Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-22
CHAPTER XXVI.

''Well," says Kelly, was it Miss Beres-
ford?'
Eyes, and her sister. saw them back to
the boundary fence, but they would let me
go no further. Ii was rather
What on earth have you got tiieTeP' says
his friend, sticking his eyeglass i'll his eye,
and staring with bent head and some suspf-
cion at the mysterious thing in Desmond's
arms.
"This no ahl yes" Then, desperately,
"Kelly, if you laugh at it FL never forgive
you"
Mir. Kelly drops the eyeglass and looks at
flicted.
My dear fellow, do eUer iaugh?" he
says.
swell, tits cGker' says Brian, who
Tin spite of the warning just delivered to
his friend) is now induIging in wild mirth
and can scarcely speak for laughter. ''She
--Monica-heard we were bOycotted, and,
thinking we We're starving, the dear ANGEL
she brought this up herself to u.s.
desmond, I'm ashamed of yOu,' says
Kelly, who has not moved muscle of his
face. "Such an action as hers calls for rev.
crencc,-nOt this unSeemiy gayety."
"It's not the action Pm laughing att says
Brian, still convulsed; Its the cOl5e. The
action is diyne-the cake hOt!> Here he
sinks upon the garden-seat again, as it eX-
hauSted and dries his eyes.
Il see nothing to laugh at in that, either.
It seems excellent cake, and, as you say,
hot" says Mi. Kelly, proddingi it meditative-
~ With his finger,-'a merit i'll cake of
this sort, should say; and nicely Drowned,
too, as far as | can see. / can see, too, that
1t is quite the biggest cake | ever made ac-
Quaintance with. another merit! Did she
carry it herself all the way?'
''All the way, poor darling! and just be-
cause she was afraid we should be hungry"
Mr.. Desmond's laughter has subsidized, and
he now looks rather absent. 1T quite
weighed her down." he says, in a low tone.
Poor childi [ said yesterday, You re-
member, that / thought her one of the incest
girls have met The cake has finished me.
i think her now the incest" He says this
with a cheerful conscience. Between girls
and widows deep margin lies.
But what are we 10 do with it?'' says
Brian, regarding the cake, which is now ly-
ing upon the garden-Seat, with puzzled ex-
preston.
SAY repentant tenant-nO that sounds
like tautology-say a remorseful tenant
brought it to YOU"
That wouldn't do at ALP
''rhen say you found it in the garden"
Nonsense, Kelly! they don'tgroa0. Think
Of something more plausible"
''Give me time, then" As he speaks he
absently breaks off piece of the cake and
puts it in his mouth. Desmond, in quite as
distracted manner, does likewise. Silence
enSues.
Il think the idea was so sweet" says Des-
mond. presently, his thoughts being Gas they
should be- with Monica.
''As honey and the honeycomb"' says Mr..
Kelly, breaking off another piece, with a
far-otf, rapt expression.
''She said she couldn't be happy, thinking
we were hungry. Her dear heart is too big
for her body"
''Her cake is, certainly" says Mr.. Kelly;
here he takes a third enormous pinch out of
1t, and Desmond follows his example.
Il didn't tell her we had had our dim
ners," says Brian. ut would have taken
the gloss off it,"
"Otf this?' pointing to the smoking struc-
ture between them. Il don't believe it."
''No. the deed"
Another silence.
''It's capital cake" says Mr.. Kelly, PEN
Sively, who has been eating steadily, since
the first bite. after all, give me good,
sweet, homemade cake like thisI Those
bought ones aren't to be named in the same
day with it. There is something SO light
and wholesome about cake like this"
"Wholesome!' doubtfully; Il don't know
about that. What l like about it is that it
is hot and spongy. But, look here, you
haven't said yet what we are to do with it,"
Il think we are doing uncommonly we'll
with it, says Kelly, breaking off another
piece.
but what are we to do with the remains,
provided we leave any, which at present
seems doubtful?''
''KeeU them. of course. You ought to.
-.s..:c-:.., &C e..:,c :. whole rs c pres
emit
''You are right; no one shall touch crumb
of it save you and me-" says Mr.. Desmond,
as though inspired. Let us smuggle it up
to my room and keep it there till it is finish
ed"
81 feel as if was at school again with 8
plum-cake and chum,'' says Mr. Kelly.
well, come and follow me with it now,
and distract my uncle's attention if we meet
him."
'vro my room or yours?" insinuatingly.
''To mine firmly.
'I'll take the greatest care of it, if you like
to trust it to me-" with what Kit would GER
tainly have termed 'an obliging air."
II don't doubt you,' sardonically. But
certainly not. 1t was given to me. and feel