Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-05-23
MARCHES TEMPTATION.

Same OUT OF the pantry with a bowl of
raisins in her hand, "I think we had
better make some frult-cake to-day"
Margie was standing at the table rear
the window. She pricked up her ears
at this. Fruitcake, such as her mother
made, was her delight.
sob! goody!" she exclaimed.
ut IS a very small piece YOU will
have at best, child" said the mother;
"this is to be company cake.' l saw
we were about out when I was down
cellar" ~-IY
Margie's face fell. Company cake''
was a name given to it by Will and her
self. Living in the country, as they
did, it was always necessarily Ito be pre-.
pared o rsudden and unexpected guests,
and it seemed to the children as if the
best Of ''mother's cooking" was al.
ways put aside, to be served only at a
time when, as they had been taught, it
was shockingly rude to ask for a second
piece.
Her face grew much longer when her
mother, giving her the bowl of raisins.
told her to stone them as quickly as she
could.
She would have refused if she. had
dared, but Mrs. Lees children were
brought up in the old-fashioned way, to
do as they were told without a word.
elbow mean it u.s." she thought, ssto
have to pick over these .%raislns, when l
hate it, and to have more than
one little piece of cake! Oh, 1 wish I
might once have a little loaf all for N.Y.
self. l think mother might give me
one. She won't; she never will. I wish
[ was grown up. What fun I should
have!"
And here she fell to thinking so deep
ly she quite forgot about the raisins,
until aroused by a sharp tap on the
head from her mother, who told her to
hurry and not waste time in dreaming.
She worked rapidly after that, and
had them ready for her mother, then
stood amoment before running out to
her play to watch the batter poured
into the pans and the whole. put in the
oven. AS the last.pan was going in she
ventured to ask:
"Couldn't I have q little loaf for my
self, mother?"
mo, indeed" said Mrs. Lee, brisk
", as she closed the oven-door with q
bang. 81 don't want you eating such
rich stuff. I will make you a little loaf
of sponge-cake, if you want one."
s~ponge-cake, and, Cor the present, the
subject was dismissed.
Next day, she went down in the eel
lar for an apple. While she was there,
she suddenly thought OF the cake baked
the day before.
"I wonder how it looks" she said to
herself. 81 think I will take a peep at
it."
1t was such a little step from where
she stood to the crooks where the cake
was. kept. Only n step. She took it,
and peeped in at the cake. How nice
it looked!
Before she had time to think, her
hand went in. It did not come out
empty, as her mouth could testify
soon after, if it had not been too full to
speak.
Then she was so frightened at what
she had done, she rail- upstairs and into
the garden as fast as she could. There
she spent five minutes in hating herself
and wishing she had never done it.
She would not go into the cellar again
for ever SO long-no. not until the
company came and ate the dreadful
cake.
But, alas! for her resolutions, in
about an hour her mother sent her to
the cellar for something she wanted.
Margie noticed the cloth which had
covered the cake was not put on as
smoothly as when she first went down.
1t had to be lifted off and put on new
When she came up stairs, there were
some crumbs on her frock. Mrs. Lee
was too busy to notice them.
elbow long it took you, chifd!" she
said, as Margie handed her the desired
article, and, not waiting to be ques-
toned, ran out of the kitchen.
After that, she went to the cellar
every day. 1t seemed as if the cake had
bewitched her; she could not keep it
out OF her mind.
One day, her mother said:
"You must not eat 30 many apples,
you will be ILL.,"
Margie grew very red, but said moth
ing.
Once she thought it very greedy rev.
er to share the cake with Will, and car
ried him a piece to where he was sit
ting, under the apple-tree.
"Where did you get itP" he asked,
after the first bite.
"Never mind" she said, but looked
uncomfortable.
81 hope, Margie. you did not steal
itp"
Will looked very grave.
"Eat it and ask no questions" she
said, with a poor effort at a laugh.
This was just what he would not do,
but put the cake on the seat beside him,
and getting up, walked away without
a word.
Margie knew that he despised her.
and she had too small an opinion of her.
self at the time to force herself upon
him. Besides, there was the piece of
the cake. What could she do with it?
She had no inclination just then to eat
it. Where could she put it out of sight?
AT last, taking it in her hand, she
stole. softly to the pig-pen, and that day
the pig had an unusual feast for dinner.
Will never alluded to the subject again.
but Margie felt sur he thought oflit
whenever he looked at her, and thast,sto
her guilty conscience, seemed everoften.
Days went by. No company came,
aud +Io ool-, r~o1y 1ouo opI ~. ,.%;I