The National tribune., 1883-05-03
KATY'S CAPTIVE.
A Tramp in the Pantry, and What He Was Doing
There.

You're sure you won't be afraid, Katyf"
"Oh no, fatheri"
"But Tilly is so deaf" added Mr. Dilling
ham, pausing with his foot on the carriage step.
"Shan't stop and ask Aunt Priscilla to let one
of the girls come up?"
"No indeed, father; won't be q bit fright
ened"
"Well, there's nothing to hurt you, and I
shall be back with your mother some time TO-
night if it's a possible thing Good-by, daugh-
ter"
Mr. Dillingham; seated himself in the vehicle,
touched the old gray lightly, and drove away.
Katy stood in the door and watched her father
off. She was just thirteen years of age, and she
didn't feel bit afraid and when the carriage
was out of sight she bounded OFF the door step
and across the road to the big barn, whence
she presently returned with her apron full of
eggs.
''Tilly," she screamed, going into the kitchen
-"o oh. Tilly, let me make q sponge-calle, all
myself, for dinner tomorrow. I've found some
eggs and l want-to make-a spoRgs-cake."
"Oh, yes" said Tilly, quite with the air of
one who can hear as well as another one, but
who likes to play sometimes at being deaf"
make half dozen sponge-cakes if you want
TO, dearie."
So Katy beat the eggs, whites and yolks sep
arately, for ten minutes; she put in the sugar
and beat five minutes, and the -four and beat
three minutes more, exactly by rule, and when
all this was done, and the cake Drowned to
delicious perfection in the big oven, the short
November afternoon was already half way
through.
"Pm going to put my cake in the preserve
closet, Tilly."
Tilly didn't offer any objection, and Katy
carried her sponge-cake through the pantry
into the little dark closet beyond. There were
rows upon rows of preserve jars, and above
he SIa E.fv~ -,
gleam from the silver-the ever and sugar
bowl and cake basket and teapot, besides q
quantity of spoons that had belonged TO her
great grandmother. They were very heavy
and all of pure silver; and suddenly. as Katy
stood gazing up at them, she remembered, with
a little shiver of dread, the face of tramp who
had locked in at the door the day before while
Tilly was cleaning the silver at the table. He
asked for drink of water, and when he had
got it he went away; but it seemed to Katy
at this minute that he looked &C the silver a
great deal longer and sharper than was at ali
necessary. What if he should come back? He
wasn't vieious-looking tramp; indeed Tilly
had thought and said what pity il was that
he should be tramp at all-sueh bright face
he had and such pretty way OF speaking,
but
"You can't tell much by looks" said Katy,
wisely, to herself. 81 believe mother would
almost rather lose the farm than that silver.
Anyway, III put on the paddock before go to
bed. l suppose It's foolish, though"
Perhaps that was the reason she forgot all
about it. She sat at the window for long
time, busy with her knitting aud with think
ing of how glad she would be to see her mother
again. Two weeks Is so long time; and Mrs.
Dillingham; had been o day mere than that
with Il sick sister in Wakefield. almost twenty
| miles from home. The clouds had shut down
heavy and gray, and it would be dark early.
But by the time Katy was ready for bed she
had forgotten ali about the paddock, though she
was really little nervous and frightened, and
wished more than once that TiIly's cot bed
in the little room over the kitchen would hold
her with Tilly But she felt better when she
had gone upstairs into her own eozy chamber
| and had fastened the door; aud pretty soon
| after saying her prayer she erept into bed and
fell fast asleep.
When sao awoke the clouds had cleared away
and the moon was shining full IN at her win