Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1891-12-18

she was little afraid of Jane, aud also of
Imogen
Atquarter Of twelve the dinner was near
~ done The vegetables were boiling fast
there were onions, and that also pleased
Susan.
We'll have some onions. an that's one
thing you wouldn't have got if you'd gone
in to James 10 dinner remarked Sylvia.
She wont have an onion cooked in the
other side; she's terrible scared Of EN-"
The snow continued. At twelve o'clock
Sylvia put on her rubbers, and went out to
the well for pail of water After she had
pumped it, she stood for a second peering
sharply at pail beside the shed door of the
other side. She gathered up her skirts and
waded cautiously over toward it, and look
ed closer
When she had set her water pail in her
own sink, and shaken the snow off her
skirts, she went in to Susan. Them was
turkey feet, she said
Susan looked up apprehensively
They are out in the pail at the back
door, said Sylvia "Well, there's one thing
about it, if she raps on after I've got my
dinner all ready, she can. | sha'n't go in a
step. You can do jest as you've mind To-.
Sylvia gave a vicious jerk of her shoulders.
and went out in the kitchen. Susan heard
the plates go on the table with sharp claps,
and trembled. She hoped that Sylvia would
get the table set, and they might be already
at dinner if Jane should chance to rap on
the wall She thou yht that possibly in such
a case she might not be expected to obey the
su nmons and 90 in the other side, but might
be justified in remaining where she was.
She knitted, and listened to Sylvia step
ping hriskly about and rafting the dishes
II only dinner could be fairly begun before
a rap came on the wall.
Can't help you, Sylvyi" she called out,
anxioUsly.
No" replied Sylvia. Its Jest about
ready
Every time that Sylvia hit dish, Susan
started, thinking the rap on the wall had
come. More than for any pleasure in her
visit she cared for this snug solitary dinner
with Sylvia; the chicken stew and the
onions looked like sweet morses of her
childhood.
Dinners ready, called Sylvia at last,
and Susan laid down her knitting-work,
aud went out with trembling haste.
Hadn't you better have your shawl on
1t amt quite so warm as It's in the sittin'-
roomin
No; I'm plenty warm enough, said Su
san. She pushed her plate forward little
what part of the chicken do you like
dark or lighti" asked Sylvia, standing over
it with her knife and fork.
Il like the dark pretty well.
"Thisl'
Susan nodded, happily. Sylvia put just
the'piece that she loved into her plate
"Onions.' said she.
Susan nodded again.
Jane does act terribly silly about onions"
said Sylvia. II wouldn't give cent for a
chicken dinner without EN-"
81 wouldn't either said Susan, with I'M
wonted assertion
Sylvia passed over her laden plate Susan
raised her knife. Suddenly there came a
rap on the wall. Susan laid down her knife,
and looked at Sylvia with something like a
gasp Of despair
Sylvia looked back at her. "Jest the way
| knew it would be, " said she, grimly.
"What shall do 2"
Il dun no. | know what l shall do
Amt you goin' in the other side 2"
mo- l amt goin' a step, You can do
jest as you've a mind to.
Then came another rap on the wall
"Do you think I'd ought to go, Sylvy Z"
Il dunno. | amt nothn' TO say about
other folks. | amt goin' | call it pretty
work, for my part waitin' till get dinner
all on the table, an then knockin' over.
It's jest like her" Sylvia was cutting the
meat from a chicken leg She brandished
it as if it were the bone of an enemy in
cannibal feast. "Iain't goin' to knucke in
to her one mite" said she
Susan looked pitifully at Sylvia. "Sylvy,
do you think I'd ought to goF'
You can do jest as you've mind to"
'Do you s'pose she wont like it if l
don't Z"