The midland journal., 1885-11-13

scandallzed by your conduct Yes, per-
fectly scandalized. You VIII do moth
ing of the sort!"
Certainly not, said Mrs. Torrance,
developing strong hysterical symptoms.
eff your cousin Brown intends to in
suit US"
''But he doesn't mean to insult us,
pleaded Nelly. "He intended the offer
in all good faith and 1 accepted it in the
same spirit.
"You surely do not mean to degrade
yourself" cried Lucetta, "by turning
-cook-for any man living"
II don't see, urged Nelly, "that it
is any more degrading to cook for Cousin
John than it would be to embroider
slippers for him, or read the newspaper
aloud to him of an evening"
Eleanor never had any proper
pride" said Mrs. Torrance, wringing
her hands.
"Never !" echoed Lucctta.
"And," added Nelly, "my cousin
would have every right to believe me
an impostor if [ told him I wanted work
and then refused the first offer he made.
It will be useless for you to rem emonstrate,
Lucetta, and I hope mamma will not
place any obstacles in my way, for am
quite determined to go to Grandover
Park this afternoon"
And she adhered firmly to her reso-
luton.
Tt was six exactly when Mr.. Brown let
himself into his house with his latch
key which always depended from his
watch chain. The gas jet burned softly
behind the rose-colored shade in the
hall, the fire clicked cheerily in the
CRATE in the parlor beyond. ,sr
"Humph p he muttered. "She
hasn't come. Thought so! There's no
such thing as practical woman nova
days"
At the same moment light, white
aproned little figure came out Of the
dining room beyond, Nelly Torrance's
voice uttered the words:
"Dinner is ready, Cousin John"
The old man smiled. He had o
pleasant expression on h face when lie
smiled, and Nelly wondered that she
had not noticed what handsome man
he WAS
"Oh,' said he. s'you did come, then ?"
"Oh, I always keep my engagements,
said Nelly. "Punctuality is the soul
of business, isn't it, Cousin John? At
least that's what I used to write in my
copy-books at school.
Mr.. Brown patted her hand as she
helped him off with his overcoat
you are good girl, he said.
And i'll his secret mind he decided to
put up with any deficiencies in the
cooking of a g,rl who had such excellent
business principles
But to his infinite amazeme MT there
we're no deficiencies to overlook. The
soup was on the table, rs clear as water,
favored like dream of Soyer's own?
The first course WAS baked trout, the
second a pigeon on toast. A small and
compact roast of beef-ribs was danked by
a dainty giblet-pie, and the dessert was
fruit, peach tarts and Bavarian cream.
Mr.. Brown ate and relished and
wondered by turns.
My dear, said he at last, when the
cloth was removed, ''all is very nice.
I'll concede that you are tip-top house,
keeper. But of course, you ordered all
this from Moneratos restaurant ?"
"But of course, I didn't, Cousin
Brown, said Nelly, decidedly. 81
cooked it all myself !'
"What, that soup?"
"Yes, that soup"
"Did you prepare that trout sauce
and broil that pigeon %
eyes, Cousin Brown"
"And that giblet pie, was that yours ?"
eyes, and the giblet pie ! Don't look
SO astonished, Cousin Brown" she
added, laughing 81 may as well con-
fess that l took q course of cooking
lessons last Summer. And I like it of
all things, especially in household
like this. where one can command the
ing her bonnet-strings, and I'm going
to his house in Grandover Park this
afternoon"
You don't mean" cried Mrs. Tor
rance, with spasmodic catching in her
BREATH "that he is going to-adopt
Won ."