Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-09-21
TEDDY AND THE LOAF.CAKE.

er to play Daniel in the lions den, with
Bose for lion, or Robinson Crusoe, with
Jimmy Jones for his man Friday.
He was wondering, too, if the days
here at Aunt Penelope's were not, at
least, twice as long as they were at
home.
What would he not give to see papa,
mamma, Nell and Margie, to say moth
ing of Dick and Tom?
The thought of them was too much
for him, and though he would never
have owned it, his blue eyes completely
overlooked.
Hannah" said Aunt Penelope,
coming into the kitchen, 'syou may
stone some raisins and cut up some cit
ron. think I'll make some loaf-cake
this morning."
Teddy rubbed his eyes briskly with
his jacket-sleeve, and listened eagerly.
MIR. Kent is coming to tea. You
may make custards and biscuits, and
some time in the course of the day YOU
may bring up that jar of strawberry pre-
serves -
Teddy's face fairly shone. If he had
weakness, it was strawberry preserves
and loaf-cake. AS for Hannah's Gus
tards, they were not to be equaled any
where by anybody.
1t wasn't so bad having to stay at
Aunt Penelope's, after all. At any rate,
he would wait until tomorrow to see the
folks at home.
q declared" said good Aunt Pencil
Ope, an hour later, going into the pam
try, 81 never saw handsomer loaf of
cake in my life, though do say it, as
shouldn't"
AS for Teddy, who, having at length
decided upon playing Daniel, was bust
ly engaged digging den, his mouth
fairly watered at the delicious odor
waited out to him.
It'll be an awful long time till
night" he sighed. at most seems as
though l couldn't watt
20 Miss Penelope, do come quick.,'
cried Jimmy Jones, rushing into the
yard just then. 1.-The babys took a
fit, and mothers off washing!"
Miss Penelope left her cake by the
open window, picked up her sun-bonnet
and ran, calling to Hannah to follow.
For few minutes Teddy continued
his excavations. Presently, however,
he paused.
Il should like he said to himself,
''to know if that cake looks as good as
it smells"
So accordingly he stood on tiptoe,
turned the Stats and peeped in.
1t certainly did look very delicious,
though he could not really get good
view of it.
Somehow he had lost all his interest
in Daniel.
''Pd like to see how it looks near to-
he said, after another short pause.
And I'm very thirsty for some milk.
Il wish-I had little piece, just a
little teenty tonty piece. cause I'm
homesick! There'll be plenty left. And
may be Aunt Penelope was going to
give me piece when Jimmy came for
her. She'll be real disappointed if /
don't have it." He sighed, full of SYM
pathy-for Aunt Penelope, of course.
"Why, Hannah Jane Smith! did YOU
put away my cake?" asked Aunt Pen
elope
No, ma'am, 1 didn't touch it;
haven't even seen it sence you took it
out of the oven"
''But left it by the window / was
just going to put it in the cake box
when Johnny came. Where can it
be?"
''Trampsr' said Hannah, in hor-
ror-stricken tone. Its mercy we
was not here. as they might have MUIR
dered us. And they've taken some
milk, too" she added, spying the empty
glass.
Dinner ready and on the table,
said Hannah.
where's Teddyf' asked Aunt Pen
elope.
I'm sure I've not set my eyes on him
since breakfast"
where can the child bep'' asked
Aunt Penelope, now thoroughly
alarmed.
They called and called, they hunted
the house, barn and neighborhood all
over, they looked down the well and up
or the barn ridge-pole, and in every
other imaginable and unimaginable
place; but no Teddy was to be found.
ut will break his mothers heart,''
sighed Aunt Penelope.
Hannah was on her way up garnet for
another search, when noticing the
store-roOm door open she stopped and
looked in. There in the further corner
on pile of comfortables was Teddy.
"You needn't bother bout me-" he
said, briskly. Il was tired and my
head ached. You better go down and
eat your dinner without waiting for me,
cause amt a bit hungry"
''Miss White" called Hannah, 1--WE
found him, and it's my belief he's goin'
to be sick. He looks fcvery, and says
he don't want his dinner, and it's Sc
rious when boys of his age don't want
that"
Aunt Penelope came up with all pos
sible haste.
Dear, dear me, what can il be-
didn't know there was scarlet fever or
anything about here except baby Jones
fits, and those amt catching"
''You needn't bother a bit about me-"
said Teddy, very earnestly. My
mother doesn'twhen I'm sick; she just
lets me cuperate. she says"
But Aunt Penelope preferred to know
about it.
Teddy she exclaimed, as she took
his rather grimy and very sticky hand
TO find his pulse. TEDDY, what have
you been eatingg'
Teddy looked up at the ceiling, down
at his copper-toes, over in the corner,
everywhere but at Aunt Penelope.
Teddy" she almost gasped, ''did
you eat my cake?'
"I-you said it was beautiful, and-I
wanted to see-I fought-you know
you'd want me--to have some cause I
was so homesick-and kept thinking
-and-it went pretty fast before /
knowed it, sobbed Teddy. "But /
didn't eat it all, !" he added, taking from
the depths of his pocket very small,
very crumpled piece of cake.
Aunt Penelope turned round ard
looked at Hannah, and Hannah looked
speechlessly at Aunt Penelope.
"A loaf of cake. He'll de- said
Aunt Penelope.