Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1886-11-20


blackberries. can max the coffee, Ous
the r-.t of the culin. Y affairs II nave
leave in the hands Of you 'dies."
"oh, my goodness grac Gus" grosneo
Mrs. B tlett, 81 never cooeed mcni ID
all my life"
We all echoed her words, except Helen
Graham, who jumped up briskly, soy.
ing: an try to fix something though "
,ron,. be very elaborate, for I fear our
resources are limited. Pray, Mr.. Loring'
what does our larder containp
"lumphl Mostly canned goods, ~
lave. There are some loaves OF bread
but. - with sniff, "they look kind OF
Queer. Miss Graham-,h y have rale,
whity-Qreen fuzz on the crust! lt'svery
asthetic-looking, tc e sure-ous II
doesn't smell good" !.
"Iieat and moisture have made
mould. Bread moulds easilJ in August
weather, and this IL over o week old.
But can cut OF the crust aud toast t
inside"
"ThstTl be fsmousl Ism 20 hungry
I could eat my boofs s:mcstl II Tsjoines
my soul to soc genuinely capable woman
Ono with knack': Add now. Madam
Cook, I'm at your se'v;ee"-with low
bow. That Graham girl don't se'm a
bit impressCd-she only glggled, and
said, coolly: 'You may clean the dsh,
if you want to-" aud Tracy Loring, the
heir of one of the richest and most aris-
tocratic families, donned big towel for
an apron, and went out 70. obey her com
mauds.
Then how she few around ! rather
liked To watch her. She had such deft'
handy way of doing things. Both Cara
and I wished that our mothers had taught
us something besides fancy things.
She made rousing fire in the fireplace
You see, we had taken up our qusrten
in a log-cabin that, years before, hse
been occupied by an old hermit trspper
It was . rough affair, but just then No
were very thankful for It, considering
the rain outside. 1t had turned of &C
chilly, too, that the fire felt very comfort
able, and what with the light, warmth
and good supper, we had very pleasant
time The supper was especially nice.
Helen had opened q couple OF cans Of
chicken: this she warmed IN the sauce
pan, and poured it over the toast, gravy
and all. Then she wrapped potatoes in
leaves and roasted them in the hot ashes
and these, with the fish, coffee and other
things, made meal fit for anybody. The
gentlemen praised it up, at any rate, and
they paid that Graham girlso many com
pliments that she actually blushsd. II
made her look pretty, too, and the fire.
light falling on her brown hair gsvs 1t q
golden sheen that wo women couldnt
help envyiDg.
"Now, what's to be doneT nd young
Max Collins, after supper. "eOms Of
us have got to tramp back to Giles's
farmhouse and get another boat"
'You and will go, Max, " said Tracy.
'ewill can stay here and guard the ID
dies. We'd better start tomorrow morn.
ing if it's clear"
The weather was fine next morning,
ead after an early breakfast (that Ora
ham girl made splendid corn pones),
Tracy and Max leftus. Poor Mrs. Bart
lett actually whimpered when they wont
Of.
ut seemed so swfnl to be left alone
shipwrecked in the bowling wilderness, y
she said.
"That'srather mixed mstephor!' sx-
claimed Will; land not ct all compli-
mcntary to my bravery You know, 70
dear madame, that I will defend you
as long as have drop Of bio ID left-if
these warlike mosquitoes leave mo any
to begin with"
Will is q real nice fellow dovely "a
lead the German with but be isn't cut
out for woodsman, and about th. frs,
thing he lid, after Tracy and Max had
gone, was to tumble down q rocky place
he was getting some rare ferns for
Saddle Avery-and break his leg Well,
don't know what we would have done
had it not been for that Graham girl.
We were all about really TO go into hys-
terics, but she spoke ont sharp and com
handing, and told us that we must help
her. We somehow got Will into the
house--it must have looked ridiculous
to have seen us all pulling and tug.
\ ging at him-and on . cot, and then
Helen went to Mrs. Bartlett's medicine.
hest, which she had brought along on
account of the children. and got him
something that would keep him quiet
and prevent fever. Then thorc was
nothiDg else to do but wait urtil Tracy
returned; and oh, it seemed ages.