The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1884-03-07

iSus ~hios w Sh"USNt AAehAo
herself as agreeable as possible, kept
her eyes vigilantly on the alert, and
was rewarded at last.
For there, on the top shelf Of little
glass-fronted corner-cupboard was the
old dictionary itself, buging leaves,
missing cover, and all.
"Oh, that darling old relic OF
antiquity +" cried she, nervously feeling
of the twenty -dollar-bill in her pocket,
with which Mr.. Wellwood had intrust-
ed her, the last thing. Aunt Hannah's
dictionary Oh, Lesbia l must have
that !"
swell, isn't it funny?" said Lesbia,
laughing over the chicken she was
stutllng with bread-sauCA for dinner;
for pretty Lesbia was cook, chamber
maid, waitress and all, in that particu-
lar establishment. 81 had letter from
Aunt Nabby Wellwood, yesterday,
about that dictionary. She wants it
She's coming today to see about it"
But promise it to me- said Mrs.
Wildwood, coaxingly. Dear cousin
Losbia, Mr. Wellwood is so anxious to
obtain it for his collection of antique
publications."
"Oh, it isn't old enough to be of
value as antique" said Lesbia, who
was "honest enough"
"But he has set his heart on IT,
pursued Mrs. Wildwood, growing more
earnest, as she heard the rattle Of
wheels in the distance, and beheld
through the tiny paned window a
depot wagon, bringing to the scene no
other than Aunt Nabby herself. "Do
let me have it, Lesbial"
And she placed the twenty dollar
bill coaxingly in Lesbia's hand.
"But l shall be cheating you," said
Lesbia, looking at the bill in amazement
"Do let.me see Aunt Nabby about it
first"
"No, no" said Mrs. Wellwood, as
Aunt Nabby's voice was heard without
in high disputation with the driver lis
to whether Il 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 it
I'll make you present Of it, Lesbia-
wedding-gift, dear
"You are very kind" said Lesbia,
with a radiant face. "And If you
really care for the dictionary"
And so it came to pass that the
dictionary was safe in Mrs. Matthew
Wellwood's possession, when Aunt
Nabby bustled in, full Of the iniquities
of drivers, the inconvenience of
travelling, and the threatening twinges
of her annual rheumatism.
"What |" she cried, as her eye caught
sight Of the fat volume in her niece's
lap, you've got the dictionary, after
all But of course you'll let me have
it, Sarah ANN,
Certainly I shall not 3" said Mrs.
Wellwood, exultantly. "Mr. Wildwood
has set his heart on possessing it."
"And I've just sold it to her." added
Lesbia, helping Aunt Nabby unite
her bonnet strings.
The old lady heaved a deep sigh.
oval, it don't matter SO much," said
she. "The main thing was to find the
dictionary. And if you'll just let me
copy out the receipt for making
waffies, Sarah Ann, that's pinned on
the page W first of the W's, you'll
see-it'll be jest as good as if had it
myself"
"The receipt for watfles y cried Mrs.
Wildwood. "Was that all you wanted
it for?"
"That was ALL" said Aunt Nabby,
briskly. "Samuers wife, she was a
dreadful good hand at waffles, and she
never would give nobody the receipt.
But knew where she kept it, and l
was always tryin' to get at it. And
if you'll just let me copy it out"
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 piano broken, her china cracked,
her nerves shattered, for this? Had
she paid twenty dollars, sealskin cape
and her travelling expenses TO Poke
Hollow, all for receipt for waffles?
The buzz of conversation went OIL all
the same, and Mrs. Wildwood recover
ed at her leisure. She returned tc
New York that afternoon, carrying
the old dictionary, although Lesbia en-
deavored to induce her to remain, by
the promise of waflles 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 pinned to the pages, he