Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1884-03-14

stuaing with bread-sauce for dinner
for pretty Lesbia was cook, chamoei
maid, waitress and all, in that partlcu'
lar establishment. Il had aletter from
Aunt Nabby Wildwood, yesterday
about that dictionary. She wants l"
She's coming today to see about IL /
but promise it to me- said MIS-
Wellwood, coaxingly. Dear cousin
Lesbia Mr.. Wellwood is so anxious 20
obtain it for his collection of antique
publications." i
"oh. it isn't old enough TO be oil /
value as antique" said Lesbia' VINO
was "honest enough"
"But he has set his heart on !"
pursued Mrs. Wildwood, growing more
earnest. as She heard the rattle OF
wheels in the distance, and behelu
through the tiny paned window
depot wagon, bringing to the scene no.
other than Aunt Nabby herself. "po
let me have it, Lcsbia :"
And She plscod the twenty dollar
bill coaxingly in Lesbia's hand.
But shall lie cheating you, sad
Lesbia, looking at the bill in amazement
DO let me see Aunt Nabby about lts
first
"No, nor' said Mrs. Wellwood, as
Aunt Nabby's voice was heard without
in high disputation with the driver AS
to whether coin she had given him
in payment was genuine or not. "Give
it to me now And here is my seal
skin cape-you were just admiring 1t
III make you present Of it, Lesbla-
a wedding-gift, dear"
you are very kind" said Lesbia'
with a radiant face. "And if you
really care for the dictionary"
And 50 it came to pass that the
dictionary was safe in Mrs. Matthew
Wellwood's possession, when Aunt
! Nabby hustled in, full of the iRiquities
of drivers, the inconvenienees OF
travelling, and the threatening 7winges
Of her annual rheumatisms
"What y she cried, as her eye caught
sight of the fat volume in her niecee
lap, you've got the dictionary, after
all But Of course you'll let me have
it. Sarah Anny.
"Certainly l shall not - said Mrs
Wildwood, exultantly. "Mr. WellwooC
has set his heart on possessing it,
"And I've just sold it to her, addeC
Lesbia, helping Aunt Nabby until
her bonnet strings
The old lady heaved a deep sigh.
! ssNAs;il- IL slos.st matter SO much - s....
! she ''.rhe main thing was to ma IN.
dictionary And if you'll Just let M,
copy out the receipt for making
wafles, Sarah Ann, that's pinned OF
the page W frs. of the W's. you'll
see it'll be Jest as good as if l had il
myself"
"The receipt for waflles p cried Mrs.
Wellwood. WAS that all you wanted
it for?"
"That was ALL" said Auut Nabby
briskly. "Samuers wife, she was a
dreadful good hand at wanles, and she
never would give nobody the receipt.
But l knew where she kept it, and !
was always tryin' to get at it. And
if you'll just let me copy it out A."
Mrs. Wellwood grew pale; the cell.
ing of the little, old-fashioned room
seemed to swim around her.
Was this the end of the dictionary
mystery? Had she entertained the
Grubb family for ten mortal days, had
her piaGo broken, her china cracked
her nerves shattered, for this? Had
She paid twenty dollars, a sealskin cape
and her travelling expenses 10 Poke
Hollow, all for receipt for waffles?
The buzz o conversation went on all
the same, and Mrs. Wildwood recover
ed at her leisure. She returned to
New York that afternoon, carrying
the old dictionary, although Lesbia en-
deayored to induce her to remain, by
the promise of wanles for tea, made
after Aunt Hannah's famous receipt.
And when Mr.. Wildwood discovered
that there were no thousand-dollar
bonds, nor hundred-dollar banknotes
hidden in the dictionary-nothing but
definitions, ink blots, and one or two
cooking receipts pinn to the pages he
INDUCED iC eXecration more deep than
loud.
Its all that meddling old cat
fault" said he, referring doubtless to
Aunt Nabby. "And I'll never have
her in the house again
And he never did. But all that
didn't restore the twenty dollar bill,
and the sealskin cape. And innocent
Lesbia was the only one who reaped
benefit from the transaction.
Never Out.
"What a wonderful woman that