The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1882-12-01
JUST HER LUOK!"
BY ii. NJ. HARRIS.

WITS, IL Qultc COO uOTTlUl6 lOT any
thing! There isn't bit of white sugar
in the house. / shook the old paper
sack until shook it in two pieces, and
nothing appeared but crazy black ant.
can't make the cake / had set my
heart on for tomorrow, nor anything,
and there's the ground under the Red
stone beach plum-trees just flaming pur-
pie with them-plums, mean-and all
got to waste because there's no sugar
to preserve them in. Amt it harrow
ingP'
Daisy Fenton, an industrious dot of a
girl, with black eyes and a dimpled
chin, twitched herself into the sitting
room where her sisters were yariously
occupied, and pluming herself upon the
arm of an easy-chair. waved the rolling
pin and challenged suggestions.
poor victims of fallen fortunes and
the freaks of fate" sighed sentimental
Hortense, hacking at cedar pencil
with dull dinner-knife, for Hortense
was Literary" and wrote lovely stories
and poems that short-sighted editors al
ways declined-with thanks. '.Wait
till get paid for my novel"
WED be somewhere soon, if we de-
pended on that" was the encouraging
observation of Miss Aurelia, family
Xantippe whose bark was worse than
her bite. Victims of fate, indeed! Vic
tins of lot of unfeeling relations that
considered it fun to get all our property
away from us, and leave US with hardly
house to live in"
i was left a trampled orphan
quoted Hortense, plaintively; " 'and a
selfish"
PITY you hadn't been left some COM
mon sense" Aurelia cut her short. ut
makes my blood boil to think of the
way we've been treated-and half that
good-fer-nothing Ernest Gray's fault
for not succeeding better with the suit.
But of course he don't care. It's little
enough he knows of what poverty is, or
cares for those that do"
Here little Jessie Fenton, who had
been patiently trying to mend a large
hole in small slipper, with thick
needle, made her voice heard
ats pity We couldn't sell part of
the plums and get sugar enough to use
and to preserve the rest. am sure
Mrs. Hopgood would buy them; she
to make jelly Of"
"But who'd take themP" asked Daisy.
'Tve got quite quantity of bread to
bake this afternoon, so couldn't"
II wouldn'tr' averred Hortense. 81
am sure it would just kill me to 60 and
ask people to buy plums."
II shouldn't" declared Aurelia, in
whose eyes any plan not formed by her.
self seldom found favor.
"All right" announced Jessie, biting
her thread off and flinging her slipper
in corner; "Pll go myself. Dick will
harness Prince for me, and the road is
good, and I'll take the quart cup to
measure the plums, and Uncle Toms
big pocket-book to put the money in.
and I'll"
Don't be too brisk" interrupted Au-
relia, cheeringly; ''you amt such a
wonderful phenomenon, you know"
"You won't have any luck" sighed
Hortense; '.you never do"
But it was nevertheless q very saucy
face that sparkled under the little gray
rose-crowned straw-hat an hour after
wards as Jessie stepped into the little
old trap, with her wares arranged in
open baskets sprinkled over with grape
leaves, through which the fruit glowed
like lurid Goals of fire; and the two
small brown-gloved hands holding the
reins were brave, though they trembled
little with the responsibility of driving
even slow old Prince down the broad
country road. But she was careful this
should not be suspected by Aurelia and
Hortense, each holding back corner
of the window curtain to gaze after her;
nor Daisy, who stood at the gate way
ing the rolling-pin and shouting
BE sure you ask eightpence quart,
| they're well worth it."
When Jessie reached the great gloomy
residence wherein abode Mrs. Hopgood,
| the wife of county court Judge and
herself cousin of a barrister, she found
it necessary to call up all her courage
| to explain her business to the majestic
lady who swept down the walk, survey
| ed the plums with much dignity and
languidly inquired the prince.
.'Eightpence." began Jessie, now as
red as the plums herself, and then for
| got to finish the sentence rs dark,
gentleman with q piratical black mus
tache stepped upon the veranda and
raised his hat, and she recognized Mr..
Ernest Gray, Mrs. Hopgood's cousin.
and the lawyer who had undertaken
and lost the cause of herself and sisters
in their late law ENHANCEMENT. But let
it be understood that though Aurelia
might unjustly blame him for the fail
ure, Jessie did not, because it was quite
against Jessie's code of reasoning and
propriety to blame Mr.. Ernest Gray
for anything.
"HOw much did you say, Miss Fem
tonP" asked Mrs. Hopgood in her frig-
idly calm voice, which, confused the
poor girl the more.
"Eightpence." she repeated, with a
side glance at Mr.. Gray, in whose gypsy
eyes she was sure she detected CLEAN
of amusement, which made her wish
with great reason and consistency
that she could throw all the plums at
Mrs. Hopgood's head, and between feel
ing awkwardly embarrassed. and at
the same time angry with being
ashamed Of what she was doing. she
nearly lost her senses.
"Eightpence for how manyP" asked
Mrs. Hopgood, her chilly tones grow
ing impatient. And Jessie began
AGAIN.
"Eightpence-"
Oh, what was it Daisy told herr She
could not think, to save herself; pres
ence Of mind was gone; she must say
something.
! '.Eightpence gallon," she fluttered,