Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-09-19

some OF those delicious little Naples bis
cult and maccaroons, from Saltaselli's-
oh, and let them send me up a girl from
st. Char's!"
s'A-schsch ?'
"a girl, you goose! for general houze-
work. Phoebe went home this morning
with the face-ache, and I can't be left
alone with company coming and all. Mind
she's good cook and understands wait
ing at the table ~
And Mr.. Meredith rushed off to catch
the nine-ninety express with a kaleidos-
copic confusion of grapes, zephyr wool, de-
pot-hacks. oysters and servant-maids ca
reering through his brain, which BODIED
ill for Mrs. Meredith 3 domestic plans.
While that lady, clasping both hands
over her forehead in sort of tragic de-
spair, rushed down into the kitchen where
a very good-looking young man Of some
two or three-and-twenty was on his knees
in front of the range trying to coax a most
unwilling fire to burn. The good-looking
young man glanced up, with comical
sparkle in his eyes and smudge of SCOT
traversing the bridge of his nose.
-"Well?" said he.
''Tom," cried Mrs. Meredith, hysteri-
cally, lean you make lobster salad?"
''Like book" said Tom.
''And coffee?"
" learned in Paris"
Good" said Mrs. Meredith. "'And l
can make buttermilk biscuit-and between
us we'll get up a decent lunch for the
young lady from Chicago! AS for
dinner"
"Well?" again remarked the young man
with SCOT. besmudged nose.
Providence must provided" sighed the
matron.
s'There's that old chintz-colored rooster
in the barn-yard," said Tom, hopefully.
eff I could once catch him I'd have q
chicken-stew?'
ssTom,' said Mrs. Meredith, did you
ever make chicken-stew?"
sNo."
"Then you don't know what you're talk
ing about" said the lady, with some as
perlty.
Eyes, 1 do, too,'' maintained the amaE
teur Soyer. ''Onions, potatoes, ceaery,
barley, with pinch of salt, and"
ssNonsensel' interposed Mrs. Mere
dith. ''Do pick that lobster out of Its
shell, and leave off romancing! You're
deal better at poetry and newspaper
Sketches than you are in the kitchen;
though, to be sure, goodness knows what
I should do without you just at this par
ticular emergency, you dear old darling"
The lobster was only half picked out Of
its shell, the buttermilk biscuit was still
unmixed. and Mrs. Meredith, with pock-
et-handkerch1ef tied around her pretty
brown hair, was busting the little draw
ing-room when there came a ring at the
door-bell. She put the turbaned head out
of the window after most unceremonious
fashion.
ssWho's there?" she demanded, in high
contralto.
''Does Mr. Meredith live here?" retort-
ed woman voice. And at the same in
slant the young matron caught sight of a
neat black leather bag, a black alpaca
dress, and shawl of the plainest High
land plaid.
''It's the new girl, thank Providence!"
said Mrs. Meredith; and she flew down
stairs, thanking honest Charley in her
heart for his unexpected promptitude.
''Come in,'' said she, opening the door
wide. II am glad you are so punctual,
my good girl. From the st. Chars In
telligence Bureau. I sAppose? No. don't
take off your things up here the servants
room is below stairs; you may as we'll
come directly down into the Kitchen
She led the way down followed by the
new girl, whose countenance bore rather a
bewildered expression.
Z "What is your name2" she asked, pa
tr0nizingly
''My name? Oh, it's Martha" an
swered the stranger, in some confusion.
''Martha?" critically repeated Mrs.
Meredith. "What an ugly name! think
I shall call you Patty. Have you good re-
ferences?"
"I-believe SOL
81 think" said Mrs. Meredith. survey
ing her from top to toe, ''you are a little
overdressed for your station. Patty, but OF
course you have some palmer clothes in
your trunk when il cOmes?n
The stranger lifted pair of grave blue
eyes to the tall form, girded around with
a towel, who was vigorously wrestling
with the claws of stupendous lobster at
the table beyond.
"Do you keep q man cook. ma'am?"
said she. 4u
Mrs. Meredith drew herself up. Seer
tainly not" said she. "This is my BROTH
or, Mr.. Selwyn, who is kindly assisting me
to make a salad.''
''But he is not doing it right" said the
new girl. s'He'll never get the meat out
of the shell in that way. Let me show
you, Mr.. Selwyn." ta
And with deft fingers she loosened the
luscious white fibre from the scarlet shell
in manner that made Mr.. Selwyn cry,
"Bravo!'
s'And now, Patty" said Mrs. Meredith,
81 will show you where the things are,
and leave you to get up as nice lunch as
you can for half-past two O'Clock; we are
expecting my husbands cousin from Chi
cagO. and want evervthinR in perfect Or