The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-01-23

said, helplessly, that she didn't know
either, and went on with the chocolate
creams. She never had much of reply to
Mollie's rather abstruse reasoning.
eff IL was ever so wicked, it wouldn't
be of any use to stop now" remarked
Mollie, ssgely.
"Of course it wouldn't"
cit would be wicked to waste 30 much
sugar, you know"
ayes, it would" agreed Bessie.
There we're two large platefuls, and very
nice they looked, too. The girls stood
surveying them with great satisfaction,
underlaid by little uneasiness, when q
step was heard outside the door. They
looked at each other, apprehensively.
"Who is it p whispered Mollie. The
words were hardly out of her mouth when
the door opened snd--in walked Mrs.
Ward.
at stormed so, that I"-she began,
then she caught glimpse of the plates
of chocolate creams, and the consterna-
ton in the two girls faces.
"What in she said. Then, much
to the establishment of the culprits, she
sank into the nearest chair and began to
laugh.
The girls looked at each other, little
relieved. They laughed little, too,
though in shamefaced fashion, as if
doubtful whether it were the thing for
them to do.
81 am sorry, mother" began Bessie, at
length; "but we did want to make them,
dreadfully, and we knew you would think
we would muss up the kitchen, and we
meant to clean up just as nice"
"You did very wrong you should have
asked me, anyway, and not gone to work
the minute my back was turned" said
Mrs. Ward, rising and unpinning her
shawl. 81 thought you were too honora-
BILE, Bessie" she added.
III am sorry, MOTHER" said Bessie, hum
bly,, with red face.
$50 am l." echoed Mollie, turning
piuker than ever.
DWELL, we'll say nothing more about it
this time, ONLY hope | can trust you
never to do so again." said Mrs. Ward,
and went rather hastily into the sitting
room, where she INDUCED in quiet laugh
again at the remembrance of the pathetic
tableau she had seen on entering the door.
It was really laughable, though blame
worthy, and she reproached herself little
for indirectly having led the girls into
temptation. al had better by far let
them muss up my clean kitchen, now and
them" said she to herself, than lead
them to deceive me-" Mrs. Ward was
one of those women who take lesson to
themselves wherever they can find it.
Meanwhile, the two girls stood in the
kitchen, ruefully cycling each other and
the chocolate creams.
"Mollie," said Bessie, suddenly, 81 am
ashamed, aren't you ?"
eyes"
81 didn't know how bad it was, and
how awful mean, till mother came in"
al didn't, either"
"Say, Mollie, suppose we should -
Mollie's eyes followed her friends
which were fixed on the old house up the
road. "Give the Thompson children
some ?" said she, finishing the sentence.
"No, give them-all !"
Mollie fairly gasped. She looked al
those lovely chocolate creams. She had
actually not tasted one. There was an
awful struggle in her little heart.
"Well," said she at last, solemnly, "we
will"
Mrs. Ward listened to the plan which
Bessie, with blushing hesitancy, whispered
| in her ear.
"Of course you may" said she; ant
soon two little figures, warmly wrapped
in sbawls, each with carefully covered
plate in her hand, might have been seer
trudging through the storm, up the roat
to the Thompson house.
"You never saw anything like it
mother !" cried Bessie, when the two
shaking the snow from their garments
burst in, rosy and radiant, fifteen O.
twenty minutes later. They never, on,
of them, had tasted chocolate cream be
fore, and when they tasted them-l"-
May E. wilkins, in Congregationalist.