are well, except Aunt Eliza, and she's better," replied the young man, pausing in his walk and leaning on the gate, as if quite willing to prolong the interview. "Aunt Mar tha is going to have the sewing society up there tomorrow.
 "They'u eat her out of house and home," rejoined the old lady, rather grimly. "That reminds me, William, I promised to send your aunt some of my yeast cakes, and if you don't mind bundle, you may take 'em along with you. They're on the kitchen table. If you'll just step round to the back-door you'll find 'em quite handy"
 "I'll just run down and get them for him." proposed Hetty, anxious to es- cape from the wool chest, and not at all averse to little Irritation with Will Lowry.
 "You'n just stick to the stockings, Miss Morris, answered her aunt, prompt ly. "Let him wait on himself"
 Presently the last pair of stockings was laid away, and then her aunt said, ''now get the tea and be quick about wagon driving round to the barn now. !"
  riedly put the tea to draw, and neatly set out on the white cloth snowy bread, golden butter, and crimson jelly, all made by her own delft fingers. Then she ranged before her uncle's place a huge platter of cold boiled beef, a dish of cold potatoes, and another of pork and greens. Then, standing at one side, she glanced critically over the generous board to see if all was com- plete. Something about the arrange ment struck her as faulty but at first she could not satisfy herself as to what it was. At last light broke in upon her mind.
 "Hew near I came to forgetting the | doughnuts ! How uncle would have fretted, to be sure! lam glad thought before he came in."
 So saying, she took rlate and went into the pantry. Not a doughnut was to be seen. She examined the cupboard under the milk shelf. There was the bread box, a jar of cookies, and two lusty loaves of gingerbread-bu no doughnuts. She brought wooden chair from the kitchen, and stood there on to search the topmost shelf. There she beheld only pots of jam and pre- serves, together with some disused tins, all very much covered with dust-but no doughnuts. Then she pulled out the big pie board from behind the flour barrel (the pic board made by Frank at the age of ten years-his earliest essay in the carpentering line-and which warped past all using within the first month of it's existence). No doughnuts nothing but two or three cobwebs, against which she promptly registered a VOW. As she was replacing the board a thought darted into her mind which caused smiles to fade quickly away, and 8 frown of annoyance as quickly succeed them.
 Crank That is the reason he went home so early from his work, is it! How silly of him to play me such a trick If he only knew how cross Uncle Baxter can be when he is vexed What shall do ?" And poor Hetty began turning over in her mind all sorts of ex. cuses for the non appearance of her un' cle's favorite delicacy, none of which would do in the least, and in the midst of which she heard his rough voice il the kitchen.
 "Supper ready?" "All ready" she answered, faintly from the depths of the pantry; ant hastily cutting several thick slices O gingerbread, she hurried out and tool her seat at the table. "What time did Frank go?" inquired her uncle of nobody in particular, a the same time heaping his plate witl meat and vegetables. :. Hetty said nothing and her aunt re piled
 Somewhere between five and six ; . don't know exactly"
 "Did he get through with that doc t before he went?" demanded the grui 3 voice again.
 l (" He did," replied Aunt Baxter 3 concisely. He3ty breathed more free = ly.
 "What that fellow does with his tim is more than I knew," growled Uncl l Baxter. 'It's lucky for him he's work ing by the job, or he'd hear a piece c my mind"
 v Farmer Baxter's womenkind," a l he was wont courteously to term tn - ladies of his family, understood hi : ways, and usually passed over his ebuI
 litions of temper in silence, knowin s that he would doubtless eat himself int I better humor in due course.
 DeueVe ne SpenuS ual1 HIS Ilm
 gossiping with the women," he continr : ed, rightly surmising that the subjec l was distasteful to his wife and niece J. and therefore doggedly pursuing il y "Has he been in here this afternoon
 Henrietta ?"
 "No, sir," replied Hetty, boldly
 though recollection of Franks par
 ing attitude came over her guilty as sh 0 spoke.
 "Well, just see that he don't then j. and you tend to your work, ," was th
 surly reioinder; and the old man sul sided into discussion of his dish ( @ greens.
 }, For few moments silence reigne