The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1885-11-14
THE OLD COOKS STORY.

/ h
untll the end of my days, And oh
OUT that was wild one, and IA wet
one, and cruel day for master to be
travelling, as he was and not in one
o. your comfortable cars, where you
d9n't know whether its shining or
pouring, but in his own little open
fglg, You see, master was a doctor,
anc when he was sent for he must go,
ana this was a case that was very
dangerous, and he must stay away
all night, and only mistress and me
In the house, and more money in it
than ever was there before. For, you
see, Master Mullins, that was super
intending the new works, had come
dowp to pay the hands. He had
\ aveed, armed, for many and many
&erae, and he arrived, as you may
say, day too soOn-that is, it was a
Friday and Saturday was to be pay
day, OF course.
VI want to 90 to see my old mother
in her BIZ of a cottage on the lonely
road" said Master Mullins to the
doctor, "nd that little house is no
place for asum that many man has
been murdered for. If l leave it here
no one will know it. Yours is the
best secured house anywhere for
miles, and twill be off my mind :"
and the doctor had shown him where
to put it. And he had gone off to
see the old mother-and now off was
the doctor himself. And we woman,
my mistress and myself, alone. To
be sure, the big stone house was so
well locked and barred that it was
next to impossible any one could get
in, and there was no knowledge of
anything more than usually valuable
being there, so far as we knew. But,
somehow, my heart was in futter.
Maybe my mistress felt as [ did, for
she came and sat in the kitchen with
me with her knitting, and told me |
must come and sleep in the little
room off hers that night.
That was at and | remember how
dark it was as the long clock began
to Whirr as it always did before strik-
ing, and then counted the hour out
like so many pennies. And just as it
stopped there came a knock at the
door.
| went to open it, and there were
two men with a wagon and in the
wagon long bundle of something
seved up in cloth.
CDR. James live here 2" says one of
the men.
"He does" says I. He's my mas
ter"
"Then," says the man, there's
bundle for him."
"Bless us ! it's big enough" says I.
"It is" said he. "WeIl, let's in
with it, old lady. Well put it in the
corner of the hall. And your master
left particular directions that it was
not to be opened until he came. It's
something that might be very much
hurt if it wasn't opened right" says
he-"sort of surprise for your mis-
tress."
"Weli, says I, "I'Il tell her what
was said. And when did you see
master ?"
"At 8 this morning." says he.
"And what's in the bundle 2" says
|.
"I don't know" says he. 1.-THE
doctor was too wet to talk much.
He was at -" he named a town
the doctor was to ride through.
"But he was particular it shouldn't
be opened until he came," said the
man. 81 was to tell the lady that,
with mis- love-"
every WE'LL" says l, "IaI tell
her )" and away he went, and 1 took
the tea into the parlor and told my
mistress what had happened, and she
fell to wandering what it could be.
"a roll of new curtain silk, perhaps"
says she.
"It's too heavy for that" says I.
"A pair of mirrors" says she.
"It's too round for that" says l.
"Then L tell you it's the Turkey
carpet I've wanted for the parI0r this
twelve-month," says she; for in
those days the Turkey carpet was
the kind they most thought of.
81 think it is that, ma'am." l
said.
So we talked it over. Servants
lived long while with ladies in those
days, and were more thought of than
they are now, and my mistress never
made me feel as if had no right to
say word to her of what was in my
mind; and after tea was over she
went out into the hall to look at the
bundle, and L held the light before
her. at can't be any thing but the
Garnet - saws Shn and she went close