Nevada County picayune., 1886-07-07
What Brought Her To Terms.

odor of burning sugar greeted tue entrance of John Kerr into the farm house kitchen on a sultry September afternoon. Jumper, the watch dog, unheeding his mas ter's greeting, boltcd through the open doorway to escape the hot shower of berry juice, while poor ] pussy, not so fortunate, was danc- ing a dainty quickstep to her own musical accompaniment-suddeEly transformed by hot splashes of fruit into a semblauce of her feline cousin, the leopard. A young girl flushed and frantic, was struggling to remove the kettle of boiling preserves. of which her brothers strong hand quickly relieved her.
 "Oh, John,' she exclaimed, with a panting breath, "I'm all bubble just like the preserves"
 Then. catching up the blg gray cat, she began briskly rubbing it's bespattered fur.
 "Whcn will this confounded mess be over, Jpnnies For nearly three weeks we've been pickled, canned and preserved, until every thlng seems to taste and smell of spice, sugar and vinegar. Aren't you afraid you have undertaken too much while mothers away"
 "Not at all. I've been very par ticular to follow my recipes. Mrs. Sadie Cooper has given me some useful hints, and 1 have little judgment of my own. But you have a letter; when will mama be homei Such long visit. But what a lot I have done since she went awayw
 "Yes," said John, dryly, glanc- ing at the floor where pussy now sat laying her wounds with an ex- pression of melancholy reproach. in her large, celestial-looking ey es, then reading from the letter in his hand:
 twill reach the city at midnight. l Don't fail to meet me there"
 "WlIy that is tonight. Bless her heart, she's coming at last. But, John, it's such long drive. lou will not get back until tomorrow and-and We are expecting compa- ny, you tnow, this evening""
 "Ne are not expecting company, little sister. 1 don't think Tom Maxwell will notice my absence. And will stop and get Mrs. Cooper to come over and stay with you until morning. Her husband won't mind keeping house one night alone, so make me cup of tea, for l must be off
 "Oh. dear, I wish l could go too. Tell Sadie she must not fail to come. won't stay here without her"
 John and Jennie Kerr were the only children of a widow owning and managing comfortable dairy farm upon which they had been born Mrs. Kerr had been visiting an only sister, living in distant city, and during her absence len nie had made some wonderful housekeeping experiences, with a view to entering an establishment of her own iu the near future. But she loved her happy home, was coy and wlllful. and persisted in her refusal to name the we'd ding day.
 ! Her lover had grown impatient; tonight was the anniversy of thelr betrothal, and he had vowed to have it settled before their en- gaoement entered it's second year.
 Jennie had declared she would not be badgercd into anything she would die first, and knowing her lover, she felt strange fore boding for tonight.
 John drove off in the old family carriage, and by the time the until dy kitchen was carefully brought to rights, Mrs. Cooper arrived with her baby and matronly dignity, and Jennie felt somewhat reassur- ed.
 She tied back her yellow curls. with a blue riboon-the color ot her shy, dropping eyes-and met her lover, who appeared promptly at eight. the curves of her scarlet lips marked by a sharp line that indicated the hrmneSs of her rcso- lution.
 Tom Maxwell played with the baby and kept up a light, running oonvarsation. until the little one