The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1882-10-13

AREN'T these biscuits delicious, Mr.
Treherne
"Very," I responded, swallowed in
quick recollections.
"Mrs Lewis, do you suppose they were
made with cream of tartar, tartaric soda
orwell, the other thing" stammered,
confusedly, and dropped my eyes before
the amazement in hers.
"All three, / guess" she answered
with utmost gravity, though there was
twinkle in her eyes, foi she evidently
considered me. in fun, when was nearly
distracted with seriousness.
mentally resolved to have biscuit for
breakfast, and With that in view, began
to dissect mine to discover, If possible,
the other necessary ingredients; but de-
irving very little satisfaction from the
operation, I slipped piece into my
pocket. to use as a guide on the dreaded
tomorrow morning. .
The fuss and fume ended, and Kitzie
and went home. She was full OF 1rollc
and made several CHASTITY attempts to
be in an answering mood but l couldn't
and to this day regard woman as
marvel, How can she laugh and be gay,
with three hundred and sixty-fve break
fasts, not to speak of dinners and suppers,
to look after?
I'm positive that it was midnight when
Kitzie:awoke me with the remark
"Roger, it is time to get up. heard
Patric down stairs quite while ago, and
she doesn't know anything to do until
you go down and start her"
crawled, no, I rolled out of bed, and
had crept into my dressing gown and
slippers before recollected that kitzle
always went down fresh and sweet, all
ready for breakfast. l turned round and
faced nv dismal reflection in the glass,
and mechanically picked up my necktie.
1t was of delicate lilac, very good for
party, but hardly suitable for now so l
threw it aside and began rummaglng Tor
nv black one, which proved to be OBJ
stinately non est, so decided that break
fast without a necktie wasn't bad, and
perhaps l should have time to run up
again. 1 didn't think, as went down
what l 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 l
ever had said or would say again. AS 1t
was, l stumbled along through the semi
darkness of hall and rooms, and opened
the kitchen door to be greeted with
cheerful prospect. The yawning stove
hearth was graced with ashes, as was the
floor around; the cat was placidly lick
ing out of the bowl of fresh milk stand
ing on the bench, while Patric, with
huge scarlet bow in her frizzied hair, was
balanced out of the window, flirting with
the milkman. I stood aghast for two
whole minutes, and wondered how had
best address the strange queen OF my
culinary realm. l concluded not to ad-
dress her at all, but to rattle the door
knob ominously.
"Bless my sowl |" she cried, with star
tied lump. "sure an thought it was the
mistress herself, an what do you want
anyhow ?" .;,,. :.
Il want the cat taken out OF the MIX,
said, regaining my self-possesslon IN
anger at her impertinence. What are
you idling out of the window forr smut
| it and build the fire immed1ateiy. -
"Shure now" she cried Loudly, WIN
arms akimbo and face defiant, AN who's
the likes of yourself, to be bossing. me
| If yes wants the fire built, yes can build
"Patric," said with great dignity. Il
| want no such airs ] am your master,
and want that fire built" -, mr.
"My master!' she cried shrilly. In
dade an'.we'll see. / hired myself to
swate. purity leddy-an' it's not by the
likes of ye's I'll be bossed," and before
nv wrathful gaze she flounced out OF
siSbt and stood alone. At first move
I was a failure, in the celebration OF
| which | stamped across the kitchen, and
threw the cat out of the window, then
sent the milk flying after her, and saw
the saucepan i,mash against the pump
and bend doubl ), without feeling.
I tackled tn, stove after that, but
| didn't understand all the knobs and
dampers, and bay windows of tin and
| iron. 40 the fire died away without
struggle; then / opened everything that
had a knob to it, and tried it over. A
small blaze crept up and poked its nose
around contemptuously, turned somer'
sault and died, and four or five sickiy
nuffs of smoke came and buried 1t, after
which | slammed every door and damper
shut. poked in all the paper and trash L
could find, and had just lighted it with
rash haste when discovered that had
stuck in the morning paper, which Fat
ric had laid on the floor. Now, If there
was ANYTHING that upset me, 1t was
breakfast without my paper. groaned
in anguish of spirit, and dived into the
nantry. withou. knowing what for, but
came out bearing the sugar-bowl and
fork. which l deposited on the table.
NV fire was burning with sickly, can't
belp-myself air, but it cheered me some,
40 that l flew back and forth lively to
cot the table, and was comparatively
bappy until a terrible odor began to fill
the kitchen. l threw open the doors
and windows, but it only increased
Then stopped in my operations and be-
oan to sniff around Finding the tea
Settle dry solved the mystery, so has
.iIv noured in some cold water, where
unon the bottom cracked, and l only
saved the life of my fire by jerking OF
the thing, and burning my hand to a
blister with the red-hot handle. II
doesn't matter a particle what l said
Teddie would have called 1T "a wicked
swear woId." and Kitzie would have been
shocked by it, but it doesn't matter.
threw it clear across the room, and II
made a hole big enough to hold an egg
in the door casing. i was discouraged
after that; besides, discovered, on sur
yeyipg my table, that had put on three
different STYLES of milk pitchers, foul
butter-dishes, enough plates for regi
ment. no castor, and had forgotten te
change the fancy damask spread for the
one we eat on. There was only one
thing that was certain of, and that wal
coffee. We had made that too often IN
camn To fail on 1t now, so / boiled somt
water in a pan end set 1t going; ther
hunted M ham and cut oil fourteen
slices. l knew / was hungry; douotles,
Kitzie was, and besides, it might shrive
in cooking for all | knew. L grew less
confident when / found it took foul
stiIlets and two other irons TO cook 1t
n beoan to look like a good deal for two
neople to eat at one meal but still L LEI
Il ali sizzle away, and went to find some
thing else. for when Kitzie didn't have
a variety took occasion to grumole.
There were potatoes, eggs and pickles
YES that would do, so took eight OF the
first fen of the second, and six of the
thir'I and clambered up stairs with them
and wondered if | had enough. kltzis
wonld laugh if l hadn't. Six big pickles
in a cunningly fashioned leaf shaped
dish looked promising, 50 L put then
! n-oudly on the table and went back e
rhuck nv potatoes into the oven, anC
. INV eggs into some cold water. Thei
The coffee boiled over, and the ham be
gan 10 smoke and smell. pulled then
both off. first taking the precaution t
cover my hands, but as the ham begaI
TO cool remembered it was only cooke'
on one side. so / turned it oven and pu
: IL back. After that there was nothini
, leit 10 do for a little while, so ! sat dow
, in the window and wished ] hadn,
/ burned the morning paper up; but L had
1 and that Was the end OF H.
: To console myself, i went IN 10 loo
| - .-a-n- ....a that II 8