New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1880-07-07

I'll hain't touched your old bonnet"
retorted Jack, with grand scorn.
i don't believe he has, said Sarah;
for when come down stairs and
found it want there, l went out and set
on the bench to the front door, and I
heard him and Janey away on the
other side of the yard playin', and you
know they want in here VIXEN tho bon
net come" ~.
"Well, of course fancy hasn't seen
it, if Jack hasn't; and, if she had, the
blessed child wouldn't have touched old
aunty's bunnit for dollar-would she,
precious lamb?'' and Aunt Beulah
strokcd the bright curls of her darling,
who looked up into her face and
laughed, while Jack grinned broadly
between his bites of bread and butter,
master of the situation, and full of
sweet revenge. land Nanny hain't
seen it, know" went on Aunt Beu-
lab, for she was along of me the
whole enduring time; but I'll ask her;
'ta'n't lost breath to ask, my mother
used to say, and mabbe it's a gain.''
The old lady strobe out into the
kitchen with knit brows, but came back
without any increased knowledge.
"She hain't been in here once sence
she set down the b:a>dbox; and come
| to think ont, know She hain't, for !
cleared the table myself to-day, and,
besides, the bunnit wan here at din
ner-time. Now, let's hunt for it.
Things don't gener'lly vanish away
without hands; but if we can't find no
hands, why, it's us good rs the next
thing to look for the bunnit.''
So they went to work and searched
the house, as they thought, most thor
oughly: no nook or corner but was in
ycstigated if it was large enough to hold
that bonnet, but nobody once thought
of looking under the chair cushion. The
! boSnet was evidently lost, and Jack,
who had followed the domestic dctec-
tiycs up stairs and down, retired behind
the wood-pile and executed joyful
dance to relieve his suppressed feelings.
For several days this deludcd spinster
unused and mazcd over her bonnet, 90
ing to church on Sunday in her shabby
old velvet hat, and before the week was
half done, she h:d settled into a pro-
found belief that some tramp had passed
while they were all out of the room
and, charmed by that lavender satin
ribbon and black lace, stolen the bon
net and carried it off to sell; and man,
time did Miss Bculah sit rocking to
and fro OH top OF her precious Leghorn,
wondering and bemoaning at its loss.
But murder will out-sometimes. and
would certainly have come out in the
weekly cleaning the next Saturday, if
on the Friday morning Miss Beulah had
not set down pitcher of milk. Just
brought in by a neighbor, on the end of
the table nearest to that rocking-chair
- set it down only for moment, to get
the ncighbor recipe for sugar ginger.
bread peculiar to the Larkin family.
Janey happened to be thirsty, and
reached after the pitcher, but was just
tall enough to grasp the handle so low
down that when she pulled at it, steady
ing herself against the chair, it tipped
sideways, and poured copious stream
of fresh milk OR the cushion. The
chntz was old, and had lost its glaze,
and the feathers were light, SO the rich
fluid soaked in at once, and before the
two women, recalled from the cupboard
by Jancy's scream, could reach the
pitcher, there was only a very soppy
and wet cushion in the chair
"For mercy's sakes! said the neigh.
Dor; but Miss Beulah, with great pres.
ence of mind, snatched up the dripping
mass and flung it out of the open win:
dow, lest her carpet should suffer. She
reverted to the chair in second, and
stood transtixed.
"What under the cverlastin' cano.
py?' broke from her dismayed lips, fol
there, ii;.ttened out almost beyond rec.
ognition, and broken wherever it was
bent, its lavender ribbons soaked with
milk, the cheap lace limp and draggled,
lay the remains of the Leghorn bon.
net.
"Of all things!' exclaimed the neigh.
Dor, but there was an echo of irrcpres-
sible amusement in her tones. Aunt
Beulah glarcd at her, and lifted the
damp bonnet as tenderly rs if it had
been Janey's curls, regarding it with al
expression pen or pencil fails to depict
a mixture Of grief, pity, Indignation and
amazemcnt, that, together with the
curious look of the bonnet, was toe
much for the neighbor, and, to use
her own after expression in describing
the scene, she "snickcrcd right OUT
! "Laugl, d." said Aunt Bculah, with.
eringly; edo laugh! 1 guess if your
best bunnit had ben set on and drownd-
ed, you'd laugh the other side O. your
mouth, Miss Jackson. This is toe
much?'
swell, be sorry" said the plac;.ble
female; "but it does look SO dredfu]
ridiculous like 1 couldn't noways help
myself. But how on earth did it gi,
there, admire to know?''
II dono myself as l know; but ]
hain't a doubt in my own mind it was
that bosom of Jack. He is the fullest
of 'riginal sin and actual transgrcssion
of any boy I ever see. He did say, now
I call to mind, that he hadn't never
touched it, but l mistrust he did; he
beats all for mischief that ever I see
I'm free to say l never did like boys;
[ suppose Divine Providence ordained
'cm to some coed end. but it takes a
sight o grace to believe it; and of all
the boys that ever was sent into this
world for any purpose. do believe he
is the hatefulest. I'd just got my bun.
nit to my mind, Gale latin to wear it all
summer, and l am a mite pcrnickity,
I'll allow that, about my bunnits
Well, faint no use to cry over split
milk" .-
''I'll fetch We some more tomorrow,
said the literal neighbor.
You're real good. Miss Jackson
but I'm more exercised lot about my
bunnit than be<sbout the milk. Sary
look a-herer'
| Sarah just coming in at the door, die
look, and, like Mrs. Jackson. felt :
strong desire to smile, but with native
tact controlled it.
Why, where on earth did you fnt
it, Aunt Beulah?''
Fright under the rocker cushion
It must have ben there when Mis-
Blake come in that day and set dow,
there, for remember thinkin' Mann,
must ha' shook that cushion up more'l
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