The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1885-07-10
now TONY KEPT THE BAKERY.


| anu all ue Deans 10 BAKE, ana my ole man
can't neber git home till twelb o'clock
But de .iedge done send and say can't hab
no dinner party widout Aunt Lucy to
sarve up de dinner So mus 60 Tony,
now member which end yous on, and
don't let muffin happen to de money drawer.
nor de beans, nor Patra, by yo keerless-
ness.'
Tony stood on his woolly head with
He felt very proud of being left to min de
| bakery But he was very soon obliged
to reverse his position and attend to bust
ness, for people were beginning to come
neighborhood sent their Sunday beans to
be baked in Aunt Lucy Crumples great
brick oven.
! Aunt Lucy was famous cook. She
had been the cook at Judge Carlise's in
the next town, until she married Peter
| Crumples, the barber. Peter did -four
ishing business, but Aunt Lucy conld not
be happy unless she was cooking. So she
set up bakery, which was patronized by
both rich and poor, for her goods were of a
delectabe flavor, and she was so neat that
one might eat off her floors.
Tony was of great use in the establish
ment; he was strong and willing, and his
mother had already discovered in him
genius for cooking, but his carelessness
was great drawback. Tony lamented
it, but didn't seem able to help it.
'I'll never get cured oh bein' keerless
till my wool done come straight, 70 sure!'
he always said.
People began to come in with their beam
pots, as said. The great oven was heating
slowly. 1t took long time for it to get
hot Tony put the first installment of
bean-pots into it.
| ''IIere, Patra, you done climb in dar and
poke de pots way back. reckon dere's
goin to be heaps oh pots tonight he
said.
Patra a small morsel of humanity, with
her wool tied up into little knobs with
red ribbons, obeyed. She thought it was
great fun to climb into the big oven,
which was not yet hot enough to burn her.
in no hurry to come out.
Tony was preparing their own pots of
beans, for they sold beans Sunday morn
ings. Tinkle! tinkle! went the bell of the
shop door, and he hurried out
| As he went by the oven. he shut the
door, that oven would never get hot with
the door Open He had quite forgotten
Patra!
| Petra screamed with all her small might.
| 1t was dark, sutfocating, horrible in the
oven! Moreover, twas growing very warm.
She kicked frantically at the door; but it
was impossible to open it from the inside.
Meanwhile, Tony, who had gone into
the shop and shut the door behind him,
was putting on very grand airs of pro
prietorshp to Bill McGrath, who had come
to buy cents worth of yeast and two
cents worth of stale gingerbread.
whats that noisee" said Bill suddenly.
sit sounds kind of queer and far off, as if
twas in the wall.
| ''Nuffin but rats" said Tony. ''Beans
jest in time, sar," he continued, to a Gus
toner who had just come in. ''Dat oven
is gittin' roarin' hot More beans. See 'em
come in now. Yo'd know what it was to
have yo' hands full of business if yo' was
me, Billy McGrath.''
The counter was covered with bean-pots.
Now Use gwine to shove dem in de
oven," said Tony to himself, Billy McGrath
having departed, manfully concealing his
envy, and there being hull in the rush of
custom. 81 wonder whar dat Patra is!
No answer Silence in the great baking
room, except for the roaring of the fire.
| An awful recollection flashed upon Tony.
''De good Ian. Dat child neber done
come out OBJ de oben And shut de do.
And dem noises dat fought was rats was
Patra a-kiclxin and screamin' And hear
dat fire roarin'. Neber was SIGH fire as
built under dat oben dis nlght!-Putra done
burntupf'
Tonys black face actually turned pale,
and all his strength left him. But at
| length he forced himself to open the oven
door.
| There was smell of burning leather.
Tony drew forth one little shoe. Was it
all that was left of Patra? No; there
was knot of red ribbon, with bit of
wool caught in it, the wool scorched and
crumblng to ashes in his fingers as he
drew it out These relics brought a rush
of tears from Tony's eyes; but tears could
not Tighten his weight OF woe.
''Pears like Use dreaming a mos orfle
| dream" he murmured.
/ Ting a-ling! went the shop-door and
Tony started up.
''You's gwine to be hung, Tony Crum-
bles as su' as yo' bornr' he said to him
self
! He hid the little shoe and the ribbon,
and hurried as fast as his trembling limbs
would let him into the shop.
There was customer with bean-pot,
and behind him came good "Posson Amos, :"
colored preacher, who lived next door.
81 iist drop in to see how yo' is gittin
long, my boy, )" said Poisson Amos. kindly.