The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1880-07-24
THE NEW GIRL.

4
member p
"To remembcr-What ?" said Nr.
Meredith, with hopeless expression OF
insanity on his conutcnance. Kate
Meredith dropped both hands despair
ingly at her side.
"Charlcs !" she cxcitedly said, "you
don't mean that you have forgotten al
ready ?"
"My dear" said Mr.. Meredith, f,,mb-
ling in the depths of his overcoat pock-
cts for missing glove, al may not have
iorgotten-but 1 don't exactly remen,-
bcr."
"The oysters" suggested his wife.
"Oh yes, the oysters" said he.
"And the two ounces Of double zephyr
scarlet wool"
Exactly"
"And the depot hack to be in waiting
at O'Clock for your cousin from Phila-
dclphia."
MIR. Meredith slapped one hand on the
table.
"Shc is coming to-day, declare -
he calculated.
"And dozen Havana oranges for de-
scrt, and two pounds of white grapes
and some of those delicious little Naples
biscuits and maccaroons--oh, and let
them send up girl from ST. Glars. I"
"A-which ?"
"a girl. you goose. For general
house work. Phcbc wen, home this
morning with the faccachc and can I
be left alone with company coming and
all. Mind she's good cook and under
stands waiting on the table.
And Meredith rushed off to catch the
9. so express, with Kaleidoscope con-
fusion of grapes, zephyr wool, depot
hacks, oysters and servant maids career
ing through his brain. which BODIED i'll
for Mrs Mcredith's domestic plans.
While the lady, clasping both hands
over her forehead, in sort Of tragic de-
spair, rushed down into the kitchen,
where 4 very good looking young man,
of 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 a comical sparkle in his eyes,
and smudge OF SCOT travcrsing the
bridge of his nose.
"Wcll?" said he.
"rom," cried she Historically, scan
you make lobster salad ?"
Like book" said Tom.
"And coffee -
al learned in Paris"
Good. And can make buttcrmilk
biscuit-and, between us, we will get up
decent lunch for young lady from
Philadelphia. As for dinner"
"Well ?" again remarked the young
man with the SCOT besmudged nose.
providence must provide" sighed
the matron.
"rhere's an old chintz colorcd roos-
ter in the barnyard. If | could catch
him I'd have 4 chicken stew"
"rom, did you ever make chicken
stew ?"
"No."
"rhcn you do no; know what you are
talking about" said the lady with some
asreri,y.
"Ycs | do, too. Onions, potatoes,
celery, pearl barley, with pinch Of salt,
and"
Nonsense - intcrposed Mrs. Mere
dith. $50 pick that lobster out of its
shell, and leave off romancing. You are
deal better At poetry and newspaper
sketches than you are in the kitchen !;
though to he sure" with twingc of
conscience, goodness knows what
should do without you just in this par
ticular emergency, you dear old dar-
ling"
The lobster was only half picked out
Of its shell, the buttermilk biscuit was
still unmixcd, and Mrs. Meredith, with
a pocket handkerchief tied around her
pretty brown hair, was dusting the little
drawing room, when there came 4 ring
a, the door.bcll. She put the turbaned
head out OF the window in 4 most un-
Ccrcmonious manner.
"Who is there ?" she demanded in 4
high contralto.
"Does Mrs. Meredith live here ?" re-
tortcd woman's voice. And the same
instant the young matron caught sight
Of a neat black leather bag, a black alpaca
dress and shawl Of the plainest High
land plaid.
"lt sthc new girl, thank Providence"
said Mrs. Meredith, rs she ran down the
stairs, thanking honest Charlie in her
heart for his unexpected promptitudc.
"Comc in," said she, opening the
door wide 81 am so glad you are pune
tual. my good girl. From the St. Clair S
intelligence bureau, suppose. No,
don't take of your things up here, the
servants room is below stairs you may
as well come directly down to the kitch-
en-"
She led the way down, followed by
the new girl, whose countenance bore a
rather bewildered expression.
"what is your name 2" she asked pa
tronizingly.
"Mynamcs Oh, it's Martha" replied
the stranger, in some confusion.
"Martha 2" critically repeated Mrs.
Meredith "What an ugly name
think shall call you Pattic. Have you
good refcrences1"
"I-believe so."
al think, said Mrs. Meredith survey.
ing her from tip to toe, "you are lit
tie over dressed for your station, Pattie ;
but Of course you have some palmer
clothes in your trunk, when il comes 2"
The stranger lifted pair Of grave
blue eyes to the tall form, girded around
with towel, who was vigorously wrest-
ling with the claws Of a stupendous lob
stcr at the table beyond.
"Do you keep man cook 2" asked
the girl.
Mrs. Meredith drew herself up.