The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-05-29
can all starve l suppose. We can all
starye In n heaD together"

music, Kitty" said Flo, disconsolately.
"Orif You could only have class in
drawing" added Bcss.
"Or that mamma were only first
rate dressmaker," put in Nell.
Mrs. McCord lifted up her hands in
horror.
."No McCord ever yet descended to
menial labor" said she, loftily. IF
Kitty hadn't such a temper she would
long since have been well married and
s tiled, and in such q crisis MS this she
would have then been able to offer II
home to her afflicted family"
Kitty, mind you, was barely 10.
Kitty bit her lip.
Il know what can do, girls said
she, laughing. "Do you remember tho
lessons i took at Miss Parloc's cooking
club? Well, ! can cook k-eycn mamma
has to admit that"
Il shall &r.te to your Uncle Potiphcr
md ask him for assistance said Mrs.
McCord, loftily.
"t'ncle Pot! Oh, dear mel" ejacu-
lated the four girls in chorus. Hes
too awfu'ly stingy for anything
Hell only send you some tracts and
a lot of ADVICE" said Nell.
Kitty said nothing, but going to tho
library she looked over . file Of the
daily papers.
Uncle Pot" muttered she, running
over list Of late advertisements. "Pd
rather bc dead than live with that hate
iul old thing. We would he obliged
to eat bread and water and be told ten
times day how much it cost him to
keep us. Mamma may go to Uncle
Potiphcr il she likes and take the girls
along; but, rs for me, I'd rather work. !"
She paused ut one Of the late alyer-
tisements that happened to catch her
eve, and read it over twice:
WANTED--A CooE-ln gcntlcman's family,
where there is neither company nor chi
Ten dollars rcr week paid to satisfactory
party. Apply mt once, by letter, to +. q. Box
10, Bricr Lodge, Thorntcld."
Kitty read it once again.
mo children and no company! l
think it would be just tho thing for
me" thought she. Anyway. I'm going
to try it."
Miss McCord did not wait to hear
from Uncle Potipher. Upon second
consideration, she decided it would be
as well to go and make him visit, and
then apprise him of her loss Of fortune.
"By which time said Kitty, calmly,
Il will be settled into some kind of
business or other, and Uncle Pot will
take the thing more kindly. He won't
he so apt to feel as If we had taken him
by storm, and intended to stop with
i'm boug,e malJre."
Il hate French, Kitty. Besides, it is
bad taste to interlard your sentences
with foreign quotations." said her
mamma. "And / shall leave you in
charge of the house, though I want
You to remember that You are a
McCord, and 1 expect you to behave
yourself accordingly. Don't do any
thing to disgrace the family. Perhaps
your Uncle Potipher will offer us q
home with him, and so put our present
difficulties to fight for q while, any
way"
kitty's "tip-tilted" nose tilted trihe
higher at tho idea Of Uncle Potipher
offering them home, but she made no
reply, and helped with the packing.
glad when at last they were of. Kitty
had written to BOX 10, Brier Lodge.
She didn't much like the idea of doing
menial duties, but just now there was
nothing else she was qualified for. To
be sure, she could play a little, and sing
little. and, like oil other fashionable
young ladies' of her set, she had some
skill at drawing. But to tell the whole
lyal 1x,k Il
Of these branches was much too defect
i've for her to attempt to teach any one
of them. Besides, Kitty detested teach
ing in any shape. Only in one thing
had she become proficient, and that one
thing was tho questionable art of cook
ing. Miss Parloe never had q more apt
or more interested pupil than Kitty,
who had entered mt one. into the re.
spectiye merits of soups and roasts,
and puddlngs and pies, with zest that
betrayed an appreciative spirit.
A letter came that day from Brier
Lodge. Kitty had given Miss Parloe
herself rs her reference, but it seemed
as if this had been unnecessary. The
reply to tho application had evidently
been written 10y the housekeeper, who
urged Miss McCord to come on at once.
When Kitty read this letter a feeling
of dismay came over her. She looked
at her dimpled white hands.
And so | am really to be cook in a
gentleman's family" said she, ruefully.
But then there is the so week
only think Of SO n week to one in my
circumstances. Besides, it makes me
independent, and free from Uncle Poti
pher, and if | We're private governess
or school ma'am, my salary would be
no higher. Bnt tell it not--oh tell il
not in Gath, that the proud Kitty Nc
Cord has go.e to be cook"
Tothe friends who a!rectonately tried
to worm kitty's future destination from
her, she turned polite though deaf
ear. She was going into the countr,
for tue summer, she said, and 1t wa.
uncertain when she would return
Perhaps not unit mamma and the girls
returned from Uncle Potipher's, and
perhaps not then. She really coult
not tell herself. Under the circum
stances, she preferred to keep hel
whereabouts to herself and her family
until their financial affairs were straight
ened out and fully settled.
She packed her trunk with some
plain clothing gingham and calico
dresses-and early one morning slipped
down to tie station.
| Late in the afternoon the trail
stopped ut Briersille, and big hulk
ing fellow, with his pants in his boot
tops, stepped up to her, and asked hel
ii she was the new cook for Rivel
Lodge--in anwser to her question as te
the distance and direction of that de
sired haven. With qaaking heart
Kitty climbed into tho democrat
wagon.
"Really this is horrible" though
she, rs the hired man took seat be
side her and calmly explained the mer
its OF the team, and finally asked her
after some skirting round the corners
if she "had steady feller? an if sh,
hadn't, why she might count on him foI
a regul Sunday night business, i