Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1881-09-10
last discovered. she would at any rate
have respite.

ueHh Vi Euothhh pcapOAn III ptbWccb eho
two big andirons. She bangea the fire.
board up into its place with spiteful,
defiant little motion, and then gazed at
the interviewer with unhinching eyes,
although the blood was in her cheeks.
"rm hiding 'em, 80 I won't have to
shell 'em," she said. "That's what I'm
up to-"
"But, dear Miss Clover" he began,
half puzzled.
"You needn't lecture me-" she broke
in. "I won't touch one of them, not II
you tell Aunt Beth, now."
"I wouldn't think of telling Aunt
Beth" he answered. "I only appeal to
you. Does your conscience approve
Glover looked at him. sulkily, from
under her fringey, Aaxen topnot.
"Maybe, If your fingers were sore and
your shoulders were lame, and you de-
tested the sight of black-eyed peaas
much as do, you would not ask the
advice of your conscience, either" she
said, with faint tremor in her voice.
He smiled, but it was gentle, pitying
smile.
"Poor little" perhaps he was going
to say "insect !" but limp calico dress,
with limp woman inside of it, came
languidly up the steps, and dropped
into chair as if they had suddenly
melted together at that point.
"Clover," spoke her aunt, in voice
which was in violent contrast to her
manner, "if you've got them everlast-
ing peas out of the way at last, you
better get that coffee a-roastlng"
For once Mr.. Clarendon was guilty OF
a great nonsense in the very first SEN
tence of his treatise, for he wrote:
"This new specimen IS poor, over
worked, simple, foolish, darling little
Ounce"
Whatever Glover pretended, the
black-eyed peas hidden behind the fire.
board, grew to be something of bur
den. She knew it would have been better
for her had she gone through with the
task, instead ai shifting the burden
from her hands to he ;onscience. But
she would not ackpowletlee it and
when she .ound Nj Clarendon regard.
ing her with serious eyes she grow de.
fant, and, taking streak oi reckless
inconsistency, blamed him for it, and
nerves and temper togttAey led her to
climax of had behavior, including the
sins of kindling the IRE with his '!eatises
and glueing his specimens upside down
upon tie lid of bandbnx, that might
have made him believe j. heY total de.
prayity had his insigh, been ;ess pene.
trating and kindly than it was.
Retribution came at last, though not
1t his hands.
There was company at dinner one day
"a gentleman who had come down to
buy some land of Clover's uncle, and
was going to build thereon. Glover re-
fused to appear at dinner, because she
would not be at the trouble of making
herself presentable.
She had taken her station at the
kitchen table, just before the open
dining-room door, where she could hear
the conversation and enjoy little lunch
all to herself at the same time.
A sentence from her uncle suddenly
startled her:
"Just come out here. You can see
the best site you'll have for buildin'
spot square from the kitchen door"
And there was q sound of showing
back chairs and of footsteps.
Clover's dress was torn and her apron
showed indications OF an acquaintance
with the sooty wash kettle. Her faxen
coil was escaping from the comb and
rollicking down her back, and she was
armed with the iron kitchen spoon with
which, | am sorry to say-for it is very
unromatic-she had been eating rice
budding out of q yellow earthen dish.
She could not make her escape out OF
the kitchen door, because the dining
room door commanded ill view OF it,
and she would be detected by the in
vaders yet it would not do to be found
thus.
Again the big fireplace came to the
rescue, and in flash Glover was behind
the board and among the black-eyed
peas.
As she sank down among them they
rustled and creaked, seeming to lift up
accusing voices, and to reproaoh her for
her deception.
But now the strange gentleman in the
kitchen was speaking, and his voice
drowned theirs:
"Here is soinething want--a real
old,fashioued frepla Bn~ vide is
itP"
she heard his footsteps approaching
and knew she would be discovered. She
jumped to her feet with some dim idea
of trying to climb mp Tho inside upon
the jagged, broken rocks. Tho quick,
nervous motion brought her 7ibow In
abrupt contact with the board. Down