The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-11-14

"Do you keep man cook, ma'am ?" sale
she.
Mrs. Meredith drew herselfup. Certainly
not" said she. "This is my brother, Mr.. Sci
wynn, who is kindly assisting me to make Q
salad"
But he is not doing it right" said the new
girl Hell never get the meat out of the
shell in that way Let me show you, Mr.
Selwyn."
And with def fingers she loosened the lus
cious white fibre from the scarlet shell in q
manner that made Mr. Selwyn cry "Bravop
"And now, Patty" said Mrs. Meredith, ]
will show you where the things are, and leave
you to get up a nice lunch as you can for half
past two o'clock; we are expecting my hus,
bands cousin from Chicago, and l want
everything in perfect order"
"Ill finish the salad" said Tom, who had
| secretly been observing the pretty face and
| trim figure of the new domestic, now that
I've commenced it. But you needn't look so
| perturbed, Patty, if that's your name. I'll be
careful not to get in your way, And you can
ask my sister if I'm not a handy sort of a tel-
low around the kitchen"
Kitty shook her head surreptitiously at
Tom behind the screen; Tom resolutely af
fected not to perceive the warning gesture.
Half an hour afterward he came up to the
ranging her best lilac-and- gold china
kitty" said he, "she's a,jewel A gem
of the first water Depend upon it she's not
always worked in the kitchen. | quoted
Shakespeare aprOpos of some thing or other,
| don't remember what, and she recognized
the grand old words at once, her eyes bright
ened, and you should have seen the color
come into her checksw
81 don't believe in high life below stairs"
said Mrs. Kitty, dsdainfully.
The lunch came up at halfpast two in per-
feet order, but no cousin from Chicago ar
rived-no dcpot-hack rolled up to the door.
How provokingp said Kitty "Miss Me-
redith must have missed some essential con-
Meeting train. Charley will be so vexed !?
But, however, l don't so much mind compa-
ny coming in at any time now that l have
such an excellent girlw
The dinner of daintily roasted quais and
rabbit, fricassee, with dessert of custard and
jelly, was duly served at precisely seven, at
which hour Mr.. Meredith bounced in, hot and
flushed with the haste he had made.
"Where is she? ?" cried he.
"Whcre is who ?" said Kitty.
MY cousin from Chicagow
"Oh!" said Kitty, 'she hasn't Gomez
"Not come"
mo"
Mr. Meredith drew a long sigh of mingled
regret and relief
"Thcn, after ALL" said he cts not so I'M
lucky?"
whats not SO unlucky?" petulantly de-
handed his wife "My dear Charles, you are
expressing yourself altogether in riddles"
"That l forgot all about the oysters and
the zephyr wool and the servant girl"
"Forgot?"
"Yes-forgot. Isn't that plain English
enough ~
"But you didn't forget" demonstrated Mrs.
Meredith. "You sent her. She's here now,
in the Kitchen"
Mr.. Meredith stared. "Pve sent no one"
said he. "Never thought of the girl from
that moment to this, l give you my word of
honorw
Then" slowly calculated Kitty, "who did
send her?"
"Ring the bell /" said Mr.. Meredith. "Lets
have her up! Who knows but what she's
one of those regular women, with an eye to
the forks and spoonsw
And as he spoke he jerkcd the bell cord
with some energy.
In minute or SO the new girl came up,
smiling and courtesying. Mr. Meredith ut
tered an exclamation of amazement.
"Why, it's Martha Meredith !" shouted he
cts my cousin from Chicagow
And he clasped her in his arms, with
shower of kisses that made honest TOMS hair
stand on end
81 wish she was my cousin from Chicago"
uttercs he, in a stage aside.
Kitty turned as scarlet as q pepperpod.
ooh, good gracious" she cried, clasping
her little hands nervously "and | took her
for the cook"
And am cooll-when occasion requires,