St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-11-10

one, WHICH proved 10 bt ODSIludJcly
non est, so | decided that breakfast
without IA necktie wasn't bad, and per-
haps | should have time to run up
again. | didn't think, as | went down,
what | should have said if Kitzie was
to come to breakfast without one of her
dainties ont was best for me that |
reflected as little as possible on what /
ever had said or would say again. As
it was, stumbled along through the
semi mi-darkness of hall and rooms, and
opened the kitchen door to be greeted
with cheerful prospect. The yawn-
ing stovehearth was graced with ash
es, as was the floor around the cat
was placidly licking out the bowl of
fresh milk standing on the bench,
while Patric, with a huge scarlet bow
in her frizzled hair, was balanced out
of the window, flirting with the milk
man. | stood aghast f.r two whole
minutes, and wondered how had best
address the strange queen of my Gull
nary realm. concluded not to ad-
dress her at all but rattle the dOOr-knob
OminOusly.
'Bless my sowl !" she cried, with a
startled jump, "sure an | thought il
was the mistress herself, an what do
You want, anyhow :"
II want the cat taken out of the
milk" said, regaining my self-posses-
sion in anger at her impertinence.
"What are You idling out of the win
dow for? Shut it and build the fire i'm
mediately."
"Shure, now," she cried loudly, with
arms akimbo and face defiant, ''an'
who's the likes of yourself, to be boss
ing me? If yes wants the fire built,
ve's can build it,"
''Patric," said |, with great dignity,
Il want no such airs. ! am your mas
ter. and | want the fire built"
"Mv master :" she cried, shrilly.
''Indade an we'll see. | hired myself
to swate, purity leddy-an' it's not by
the likes of yes I'll be bossed," and
before my wrathfuI gaze she tiounced
ont of sight and stood alone. At Il
first move | was failure, in the cele
bration of which | stamped across the
kitchen, and threw the cat out of the
window, then sent the milk flying af-
ter her, and saw the saucepan smash
agaist the pump and bend double,
without Il feeling.
| tackled the stove after that, but
didn't understand all the knobs and
dampers, and bay windows of tin and
iron, so the fire died away without II
struggle then | opened everything
that had knob to it, and tried it over.
A small blaze crept up and poked its
nose around contemptuOusly, turned Il
Somersault and died, and four or five
sickly puffs of smoke came and buried
it, after which | slammed every door
| al, cd in all M
per and trash | could find, and had
! Just lighted it with rash haste when
discovered that ! had stuck in the
morning paper, which Patric had laid
on the floor. Now, if there was any
thing that upset me, it was breakfast
without my paper. | groaned in an
guish of spirit, and dived into the pan
try, without knowing what for, but
came out bearing the sugar-bOwl and il
fork, which | deposited on the table.
My fire was burning, with II sickly,
can't 't-help-myself air, but it cheered
me some, so that / flew back and forth
lively to set the table, and was com
paratively happy until Il terrible odor
began to fill the kitchen. | threw open
the doors and windows, but it only in
creased. Then | stopped in my opera
tions and began to sniff around. Find
ing the tea-kettle dry solved the mys-
terry, so | hastily poured in some cold
water, whereupon the bottom cracked
and only saved the life of my fire by
Jerking off the thing, and burning my
hand to Il blister with the red-hot
handle. 1t doesn't matter particle
what | said. Teddie would have
called it a "wicked swear word" anC
Kitzie would have been shocked by it
but it doesn't matter. | threw it cleal
across the room, and it made hole
big enough to hold an egg in the door
casing. | was discouraged after that
besides, discovered, on surveying my
table, that | had put on three ditferen
: styles of milk pitchers, four butter
dishes, enough plates for Il regiment
no castor, and had forgotten to change
the fancy damask spread for the on'
we eat on. There was only one thing
that | was certain of, and that wa
, coffee. We had made that too often il
: camp to fail on it now, so boiled SOM
a water in IL pan and set it going thel
hunted up ham and cut off fourteen
I slices. | knew | was hungry donbt
= less KitZie was, and besides, it nigh
shrivel in cooking for all knew.
grew less confident when | found
= took four skillets and two other iron
: to cook it 1t began to look like
- good deal for two people to eat at on
meal but still let it sizzle away, an
. went to find something else, for whe
Kitzie didn't have variety | took oc
q casion to grumble.
q There were potatoes, eggs and pick
les yes, that would do, so took eigl
- of the first, ten of the second, and 81
of the third, and clambered up staii
p with them, and wondered if | ha
enough. Kitzie would laugh if hadn'
n Six big pickles i'll cunningly y-fasl
ioned leaf shaped dish looked prom
V ising, SO | put them proudly on til
p, table and went back to chuck my pc
- tatoes into the oven, and my eggs int
Il some cold water. Then the cOtfe
: boiled over, and the ham to smoke an
d smell. | pulled them both off, fir
* taking the precaution to cover III
~ hands, but as the ham began to cool
r remembered it was only cooked Oh OF
side, so turned it over and put it bacl
il After that there was nothing left to {
\ for IA while, so sat down in the windO
if and wished hadn't burned the mOrl
j ing paper up but had, and that W;
e. the end of it.
"A To console myself, | went in to loo
le at the table again not that it was
cheerful looking, because 1t wasn't
lie on the contrary, it was dismal, b
H. then it was finished, and that was son
ts consolation. These chilly m)rnin
Id Kitzie always had bright fire spar
as ling in the CRATE, and the fresh su
he shine playing across the table no.
We of that was there now. Last nigh
nd ashes adorned the CRATE, the blinds al
curtains were still down, and Jo, und
hit the impression that night still reigne