Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1892-12-02


"But, fortunate, here's luncheon ready
spread. | wonder now how it happened
How could they know I was coming
back Cold roast grouse. with current
jelly, chicken salad, picked oysters ;
really, now, this is something quite be-
yond our usual bills of fare"
The pastor sat down and ate with an
excellent appetite. He made big hole
in the chicken salad mound; he picked
the bones of a crisp, brown grouse with
genuine satisfaction; he buttered a fiaky
biscuit and added TO its flavor by several
spoonfuls of amber ounce preserve.
"All the same" he said to himself,
as he wiped his mouth with damask
napkin and rose from his chair, with
another glace at tho vegetable-shaped
watch 'Ihis sort Of thing Ia quite .bs-
yond Mrs. Chipley's means. I thought
she had better sense. | must really
speak to her about il, In the meantime
| must make good speed if | expect to
have much time at my friend Hodges
place"
Away no trudgcd, much comfortcd
and sustained as regarded his inner man.
"Joe joel" shrieked Miss Francesca
Dean, coming into the room few min
utes later, what have you done Eaten
up all the company luncheon Oh, you
greedy"
81 didn't do no such thing shouted
Joe from an upper room, where he was
transforming himself from an amateur
journeyman painter to modern tennis
player What are you talking about2'
Someone has eaten his Gil |" cried
Miss Francesca "Just look at the Ia
Bile !"
"Thcn it's some tramp sneaked through
the door that I left open to dry the
paint" bawlcd Joe, shifting his leg.
And while the Dean family were en-
dcavoring to repair the damages, the
task of housc-cloaning went swimming
ly on at tho Chipley domicile, only two
doors away, the girls and their mother
scarcely taking time to sit down and eat
their hasty pudding, which, by the way,
got scorched through Maud's over dcvo-
ton to putting the chintz curtains at the
PASTORS study windows.
But hasten as they would, tho newly
whitewashed walls were scarcely dry,
and the furniture not yet rearranged,
when dusk descended on the scene and
Rev. Milo Miner came in.
ooh, take care, Mr.. Miner y ex-
claimed Maud, "the door--the paint is
fresh"
Mr.. Miner solemnly advanced into
the area of the lamplight, and, twisting
himself around to get at tho skirts of his
coat, eyed them disconsolately.
more paint" said no. "Blue paint"
NO." said Marion. "Green T.
The two colors were ludicrously alike
by lamplight Tho green might be mis-
taken for lively bluc--the blue for
dull green.
Blue" said the pastor, firmly. "Do
you think haven't the use Of my eyes ?"
Green" persisted Marian. 81 know,
because | put it on myself"
at is not WE'LL" said Rev. Miner,
"for the young to be too positive"
"But truth is TRUTH" said Maud.
"And while I'm about it," said Mr..
Miner, now thoroughly exasperated,
81 deem it my duty to demonstrate with
you concerning the extravagsnt and I'M
warranted style of diet in which you in
dulgo during my absence p
II don't know what you mean" said
Mrs. Chipley, feebly catching her breath.
"lIasty pudding aud milk can't be
called extravaganza" hazarded Maud.
"Scorched at that" murmured Mar
ian.
"Roasted grouse and currant Jelly"
said the pastor Chicken salad and
sponge cake and--here again | trust TO
the evidence of my eyesight-all set out
on your old butterfly pattern china.
know, because ate Of it myself"
"You-you got into the wrong house,"
gasped Maud.
1T was the house with the blue
door" scrcnely uttered Mr.. Miner, az
il this were an incontrovertible argu-
ment.
Marian clapped her hands hysteri-
cally.
"Mamma," she cried "Maud, Mr..
Miner was tho tramp who ate up Miss
Deans company luncheon. That was
Just what Francesca Dean told me they
had prepared. Aud on our butterfly
china, too
at was the house with the blue
door, stubbornly repeated Mr.. Miner.
"But Joe Dean painted their door
blue to-day |" exclaimed Marian. "And
| painted ours green"
The pastor sank Imply into a chair.
Then" he said, I've got green aud
blue paint both on the skirts of my
coat-and | have made dreadful blum
der into the bargain. And | must 20
at once and apologize to tho Dean fam
lily; but not until you, my kind friends,
have forgiven mo for my meddling in-
reference.
"But, really" said mischevous Maud.
"hasty pudding isn't an extravaganza.
Mrs. Chipley and Marian hastened to
deprccato the PASTORS humility, and he
went sadly to make his peace with Miss
Francesca Dean.
at IL kind O. queer" said Deacon
Philpott, talking the matter over some
days afterward. "The dominic ho plumb
admits that he's sort o. absent minded,
and needs wife to keep him straight.
And I'll bet even on pretty Miss Maud
and Francesca Dean"
r