Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-06-14
CAUGHT BY A TARTAR,
BY KATE NJ. CLEARY.
There said Chrvstal.

There said Chrystal.
With a sigh of satisfaction, she poised
the last tart airily on the apex of the
pastry pyramid and stepped back to view
the effect. And, indeed, the effect was
as artistic as appetizing The oval dish
of polished BeIeek, creamy with age.
dotted all over with prim little blue for,
get-me-nots and primmer little pink
rosebuds would have delighted the heart
OF china connoisseur And the tarts,
round, crisp, iaky, goldenly brown, each
inclosing a crimson lake of strawberry
preserve, and all towering up in regular
and tempting prodigaiity, quite rewarded
the cook for her labor.
''If these, considered Chrystal, as she
carefully carried the delectable dainties
into the buttery and laid the dish down
on the shelf by the north window, eff
these do not suit even Clarences city
friends, they are very hard to please.
Very hard to please, she repeated, hv-
phenating her sentence with a series of
convinced little mods.
She went back to the kitchen and
looked up at the clock "Half-past 3.
and everything is done, except to set the
table. think everything is done. The
ham is sliced, the chicken jellied, the
compete made, the cream whipped, and
the tarts baked. Yes, may 90 and dress,
and perhaps have time for bit OF read
before must set the table "
She tidied up the kitchen, closed the
buttery door, drew down the blinds. and
went upstairs
The home of the Bruntons was gray,
old frame house standing on the outskirts
of Ashland Crystals parents were in
the pleasant circumstances generally des-
lgnated comfortable, and Clarence, her
twin brother, held confidential position
In city grain firm. Yesterday he had
learned two college friends of his were in
town. He had called at their hotel, but
failed to find them in, so he had left
note stating he would call again, on this
particular evening, and bring them out
to supper at his fathers house The
Bruntons happened to be without a girl
at the time, but Clarence, withsa young
mans thoughtlessness, failed to consider
that fact. Perhaps he knew Chrystal
would prove more reliable than host of
domestics. Her genius for housekeeping
Gor perfect housekeeping does imply ge-
MUS had been proven.
Fresh, breezy and blowy was the after
noon. Delicious drifts of sunshine and
tautalizing shadows followed each other
in bewildering repetition, Within tie
house there was no sound The only in
Irates were Chrvstal and her mother.
The latter was writing letters in her own
room.
"Onel two! three fouri"
Chrystal counted the strokes, as she
slipped into her pretty Marguerite gown
of rust-red China silk.
Now I'll Just glance through those
new magazines before supper" she de-
cided, as she tied and patted the soft sash
of herdress, deity twisted the big bow
back, and then turned her head over her
shoulder to admire the result in the mir
ror. But, alas, for the vanity of human
resolves AT mat moment the bell rang.
"Oh, dear Who can that be2' she
exclaimed, with emphasis more provoked
than fatterlng.
Hastily she thrust silver pin through
the deep fall of creamy lisse at her
throat, tucked away a couple of rebellious
curls under the braided coil of her brown
halr, and went out of her room and down
the stairs.
She opened the door to bold young
breeze, to chilly dazzle of sunshine,
and to Miss Stokes. To Miss Stokes of
all women Crystals heart sank. A
splnster OF an age decidedly beyond that
known as uncertain was Miss Stokes. Her
periodical visits were invariably long, in
yariably cosby, invariably tiresome.
The Bruntons had known her for many
years. She was one OF those formidable
and familiar specters "A friend OF the
family, and she was, therefore, entitled
to liberation. it not to exalted regard