Ellsworth American., 1881-01-20


know. Her baby came last Tuesday, and
while Mrs. Greenleafs gone is such good
time to have party that Mollys rather
counting on bein' found" "But r'-blush-
ing deeply-"l didn't want to be-"
81 don't see why not, if Molly's to have
the party anyhow. Twon't be no trouble to
you"
"Oh, it isn't the trouble But-but, you
see me and Mark Coffin have a sort of pri-
vate wager ;and if he finds me, he'll-Tll-"
We'll That? | declare. Miney, you're
coloring up so | should think twas to git
married, what It's really? | declare !
never did Well, Miney, I'd be caught, if
was you. Marks as good a fellow as ever
stepped; and your ma she was a-telling me
once that he'd been after YOU forever and
day-eyer sence you was old enough to say
Boo to-"
"Oh, know" said Miney, half laughing
and half crying. "Nobody need to praise
Mark to me. But, can't YOU see? don't
want to be caught easy. He'd think | most
did it a-purpose if Id gone to the Star
bucks, and /" a deep blush finished the
sentence.
\ droll look came into Mrs. Dustin's eyes
at this naive explanation, but she preserved
discreet silence. 1t was barely ten o'clock,
she took Mlney into her own bed for a
preliminary rest, ignored the fact that the
girl was lying awake, feigned slumber her
self, and was rewarded when she reused
sharp at four by finding her fast asleep
Very quietly she rose and dressed, raked
out the fire, filled and hung on the kettle,
and when at five Jessamine sprang up. ter
rifed at the sight of the gray, on-coming
dawn, breakfast was ready, and the kitchen
warm and cozy.
Don't YOU be scared said the hostess
mark Coffin nor no one else is a-comin' in
here till after six O'Clock. You've moren
three-quarterS Of an hour to spare, so YOU
Just sit down and eat hearty. for the cellars
cold still, and it amt no place for you, as |
very well know, only there's no helping it,"
Adding, in her private mind, land | just
hope that Mark'll be along early, before YOU
get your death of cold, for your bound to be
found this time, and found YOU shall be as
sures my names Ann Dustin :"
There must have been some lurking mis-
chief in her eyes, for after she was comfort
ably established in the cellar, Miney looked
up apprehensvey, and said
oh, Mrs. Dustin, you won't tell him,
will YOU ?"
Not | I'll not say word" was the re
ply and Mrs. Ann slammed down the trap
Eight o'clock struck-nine, ten. eleven
All the elaborate preparations for looking
unprepared seemed thrown away. for no
Mark came. The time may have appeared
long to Miney in the cellar; it certainly did
to her hostess above stairs. She fdgeted
she could settle to nothing, and nothing
went straight. Her thread broke, the mach
inc was contrary" "Drat the fellow
why don't he come ?" she repeated more
than once, her eve turned to the window
which commanded the road over the downs
which led to town. 1t was not till the din
ner potatoes were on, and the pot-pie begin
atq,s rf4, aefqqdi forth savory fumes from the
its hinges, and the long g-eXpected Mark
rushed in.
"Oh, Mrs. Dustin he painted" have you
seen Miney Mayhew? The girls are hiding
to-day-four Of them, and we found three
over at the Starbucks' but she wasn't with
EN-, and she's the only one | care about
catching"
Want she with the rest? Do tell :" said
Mrs. Ann, enjoying the situation.
mo, and don't call it fair" replied
Mark. stamping angrily about the kitchen.
Il made sure she'd be with the rest, of
course, and | stad up all night in the meet
ng-house steeple with a glass, and saw
them stealing off to the Hummocks, and
then | went after. She's gone away sepa-
rate, and none Of 'em knows where. Molly
d have told me in minute if she'd known,
for she knew what what We She amt
here, then, you said?
Il sez nothing. ! sez look for yourself
amt one to spoil fun by telling one way
or the other" But even as she spoke-oh,
treacherous Mrs. Dustin she pointed with
large wink directly at the trap-door, whose
hinges were distinctly visible. Perhaps
Mrs. Dustin had not taken the pains to
cover them as circumspectly as on previous
occasions. Mark was quick. In fash he
saw. he comprehended. With one bound
he was across the kitchen, had seized, raised
the trap, and vanished down the ladder. A
grlish scream came from below, then a low
murmur of words, and finally little sound
slight in itself, but full of suggestion, and
with a wonderful knack of making itself
heard at distance-the sound, in short, of
a lovers kiss. After that came a silence
and more low talk, broken upon by Mrs.
Dustin, who, chuckling inwardly, and pink
with excitement. popped her head over the
edge of the aperture, and remarked: Folks
can't live on air, if they are courtin', and
they can die of damp. Miney's been quite
long enough in that cellar, Mark Coffin.
Fetch her up. The pot-pie's ready and it
amt so bad as it smells, and YOU and she'll
be all the better for bite, if you'll consent
to take time for it."
The 'round cellar was not, in truth, a
romantic framework for a pair of lovers.
Still it was rather pretty picture that Mrs.
Dustin looked down upon from over the
edge of the trap. Miney and Mark sat
side by side in the midst of the buffalo
robes. Her pretty head was on his shoul-
der. She raised it, dyed with bushes, and
Mark muttered something very like "Hang
pot-pie!" but they ascended the ladder
obediently all the same and once at table,
dinner did not seem so Objectionable or SO
unreasonable as might be supposed Il
can't think how you came to remember the
cellar so suddenly" Miney said once; and
that mendacious Mrs. Ann replied, "One of
the hinges must have come uncovered,
reckon" while Mark whispered in her ear
81 could have found you in the heart of a
stone, | think, Miney, was so set on it
and happily deceived, Jessamine asked no
more. Mrs. Dustin stood at her door and
watched them walk away together. The
afternoon, though bright, was fresh and
cold for keen sea-wind blew in, fattening
the faded grasses and rustling the dry
heather on the plain. Mark held Jessa-
mines tapping cloak tightly together, she
leaning upon his arm. They disappeared
behind a low thicket of evergreens, and
with half smile and half sigh Mrs Dus-
tin turned back into her kitchen, saying to
herself:
an free my mind about that wink when
she's been married year or two. She'll
forgive me easy enough, or miss my guess
It's natural for a girl to want to hide, but
she'd be sorry enough sometimes if she
wasn't found out; and I'm woman, and
ought to know Harpers Bazar.
-Snooks went home the other night
1 ofA;ota1 With Iouhla v;o.op H. ,o+ 60.