Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-10-26
A TRUE STORY.
Stealing Pound cakes and What Came
of 1t.

TRUE STORY.
Stealing Pound cakes and What Came
of 1t.
ttor the JOURNAL AND CoURIER.J
''Now best of all grandmas," said I, wheel
ing the glass fire screen comfortably between
US and the flaming logs and settling myself
on floor cushion at her side, 'tBessie and I
will be awfully good if you will only put
away that tiresome book and talk to us of
your young days. We want to hear about
some of your old time 1arks and frolics."
"Well, my child, as for regular frolics I
can't say very much, - and then as she moved
forward the scrap of worsted to the inter
rupted page the book softly closed upon her
knees, "but remember a foolish difficulty
into which I once voluntarily walked that
seems much funnier to look back upon now
than it did at the time when it happened, as
I felt dreadfully about it then and for years
after couldn't see think of a pound cake
without wishing both to laugh and to cry"
Here the dear grandma stopped, smiled,
leaned back in her chair and letting fall her
eyeglasses, closed her eyes and seemed to go
far away with memory into an eventful past.
We girls snuggled closer to her side, quite
sure now that something nice was coming.
The cat sleeping on the rug in full blaze, and
scorching deliciously as she chases fat
mouse in dream, at this moment partly
rouses herself and finding one side sufficient
ly toasted, arches her back in a stretch so
luxurious and persistent that her feet seem
fairly drawn up from the carpet. She then
composes herself in position for broilng the
other side and with blissful yawn lies
down, curls up and falls asleep. Out of
doors the usual quiet of deep snow causes
the voices of men as they shout at each 9TH
er to sound still louder; dogs bark with Joy
Gus yappings they founder out of one
snowbank into another, while the dull thud
of light slipping sleigh h-runners and the
noise Of heavy wheels creaking round on the
frosty snow mingles with the jingle of hard
working bells on the necks of impatient
horses. Inside the house and IL our library
the contented purring of the sleepy cat now
rejoining the broken threads of her dream
about the mouse; some tiny spark fireworks
from sudden falling together of the burning
wood and the dignifed, solemn tick of the
hall clock are the only sounds.
"My parents sent me to famous boarding
school in the Berkshire hills, where there
were more than hundred of US mischievous
and lively girls What thorough-going,
harmless fun we did have! What glad and
happy romps! We didn't do anything really
naughty, but we contrived to make every
thing we did do seem just as bad as we knew
how. It so happened that it was my turn
that day to be monitress, and fine one I
made to be sure, you will soon see. We
had no other reason than young and healthy
appetites for being unduly hungry and wish
ing to eat between meals, for our table was
excellent, with good and wholesome food
abundant. That very morning 1 had seen
carried into the storeroom an immense sieve
heaped up to overhowing with plump and
luscious pound cakes shaped in hearts, dia-
monds and rounds. A thicd slice of green
citron burst out of each bulging brown top
while occasional currant peeped here and
there out of their portly sides inviting of
other good things. They did look appetizing
enough! [ wish knew of something edible
in all the world that would look tempting
to me now! Then and there the spirits of
gourmandise and mischief met me, and
while listening to their promptings I deter
mined come what would, to have some of
those beauties for my own. A secret meet
ing of an extemporized band of ckums-
cake eliklng conspirators-was held at short
notice on a window bench at the end of
long corridor. 1t was very naturally sug
gested that my monitress' lamp-think of
that giris-woUld be quite the thing to light
us while munching the stolen cakes and
make our intended orgie brilliant and wholly
complete. Soon after midnight three white
robed girls might have been seen stealthily
creeping down the long staircase and tip-toe-
ing side hall towards the storeroom door.
Having previously stolen the key made
short work of getting inside and then began
searching for our pound cakes. They were
soon espied carefully stored away the very
end of the topmost SHELF and it Tor
to get them down. Being the lightest and
slimmest of the band and delignting in the
fun and mischief as much as any of them, l
was elected to do the climbing and really be-
came the principal thief Directly under the
spot where the coveted goodies reposed in
fancied security stood a solid-looking iron
hooped barrel conveniently located for our
purpose. Upon the head of this apparent
ly friendly barrel I soon helped to
climb, and after trial joyfully discovered
that the cakes were within easy reach.
Night dresses were then gathered up to
form capacious pockets, and all being
ready eagerly stretched out both hands to
1 tell it? L distinctly felt the barrel head
upon which 1 stood sinking beneath my
feet-actually moving under me-going
down somewhere-and anywhere fear
full At the same instant I made con-
scious of a cold, Shiny, sticky substance
rising up over my feet and ankles. We
saw and heard something black overflow
the barrel and fall dripping and splashing
upon the floor.
"Into this unknown and therefore appal-
ling something I was softly but not slowly
sinking!
''Not a girl of our band would have
blamed me then-as they said afterward-for
shrieking and alarming the house, but with
Spartan self control l managed to reassure
myself and make no sound. Even now as 1
tell you about it 1 cannot but admire my
courage in not screaming. | only gasped
'Ohl girls helpl' They realized at once the
gravity of the situation and united in hold
ing me up until regaiped solid footing. NV
descent from the barrel into the group of
frightened girls. dripping with some
known horror and without one of the now
detested pound cakes, presented genuine
tableau. The condition of the barrel and
the floor around it, as well as the general ap-
pearance by daylight of the corridor and
staircase, with the tell tale tracks upon the
upper hall leading directly to my room, may
be left to imagination. Of course we were
found out the next morning and duly pun
ished, my share being the heavier as my fault
was the greater while holding the Office of
monitress.
''Some time later when nearing the bottom
of this barrel of Shaker apple-sauce a girls
slipper was uncovered. There was no little
wonderment when this unusual ingredient
came to light, but at that time the true story
of how the slipper came there am now tell
ing was known to very few.
''A part of our punishment was imprison-
meut in school hospital. Left to ourselves
with idle hands, just what might have been
expected, according to DR.. Watts, really oc-
Cured. His majesty with the cloven hoef
early appeared and ruled the revels Our
windows looked into the veoetahle garden