Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1884-01-04

have been an nifcnsr against good MAJ
ners in flilllorn code. The front an
street doors were kept locked, as Il ma
ter of course, Int the back ones WEI
always left open. I" admit of fricndl,
unceremonlous "running in"
The girls would have given up in dt
spar. Rnt as Mr.. Mort James cam
down from the city every two weeks t
See his lady-lnve, Of course the neigh
bors saw him, and they began alread
to tease Lii about her beau. so the poo
child had about all she could stand.
At last the girls began to make tn
wedding-cake. The pantry was not larg
enough for operations. and they -wer
obliged Ia work in the kitchen, unIc
manifold Interruptions.
Lily sat down to stone raisins, an.
Elva cut citron, while Harriet beat In,
eggs.
In less than ten mintes rap. rap
went the kitchen door. Elva flung :
towel over her citron, and began bnsil,
sorting pile of napkins which Ia,
handy. Lii, who sat with her dish an,
paper of raisins in her lap, whirle,
round, 5" as to bring them under tn,
table, out Of sight, and sat idle. !Iarrie
calmly went on with her eggs. The in
terrupter was Florence Lockman.
| ooh, you're all $" busy" she said
"Well, Just ran in to borrow youl
rntfled apron pattern, please, Harriet.
want To- cut one for mother and haven
any pattern. Lily, vou are the onl,
idle one, get it for me, won't you:?''
Lii couldn't move, Of course, Harriet
came to the rescue.
"She couldn't find it, she said 81
put that pattern away myself"
"Oh, never mind, then, until you get
your eggs beaten!" said Florence, and
down she sat. "Are you making cake :"
she asked. ''Why it isn't Saturday
Must be looking for company"
1--WE are" said Harriet, grimly.
"Lily's beau, I'll bet" cried the
merry girl, while Lily turned red.
"When is it gong to he, Lip"
"ln about ten years, maybe" said
Lily. "Elva, you might get that pat
tern, you know where Hats things are
GENERALLY"
Elva had got her napkins all put
away. She ran up for the pattern, and
they soon got rid Of that interruption.
But in another quarter oi an hour, in
came Mrs. Scott, to borrow the clothes
line, and Elva and Lii had to dodge
down the cellar stairway with their laps
full.
At last, however, the cakes were safe
ly made and baked. But they had still
to be frosted The yffls waited for Il
rainy day to do this.
1t was Saturday, and Mr.. James Mort
had come down from the city, to. pay
his usual visit. Lily, Of course, was
with him in the parlor.
Harriet and Elva having all the rest
Of the work done, betOok themselves to
the mysteries of icing the wedding
cake.
The snowy frosting was beaten and
stirred until it was the proper consist
ency and stiffness, and then they began
to spread it on the fruit cake with a
silver butter-knife.
ats good thing it is stormy" said
Elva. "We won't be interrupted this
time, anyhow"
"Won't we?" said Harriet. "Don't
be too sure OF 'tliat!'
At that very moment, a waterproof
cloak was seen passing the kitchen win
dow.
"Oh, mercy, Hatw cried Elva. "Hus-
tie it somewhere, quick! Under the
table! AnyYhere"
Harriet sprang up, caught the cake,
and vanished into the pantry where Lii
had once taken refuge, and Elva heard
her say, as she locked the door:
of she wants anything out of this
pantry, tell her We haven't got t!'
Knock! knock! on the back door.
Elva opened it, and admitted Mrs.
Brown.
81 haven't a minute to stay" said the
lady, shaking the wet from her cloak +,
on the clean oilcloth, AS she came in.
81 Just want to see Harriet moment. I"
"Harriet isn't here, Just now" said
Elva calmly, taking care not to say "at
home" w'u tell her to come over
when she comes i'm
ooh, it isn't necessary" said Mrs.
Brown, al just wanted. to ask her to
stop for me to go to prayer meeting to-
night, that was all"
"Well, I'll tell her." said the much
tried Elva.
As Mrs. Brown went out, Florence
IOckman came in.
"Oh, Elva, can borrow cup of
coffee until after supper" said she.
The coffee was in the pantry! And
Harriet had the door locked on the
inside. But Elva did not want to be
un-neighborly, SO she said:
ayes, sit down Il moment, and will
get it,"
Then she disappeared in the cellar
stairway. She ran down, and then out,
at the outside cellar door, and round in
the rain to the pantry window, which
was open.
"Hat, hand me cup Of Drowned
coffee, quick, and ask no questions" ~
she said.
Harriet obeyed, and Elva went back
through the cellar, and gave the coffee
to Florence.
And Florence went home and told
her mother that the Dorsey's kept their
Drowned coffee down cellar and wasn't t
it queer?
After Il while Harriet came out and
went to work at her cakes again.
"Elva," said she, solemnly, .'if We
ever have another wedding in this house,
I'll do one Of two things!
"Well, what" asked Elva
ON either do all the cooking and all
the sewing in the dead hours Of night
after the neighbors are gone to bed, or
I'll lock the back door and throw the
| key down the well"'
At the supper-table, they laughingly
related their smuggling adventures to
Mr.. Mort James and Lily, and Harriet
repeated her plan to them.
81 know better way yet" said
Mort, ''tO escape back-doJr miseries. .
"Do tell it!' said Harriet.