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

II hain't touched your old bonnet,'
retorted Jack, with grand scorn.
II 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 /
heard him and Janey away on the
other side of the yard playin', and you
know they want in here vixen the bon
net comes
'"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
stroked 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. And Nanny hain't
seen it, l Know went on Aunt Beu-
lab, "for she was along of me the
whole enduring time; but I'll ask her;
faint lost breath to ask, my mother
used to say, and mabbe it's 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 sehce
she set down the b:edbox; and come
to think ont, | know She hain't, for /
cleared the table myself to-day, and,
besides, the bunnit want here at din
ner-timc. Now, let's hunt for it.
Things don't gener'Ny 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
vcstigated if it was large enough to hold
that bonnet, but nobody once thought
OF looking under the chair cushion. The
boGnct was evidently lost, and Jack,
who had followed the domestic detec-
tivcs up stairs and down, retired behind
the wood-pile and executed joyful
dance to relieve his suppressed feelings.
For several days this deludcd spinster
muscd 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 on 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 Bculah had
not set down pitcher Of milk, Just
brought in by a neighbor, on the end of
the table nearest to that rockingham
=. set it down only for moment, to get
the neighbor 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 on the cushion. The
chintz was old, and had lost it's glaze,
and the feathers were light, 50 the rich
fluid soaked in at once, and before the
two women, recalled from the cupboard
by Janey'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
stoodtranstixed.
"What under the everlastin' cano.
py?' broke from her dismayed lips, for
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
"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 rs tenderly rs if it had
been Janey's curls, regarding it with ap
expression pen or pencil fails to depict;
mixture of grief, pity, Indignation and
amazemcnt, that, together with the
curious look of the bonnet, was too
much for the ncighbor, and, to use
her own after expression in describing
the scene, she "snickcred right out"
"Laugll, d." said Aunt Bc,llah, with
eringly; lido laugh! l 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 too
much!''
"Well, 1 be sorry" said the placable
female; "but it does look so dredful
ridiculous like couldn't noways help
myself. But how on earth did it git
there, admire to know"
IL dono myself as l know; but !
hain't a doubt in my own mind it was
chat bosom of a Jack. He is the fullest
of 'riginal sin and actual transgression
of any boy ever see. He did say, now
I call to mind, that he hadn't never
touched it, but I mistrust he did; he
beats all for mischief that ever l see.
Pm free to say l never did like boys;
[ suppose Divine Providence ordained
'em to some coed end. but it takes q
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"
"Pll fetch ye some more tomorrow"
said the literal neighbor.
You're real good. Miss Jackson,
but I'm more exercised lot about my
bunnit than beabout the milk. Sary,
look a-here!'
Sarah just coming in at the door, did
look, and, like Mrs. Jackson, felt a
strong desire to smile, but with native
tact controlled it. .-..
"Why, where on earth did you find
it, Aunt Beulah?''
Right under the rocker cushion.
It must have ben there when. Miss
Blake come in that day and set down
there, for l remember thinkin' Nanny
must ha' shook that cushion up more