Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1877-02-22

sim so sorry" said Peggy; "but
the deceitful old thing isn't half done.
When the top looked so promising,
who would suspect that there was on
ly few raw apples and dough float
ing in molasses, underneath? It's
downright hypocrisy. shall never
believe in pandowdies again"
show did you bake it?" asked I'm
Gle John, disconsolately.
Elm the stove oven, to be sure.
Perhaps you thought I lad baked it
in the sum-"
"Ah, that's it. Ny mother always
used the brick oven; and so did"
aud then Uncle John pushed back his
chair and left the room.
II never thought of the brick oven,,
said Peggy to herself. 1t hasn't been
used since Aunt Briefly had her shock
wonder if it would he safe? I'll try
tomorrow if Pm alive"
The brick oven was in the winter
kitchen at Briefly Farm, and as Peg
gy said, had never been used or dis
turbed since the day of Aunt Brierly's
shock. The kitchen itself had fallen
into disuse as kitchen since her
time, having been turned to account
as a store.room. So when tomorrow
came Peggy made her pandowdy
ready and went into the kitchen to
light fire in the brick oven, matches
and kindling in hand. The rusty door
of the oven grated on its hinges, as if
10th to be called into service again
after so many years of idleness, and
disclosed newspaper twisted togeth-
err carelessly, and handful of kind
lings thrown upon it, just as Aunt
Briefly had left it when paralysis
seized her. Wondering what scrap
of forgotten news she might find in an
old daily of ten years back, Peggy
took up the newspaper with sort OF
shudder, shook, and smoothed it out
and let fall from among its folds let
ter, yellow and torn and crumpled
She picked it up without much con-
Germ, saw that it was addressed to
"Miss Margaret Briefly" opened it
and read few imprisoned lines
from Matthew Royston- few lines
inploring her to forgive his misera-
BILE exactions, and to send him some
sign of her favor. He feared that he
might have forfeited her regard, but
if she still loved him, would she write
line in answer, or send message
by the bearer, or meet him at the
stile in Lovers Lane at twilight, or,
if this were ACKNOWLEDGEMENT the
humble lover-would she set light
in the window of the best room,
which being seldom used would sig
Nifty to him that he would be welcome
at Briefly Farm.
All this dated ten years ago! and
she had not written the line he asked
for, nor sent the message, nor set the
light in the window, nor met him in
the soft spring twilight at the stile in
Lovers Lane
No wonder he had married Patty
Pratt Peggy came near having
shock herself at this revelation of the
old brick oven, and it was after twelve
by the kitchen clock before abe came
to her sense. and vaguely remember
ing that she had been meaning to heat
the brick oven and bake the pandow-
dy. Was it yesterday or the day be-
fore?
Just then Uncle John came in to
his dinner, and found the table not
set, not a vegetale on the fire, the
tea kettle dry, the mutton black as a
coal, and the pandowdy waiting for
baking Had Peggy run away? And
then he stepped into the old kitchen.
and found her with the yellow letter
spread out upon her lap, her hands fol-
ded over it, aud her eyes staring hard
at the opposite wall. peggy, Peggy,
what's the matter, child?" he called
twice before she needed. Then she
was on her feet in a trice, rubbing her
eyes as if she had been dreaming
I'm heating the brick oven for the
pandowdy," she answered, gathering
up her kndlings.
"Didn't you know it's after twelve,
Peggy" he mildly suggested, picking
up the letter that had fallen to the
floor.
"What's this. eh?"
cts mine; give it to me" she cried
'It's noihing-only scrap of old pa
per, you see. It's my own. | found
it in the oven. Do give it to me. |
have right to it." But Uncle John
was already adjusting his spectacles,
conscious in a sort of hazy way, that
something had troubled Peggy. and
that this yellow rag was the some
thing, which it was his duty to look
into.
"Nobody's going TO eat it, child "
he SAID. "And you found it in the
oven, eh? Pretty place for love-!et-
ter. I wonder it didn't heat the oven
without any kindlings or other fuel.
You didn't answer it, / reckon?"
ANSWER it | never laid eyes on it
before to-day" said Peggy, with eyes
that struck fire.
ats been good while on the road
eh? April 20, 1862. Why, that's the
very day as Sophy had her shock |!
All! Oh! Humph! And he married
Patty Pratt! Ahem! Amt it most din
ner time, Peggy?"
"Dinnerl Bless me, yes. And
thers's the pandowdy done to a crisp,
No. what am / talking about? II has
Mt seen the oven!' And Peggy was
busy and alert in half minute
Uncle John made no further ref
erence to the letter;but about month
later, as Peggy sat knitting in the
twilight, and wondering what her
twilights would have been If Aunt
Briefly had not been unkind, some
body opened the door, came to her
side and stopped and kissed her. "Is
it tims to light the lamps, Uncle
John?" she asked.
aUncle John has brought about
great illumination already" said a
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