Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-08-09

I've got receipt for chocolate eclaires
and on Friday evening Tn going there tc
make up all can, SO that tho school chill
dren shtll buy them on Saturday. know
how to make cinnamon apple tarts, too
and lemon-drops and cocoa-nut balls.
Grace | do believe you have taker
leave of your senses,' said Medora Nav
One would think it was disgrace enough
Tor Aunt Deborah-our own mothers sister
to open horrid little huckster S shop
without our mixing ourselves up in the
aft ,ir.'
But Aunt Debby must live, YOU know,
said Grace, who was perched, kitten fash.
ION, on the w;ndow'sill. feeding the canary
with bits of white sparkling sugar. And
cousin Nixon couldn't keep her any long.
er-and her eyes are not strong enough
Tor line needle work, and her education
has not fitted her to be Il teacher and her
poor cid rheumatic bones keep her from
going behind a oonnter or entering fac
tory. suppose you wouldn be willing
to have her come here and live with you?
| Il? cried Medora. Do you suppose
that ! want TO proclaim to- the whole
town that have such dlapidated old
relation rs thatP
Il would take her quick enough said
Grace, If didn board with Mrs. Howltt,
and share the little upstairs back bed
room with the two children. Just wait
until marry some rich man, she added
with saucy uplifting other pretty auburn
brown eyes. and then see if don't furnish
up state apartment for Aunt Dolby.
Don't talk nonsense said Medoro, acid
y. It's very likely, isn't it, that factory
gir1'ike you is going to marry rich manp'
Grace Craxall laughed merrily. All
through her life she and her cousin, Me-
dora May. had agreed to differ on most
points. Grace, seeing no other career
before her, had. on the death of her last
surviving parent, cheerfully entered a
factory, while Medora. taking her stand
on the platform of false gentility, had
done fine sewing and silk embroidery on
the sly to support herself, putting on all
the airs of young lady of fashion the
while. And now Aunt Deborah May, to
the infinite disgust of her aristocratically-
inclined niece, had actually opened q
little low.windowed shop in shady street
Just out of the main thoroughfare, and, as
Medora despairingfy expressed it. gone
into trade
For Auut Debby in her bewildered lone
illness, had scarcely known what 10 do
until Grace Craxall came to the rescue
with her hopeful courage and straight
forward common sense.
Il only wish it wasn't sinful to take a
good big dose Of laudanum aud put myself
out of the way sighed the poor old lady.
! Now Aunt Debby, that doesn't sound
a bit like 'you,' said Grace. cheerfully.
But what am | 10 do?' said Aunt
| Deborah.
What can you do?' said Grace.
i don't know as am good for anything,
said the old woman, with a quiet tear or
two except 10 help around the house; and
| amt strong ennugh for regular hired
help. Your uncle always used to say
was master hand at making bread.
Then make it, brightly interrupted
Grace.
EN- said Aunt Debby.
There's a nice little store to let on Bay
street. went on Grace, 'for ten dollars
mon h.
But | havn't got ten dollars a month
feehly interrupted Aunt Debby.
''ll lend it 10 you said Grace, out of
the wages | have saved. and there is
pretty bed room and sitting room at the
back OF tho shop, and clean dry base
ment under it where you could bake your
bread know, for the sister of the lady
where board is looking for dress making
rooms, and heard her speaking about it,
DO you mean to open a bakeryp' said
bewidered Aunt Debby.
Not exactly that explained Grace But
if Mrs. Howitt, or Mrs. Taylor, or any
othef of the ladies round here, could get
real home made bread, such as you made,
do yon suppose that they would put up
with the sour stuff that they get at the
bakers shops? And you could easily get
up reputation on your raisin cakes, and
fried crulers, and New England pumpkin
pies. now couldn't you?'
The old lady frightened up II little
Il used TO be pretty good ut cooking
said she. And if you think / could sup
port myself So
i am sure of it = cried the cheerful
Grace. And I'll 90 there with yon this
very day 10 look at the place, and will
engage it for three months on trial. And
| can paint you sign to put over the
door. 'Ilome-Madc Bread by Mrs. Debo.
rah May Andpll hemyou some curtains
and arrange the shelves in the low win
dow! | almost wish | was going to be
your shop'girl,' she added, merrily, but
| can help you evenings, you know.
Grace Craxal's prophecies proved cor
rect. Amt Debby's delicious homemade
bread, whittier than any powdered lilies,
sweet as ambrosia, soon acquired repu
tation, and the old lady could scarcely
bake it fast enough. People came half a
dozen blocks to buy the delicious pump
kin pies and apple tarts; children brought
their boarded pennies to invest in choco-
late sweet. meats, vanilla caramels, and
cream cakes with puffy shells and deli
cious cen,ers of sweetness. The little
money drawer grew fat with cons-and
Aunt Debby's dim eyes grew bright and
hopeful again.
And one day Mr.. Herbert Valance,
walking by with Medora May, stopped
and looked in.
Isn't that your cousin Grace, said he,
behind that counterp'
Medora turned crimson with vexation.
My cousin Graces she cried. No,
indeed! We are not-in trade
What possessed her to utter this delibcr.
ato falschood, Medora could not have
uitcl "aiNS t"iu, panty tuc otin9 vi laioo |
shame, partly disinolination for Mr.. Her.
bert Valance to know that all her relations
were not, to use her own expression,
ladies and gentlemen
Mr. Valance looked up at tho sign over
the door.
'Tho name is May ho said indifferently.
Yes slid Mccora May, angry at herself
for blushing SO deeply, but We are no re-
lation'
Mr.. Valance thought over the matter
afterwards he met Miss May at an evon-
ing party given by friend, where pretty
Grace Craxall was also present. He had
taken rather fancy 10 the bright blue
eyes and delicate blonde beauty Of the
former. Valance Hall, on the hill just out
of the city, was solitary enough now that
his sisters had all married and gone away;
and perhaps n man might find a less at
tractive and graceful wife than Medora
May. But ho could not be mistaken, he
thought, in Grace Craxall's S identity.
And 50 the next evening at about the
same time he sauntcred into the shop.
Grace was behind tho dainty, clean little