The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-10-12

the knives and forks were laid will
mathematical precision, an unwonteC
air of trimness pervaded his familiar
crockery, and-there was no pie on tn,
table. But there was mackere1 baked il
cream, and mashed potatoes, and NIGEL,
Drowned toast, and the doughnuts.
Miss Harlow don't feel able tC
come out to the table this morning,
and guess I'll take her bite before
eat"
And so saying the squire took plate
and commenced piling things on il in 8
promiscuous way.
"Oh," said Molly, ..let me do it. ]
have had a long experience with sick
people. They must be tempted, YOU
know
She looked up at him with her bright
smile. and the squire gave in at once,
and watched with wonder while a tray
was brought, clean napkin spread
over it, piece of the mackerel laid or
a plate, with the cream ladled daintily
overit Molly had seen too much of plate:
where the meat seemed to have been
launched on them by an avalanche OF
gravy; then came a little plate of the pc.
tato, 4 slice of brown toast, little
plate of butter, cup of coffee, knife,
fork, spoon. etc. Then she whisked
into the pantry and out again with S
saucer of Strawberries, and added them
to the contents of the tray,
wait a minute she said. as the
squire lifted his burden. and in twink
ling she was out of the door. and back
again with spray of white lilac. which,
in tall glass, was given the place oil
honor in the middle of the tray.
..Sho.' said the squire, with his slow
smile. ''that'll just suit my wife. She's
famous for having things fixy."
Mrs. Harlow had missed the accus-
toned smell of frying, and wondered in
feeble way if Molly couldn't find the
pork.
.Why, Bethuel." she said, as her
husband set the tray down beside her.
show pretty! l really believe l am
hungry
And the squire went back to his OWE
breakfast SO happy that he entirely
forgot the absence of the pie.
Well. this was the beginning, anS
though life afterward was not all cream
and Strawberries and white lilacs, and
though bread would sometimes burn,
and pastry fatty refuse to be fiaky. and
though unused muscles sometimes ached
with the new work, yet the girl kept up
n brave heart. The squire and his wife
were uniformly kind. and the latter,
who had suffered as much from lack Of
cheerful society as from any physical.
cause. gradually grew stronger and
Would sit through the long summer
forenoonS in the great airy kitchen,
placidly knitting or pairing apples, and
though she sometimes looked wistfully
after Molly rs she tripped from pantry
to cellar. and longed for the girlish
figure which used to trip about in
the same way. her heart took great
comfort Il this bright, cheerful
stranger. And he squire. hearing the
fresh young voice singing about the
house. would give Il great sigh for the
lost voice, but somehow the old house
seemed less lonely to him, and after a
while his first question would be:
g Where's Molly?" The plain cOun-
try society readily took her in, and con-
sidered her high authority in the mat
ter of looping of over-skirt and
d" doing up" of hair, and at last nc
merry-making was complete without
Molly Perry.
Those of You who have followed thi:
story in expectation of some absent
son or nephew or younger brother OF
the family appearing and taking Molly
for wife may as well stop here, for
whatever of the kind hap
pened, for the squire and his wife had
no sons, and their nephews ard
brothers were all married long before
Molly'S day. 1t is true that some OF
the smart young farmers of the region
round about tied their horses occasion.
ally at the 'Squire's gate. and it i:
equally true that Molly said MOTTO some
of them, though they one and all swear
by her.
This story is not written to induce
all clerks and shop-girls to rush into
house work, for not one in twenty
would be capable of doing as. Molly
did. and not one in a hundred would
find such home; it is written simply
to show what one girl did.-HeSteI
Stuart, in Hdrper'S Bdzar.