The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1883-11-01

the knives and forks were laid with
mathematical precision, an unwonted
air of trimness pervaded his familiar
crockery, and-there was no pie on the
table. But there was mackerel baked
in cream, and mashed potatoes, and
nicely Drowned toast, and the dough-
nuts.
Miss Harlow don't feel able to come
out to the table this morning, and
guess I'll take her a bite before | eat. "
And SO saying the Squire took a plate,
and commenced piling things on it in a
promiscuous way.
"Oh," said Molly, ''let me do it. l
have had 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 tray
was brought, clean napkin spread over
it, piece of the mackerel laid on plate
with the cream ladled daintily over it
molly had seen too much of plates
where the meat seemed to have been
launched ON them by an avalanche of
gravy; then came little plate of the
potato, slice Of brown toast, little
plate of butter, cup of coffee, knife,
fork, spoon, etc. Then she whisked in
to the pantry, and out again with
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 of
honor in the middle of the tray.
''Shor" said the Squire, with a 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, show
pretty! really believe am hungry"
Ahd the Squire went back to his own
breakfast SO happy that he entirely for
got the absence of the pie.
Well, this was the beginning, and
though life afterward was not all cream
and straw berries and white lilacs, and
though bread would sometimes burn,
and pastry fatty refuse to be tlaky, and
| though unused muscles sometimes ach-
ed with the new work, yet the girl kept
up brave heart. The Squire and his
wife were uniformly kind, and the lat
ter, who had suffered as much from
lack of cheerful society as from any
physical cause, gradually grew strong
er, and would sit through the long sum-
mer forenoons in the great airy kitch-
en-, placidly knitting or pairing apples,
cha iSt-
fully after Molly as she tripped from
pantry to cellar, and longed for the
girlish figure which used to fit about
in the same way, her heart took great
comfort in the bright, cheerful stran-
ger. And the Squire, hearing the fresh
young voice singing about the house,
would give great sigh for the lost
voice, but somehow the old house SEEM
ed less lonely to him, and after awhile
his first question would be, where's
Molly?n The plain country society
| readily took her in and considered her
high authority in the matter of ''loop-
ing" of overskirts and "doing up" of
! hair, and at last no merry-making was
complete without Molly Perry.
Those of you who have followed this
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 moth
ing whatever of the kind happened, for
the Squire and his wife had no sons,
and their nephews and 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 occasionally at the Squire's
gate, and it is equally true that Molly
said ''No'' to 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 hundred would find such
home; it is written simply to show what
one girl did.-Hester Stuart IN Harper'S
B1znr