News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-06-04

| ana WHY. But, SmOtneFed IN cream
and powdered with maple sugar, i
went down to the last crumb. Th
guests found nothing in their vocaL
ularies, ancient or modern. to equa
the occasion, and concluded a." it wa
no use talking" Mrs. Baker, in par
ticular, with her motherly familiari
ties, brought a blush to the cheek o
the girl cook. Nancy was not a hard
ened deceiver. The oleander tub lal
heavy on her conscience. The mea
so unhandsomely obtained turned tC
ashes in the cup of flattery the OLE
women poured for her. 1t was hour
before they left, years before sh,
could do up the work next day anC
hasten to the Baker place to do pen
ance by frank confession. This tim,
she walked demurely by the road ,anC
wore her best bonnet.
She found Mrs Barker whipping VI
a syllabub for the minister's wife
who was ailing "Have some?'
she said, .proffering u cupful. Tain
nothin but a gasp and a swaller.
But Nancy had no appetite, ever
for so amiable a trife. 81 told 10 not
to say anything," she began steadi
ly; I'D tell you myself l came
over yesterday when you were out tC
borrer some meal for that pudding
Twas awful careless o. me. | didn't
know we're out till just as was mix.
in it. was ashamed to bOrrer OF
you, company so; but l had to do
somethin' quick. I'll bring it over
soon's we get some" Nancy spoke
hurriedly in her nervousness.
Mrs. Barker set down the bowl she
was washing. 81 hain't got any
meal" she said, in a puzzled voice.
"Ben for a week, an KEEP a-tellin'
we'd have to go to town soon OF
send"
ooh, yes you had" persisted the
other. ut was all / had for the
pudding. found it in a brown pa
per bag on the lower shelf in the
pantry"
"For the land sakesW Mrs. Bark
er gave vent to n shout to mate with
that her son sent up ON discovering
the buried dough. And here there
was no Aunt Felicia to terrorize
her into silence She rocked to an
fro, her face growing purple with
emotions, for which her shrieks and
her rocking furnished inadequate
outlet. Nancy looked bewildered in
turn. What was there in the bor-
rowed meal so agonizingly funny ?
1t was some time before Mrs. Bark
er could explain herself, and then she
exploded between fits and gusts of
laughter:
Observation-Disclosures
Neutrality-suspicious..
l Iemptied-it-in-the-bag-to-pick-ou
Observation-Disclosures
it-away." She stopped with a moan
ami held her sides, completely over
come by the storm which had passed
over her.
Nancy laughed, a hysterical little
giggle, with more of distress than
merriment in it. With it struggled q
feeling of disgust; she too had par
taken of the pudding. But embar-
rassment soon yielded to gratitude
toward the merry soul who could
laugh over such an experience. The
bIundereT had fallen into kind iistudz
You're awfully good" she saie
as she stood up to go.
Don't say a word, " replied Mrs.
Barker, reassuringly. 81 won't tel
q soul, less it's Joe. He'll be tickled
almost to DEATH"
"I'm afraid he'll tell" demurred
Nancy. "Oh no he won't" said JOS
mother. "He sets too much byyou."
And he never did tell, not even
when he became Nancy's husband.
He held her eccentricities plain in
dications of genius. 1t was Nancy
herself who, learning to look with
tolerance upon her blunders, told
of the remarkable day when she
buried the bread dough, and made
a pudding out of pin-cushiOn.-A. A.
B. Ward in Harper's Magazine.