The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-07-26


cook so beautiful that theie's niver any.
thing left to ask for.
You haven't answered my question,
Margaret, persisted. What are we 90
ing to have for dinner?
It'll be the courses that we generally
have on Thursday, with q new entry OF
IpigeOns-er-hearts, which l thought as
how might be pleasing to the sick lady,
was the reply, in somewhat modified
tone.
Aud that reminds me, ! remarked,
with an indifference which l was far
from feeling, that shall be down in
about half an hour 10 make some soup
for Mrs, Taylor.
The kitchen is me own vino and fig
tree, ma'am and none of me mistresses
is ever allowed to sile their fingers there,
Mrs. DE Hammers replied. The kitchen
is no place for lady. Surely We ought
to understand that.
There Is nothing more to say at pres
ent, l remarked, and with wave Of my
hand toward the door by which thisbe-
hemoth of flesh and impertinence had
entered, l left the library.
think | say that the experience Of
the next 60 minutes was the crowning
experience of my life. had seen some
dirt, and heard Of more, hut this kitchen
was den Of iniquity. How any decent
ly served and favored food could come
from this filthy hold was a mystery.
The most expensive china and the nicert
of porcelain pots and cooking utensils.
covered the tables, the sink and the
range all scorched and gummed with
the different accumulations Of ages. The
cooks assistant sat in the front basement
the servant's sitting room reading a
novel. A couple of dozen squads. nicely
picked, lay upon one end OF side table,
and Mrs. DeFlammers was beating some
eggs at the other end. There was not a
single vessel in this bountifully provided
kitched that was in readiness for my
use. The presiding deity appeared not
to be aware of my existence. Mary came
at my bidding, ,and after tedious scrap
ing and securing, saucepan was made
passably clean; just as had got my
soup well under way a wagon load Of
new pots and kettles arrived.
You see, Miss, Mary explained, ,as they
were brought in and deposited anywhere
where room could be made for them, we
was just going to throw these things
away; they was so old, you see.
Who ordered these articles ? l asked
Of the boy.
Mr.. Guernsey's Henry, ms'am, was
the reply.
felt that moment like the compound
concentrated essence of dynamite. l
could have blown up most anything.
Well said you will please take these
things back TO the store, and say that
nothing is to be delivered 10 this house
unless ordered by Miss Cornell, who is
manager, mistress and hOusekeeper in
the absence of Mr., and Mrs. Guernsey.
Them things is going 10 stay, said the
wildly, with her arms akimbo, her face
blazing. | won't cook in nasty pots for
nobody. I've been used to ladies, born
and bred. and not to scullings for mis-
tresses. You'll leave them pots, Bobby.
just where they be.
But Bobby had caught the fire of my
eye, and knew better. Assisted bv Mary
he made off, the tin and the iron beating
out march that was very grateful to
my boiling blood.
1t took some strength of nerve to over
see the cleansing of all these vessels, but
Mary obeyed my orders with intelligence
and good nature, and the result was
gratifying.
She'll give warning. or leave without
warning, said my aunt that morning.
1t would have been better to have
bought the gas stove, because you know
that this can only be spasmodic reform.
When Flora gets back she won't thank
you for it.
True as preaching. But thought of
dear old Toms pocketbook, and deter
mined to perseveie.
On the sixth day of the new regime |
informed Henry that l should do the
marketing.
But Mr.-Mr. Guernsey left that-that
that work in my charge, the man
stammered.
Until such time as choose to relieve
you of the responsibility, Ireplied. That
time has arrived. / may need your oc
sasional assistance in this department, l
added automatically; and now Henry
would like to have you give me by even
ing the ltemized bills of this week.
Oh. but Miss Cornell, MIR. Guernsey
pays his bills only once IN three months!
and now Henry's face was a study.
am going to pay the bills of this
house once a week Henry. and intend
to know to the fraction Of once what |
am paying for. You will kindly hand
me the bills Immediately. That is all l
have to say now.
That had exploded bomb in Henry's
camp was plain to be seen. was get
ting into deep water, but there was no
help for it. / had seen enough to know
that there was terrible leak in this es-
tablishment somewhere, and was re-
solved to find and stop it. AS an exam.
pie, the squads which had noticed on
my visit to the kitchen had not. to my
knowledge, ever appeared upon the Ia
BILE. and though we had some sort OF a
highly seasoned hashed entry that even
ing. / had no means Of knowing that the
pigeons hearts figured in it. So one
day inquired for the birds,
What became of the little blrdsS Well
now, indade, that is funny question,
said De Planners, In her most hostile
and offensive manner. Why you ct 'em
of, OF coorse.
How were they cooked l insisted.
First, a'am, the hearts was entried,
and then the pigeonses was curried into
what Is called 'r'yal barbecue. But
presume you haye not been accustomed
TO such dishes.
don't think l have, replied; but ]
have been accustomed to respect, and in
future you must not fail TO remember
that fact; and Hooked the theiving ter
magant straight In the eyes.
Faith, and it's no disgrace not to be
able to recognize a barbecue, was the
Modified answer in melliflous tones.
My experience with the tradesmen
was unique. But there was not one
among the members who did not appear
pleased to take my orders, and / could
feel by the way they regarded me that
as honest men, they thought it about
time for somebody to look into things.
Henry's bill was so startling that
had the greatest difficulty in cOncealinl
my astonishment. Fish for a week, $l2
meat, S26; poultry and game, S25. The
bills for fruit and groceries were ever
more preposterous, and as hastily to-
talized the bills of the year at this rate
l concluded that unless Tom Guernsey
was much richer man than / had eve
been led to suppose he could not fail Il
be swamped by such extravaganza.
On the occasion of my first marketinl
had sent home a sirloin roast with th'
trimmings. These l intended TO se'
utilized into soap and nice clariiet
drippings; but when / sought the kitch
en- on my return the trimmings wer
conspicuous only by their absence
Naturally my first business was to In
quire for them,
Oh, yis, the waste fat bits, ye name
, was the cool response. l niver ALLOW
them things around. No fust familie
does.
, But what did you do with them'