Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-11-06
SPONGE CAKE.
From Harper's Bazaar.

| From Harper's Bazaar.
Lottie Hanscom sat on the back
porch of her mothers house. A bas-
ket of peas half shelled was beside
her, and she was abstractedly tossing
empty pods at the heavy-headed pop
pies in the garden border. When
the time for summer boarders came,
Lottie had to be "sccond girl;" and
very piquant little house-maid she
looked, with her black curls pushed
into a net, and her bright calico skirt
fastened back. She was humming
in low tone, and listening between
times to the gay laughter Of the
group on the front piazza, where
three young ladies were embroider-
ing with Berlin woods, and two gen
tlemen lounged on the steps smsk
ing.
The air she was humming was a
sad one, but she felt merry enough.
1t is true that she was a little tired
with her mornings work, and a little
indolent because of the heat of the
day. 1t is true, too, that she was
conscious of a faint twinge Of envy
when Mr.. Davenport's barouche was
drawn up to the house by pair of
painting horses, and its owner leaping
to the ground, assisted lady COM
panion to alight.
Lottie would have liked to go rid
ing in a baronche with-well with
some one who was not Mr.. Daven-
port. 1t is a pity the "some one" in
question could not have seen the
crimson deepen in her cheeks as she
pulled the basket of peas toward her
and commenced the song over again:
"Ye banks and braes O bonnie Doom,
How can ye bloom sac fresh and fair?''
A step and voice behind herarrest-
ed the next words on her lips. Turn
ing, she saw Mr. Davenport, who had
come through the hall, and stood
looking down on her, with his hat i'll
one hand and a halffinished cigar in
the other
"All the birds seem to be singing
on this side Of the house, Miss Lot
tie"
eyes," was the demure reply. 'Si-
las says there are two oriole nests in
those elms. They're very pretty
singers"
Mr.. Davenport did not see the
mischief in Lottie's 'downcast ayes.
He was more amused than veXed by
her literal answer.
"Will you allow me to sit down
here awhile? Perhaps they may go
on singing"
Lottie made no objection, only
shellcd peas more vigorously. When
Mr.. Davenport had seated himself,
thus bringing his hair which was al
ready beginning to be streaked with
gray, on a level with the top of the
basket, she did cast sly glance of
admiration at the heavy gold chain
at his side and the rings that adorn-
ed the hand with which he was wip-
ing his heated face.
OTIS excessively warm. Can't I
help you with those peas, Miss Lot
tie? It's shame to stain such pret-
ty fingers as yours"
Lottie blushed more at his glance
than his words, and replied, hasti-
ly.
"Oh no, certainly not; Pm used to
it,"
"But you don't like houscwork, do
you? You'd as lief somebody else
would shell the peas, and so forth?
Eh?"
"Why, yes. That's of course"
"Ah! Pm glad you're frank with
me. Do you know I've been curious
about you often, when we've all been
enjoying ourselves, and you've been
working away hard like good little
Cinderella! Do you know Pve actu-
ally worn path under the kitchen
windows, trying to get a peep at
you?"
"No," said Lottie, with a frank
look of surprise; but something in
Mr.. Davenport's answering gaze sud
denly caused her to bend over the
basket, to hide the veXed color that
burned on her cheeks.
"Miss Lottie?"
The voice was almost whisper,
and hand softly tried to draw away
the basket Of peas.
"Well, sir.'
"Put these away awhile and let me
talk to YOU"
"Why, Pm listening. l shan't
have the peas ready for dinner!"
"Nevertheless, she let him put the
basket one side, only saying, with a
nervous attempt at laugh:
"There! now are you satisfied?"
Mr.. Davenport deliberately took
the baskets place at her side, and,
bending his dark, bearded face very
near her own, answered:
"No, not yet. How can / be salts
fed, Miss Lottie, when you show SO
plainly that you don't like me?"
His hearer confusedly disclaimed
this conclusion.
"Why, Mr.. Davenport, I-I-Of
course do!''
"Well, I don't want you to like me.
l don't like YOU"
Her puzzled and somewhat resent
full glance made him smile. He con-
tinued, bending SO near that a fringe
of hair brushed Lottie's curls.
81 believe you know already what
/ mean. You little coy, black-eyed
sprite, love you. Didn't you guess
it before / told your"
The garden, the overhanging vines,
and the sky whirled before Lottie's