The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1881-07-07

$ueltly around q small pOrt1On Of the edge
and inserting four inq uisitive fingers, lifted
the brown crust, and Il a glimpse Of the
A look Of unmitigaeed disgust passed
over her face. Dropping into a convenient
chair she actually goaned aloud;
Well, never! an we payin' that man
i've hundred dollars year, besides a do
nation at Christmas. Ought
Unsuspicious Mrs. Graham, as she re-
turned with the yeast, was somewhat pug
zled BY the sudden freshness of her guest,
who hurried out of the house as If some
Dreadful contagion had haunted it; but
When the minister, in carving the pie that
the deacons wife had sent, made two GU
rious discoveries almost simultaneously,
the reason for Patienees altered demeanor
was made plain, and the young pair had a
hearty laugh that made the old parsonage
ring like. a peal of Thanksgiving bells.
The Tuesday following was the regular
day for the weekly sewing circle, and sell
dom had that interesting gathering proved
so lovely and animated as on this occa !
sion. 81 II: 3ia H
Miss Patience was in the field bright and
early and it was evident at glance to those
who knew her best that she was well nigh
bursting with some important secret that
she Et was only waiting a fitting opportunity
to divulge. That opportunity was not long
IN coming, for Mrs. Dea Farrell, who was
constitutional croaker, took occasion to
say, in reference to the hard times:
The deacon had been irwin ter collect
the church tax, and he says he never found
money SO tight in all the years he's lived
here. It's as hard to git five dollars now
as It used to be to get ten
And no wonder" spoke up Miss Pa
thence, with the stony severity Of a sphinx.
:" You can't expect folks to feel like payin
out their money when they see it fairly
thrown away an wasted
Everybody looked curious, and some Of
the younger girls began to bride defantly.
The minister's sweet young wife was evil
IDENTITY favorite with them, at least.
What do you mean BY that?" asked Mrs.
Farrell, pointedly. Mrs Graham is young
and inexperienced, to be sure; but as the
deacon was sayin only yesterday, she does
very we'll indeed considering.
Patience tossed her head knowingly, II
don't want to say nothin' to hurt her, but
living next door as I do, / can't always help
seeing and hearing things that other folks
cant be expected to know about, and when
| see and know things like"
Like what?"
Chicken pies, with legs and feet Of the
chicken baked int I.s5s.
Had a thunderbolt fallen among them It
could not have caused greater surprise to
those tidy, thrifty New England houses
keepers than this. dreadful revelation Of
the irleslpnci sa OF tbs s,tastors young wife.
Are you sure Of it?'"' gasped one matron,
breaking the ominous silence. 81 know it
for fact, was solemnly returned.
Chicken legs in pie"
She's a born fool, CALCULATED the dea-
cons wife, Indignantly, @and I'm thankful
for her poor husbands sake that I sent her
over one Of my pies yesterday. They had
to throw hers away of course, and it's lucky
that he didn't have to go without his
Thanksgiving breakfast on account Of her
ignorance an, shiftessness.
How did you know about the pie?" ask
ed one of the girls. ss5.&
Miss Patience bristled defantly. That's
nobody's businass but my own, she retort-
ed, tarty. II don't go round to find out
things that don't concern me, I'd have Won
know, but when they're thrown right in nv
face, as you might say, I don't shet my eyes
no more'n other folks"
Just here the door opened, and in walked
the subject of their conversation, her pref
ty face glowing With the haste that she had
made, and mischievous twinkle in her
brown eyes that nobody noticed, SO occu-
pied were they in hiding the confusion
that her sudden entrance had created.
Walking to the table where most or the
ladies were sitting. she saluted them cor
daily: and then holding out the tip of her
slender finger well-worn silver thimble,
she said archly-
Where do you think found the thimble,.
Miss Patience?"
So pleased was Miss Patience to regain
her lost treasure that she forgot for mo-
ment all assumed dignity and exclaimed
joyfully-
well, I declare, am glad to see that
thimble once more! told Mary Jane that
felt sure had it on my finger when run
into your house Thanksgiven' mornin' arter
chat yeast. But when got home, it Want
nowhere to be found. Now where did you
ind it?" 81
Her shrill, high voice had attracted the
attention of all in the room, and everybody
ooked up curiously as the minister's wife
replied, with an innocent smile.
In the chicken pie that our good friend
lore and she nodded brightly to Mrs.
Farrell-sent me. I left the pie on the
lresser when l went down cellar af er
your yeast, and as soon as came back I
nut it on the table, and when my husband
'ut it there was your thimble in it. How
'ould it have got there? It was certainly
cry mysterious anyway.
Silence, dead, profound, yet, oh, how
erribly significant to the deacons wife and I
Ter spinster neighbor, fell upon the group.
This,was apperantly unnotced by Mrs.
raham, who, with playful adlnonition to