The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-10-18

the Ch1ploy QOnl1c1l0, only TWO uooAo
away, the girls and their mother scarce
ly taking time to sit down and eat their
hasty pudding, which, by the way, got
scorched through Maud's overdevotion
to putting the chintz curtains at the
pastors study windows.
But hasten as they would, the newly
whitewashed walls were scarcely dry,
and the furniture not yet rearranged,
when dusk descended on the scene and
Rev. Milo Miner came in.
sob, take care, Mr. Milner!" ex-
claimed Maud, 'sthe door-the paint is
fresh"
Mr. Miner solemnly advanced into
the area of the lamplight, and twist
ing himself around to get at the skirts
Of his coat eyed them disconsolately.
''More paint" said he. "Blue paint"
"No," said Marion. "Green."
The two colors were ludicrously alike
by lamplight. The green might be mis-
taken for lively blue-the blue for
dull green.
"Blue!" said the pastor firmly. ''Do
you think haven't the use of my eyes"
s'Green," persisted Marian. 81 know,
because put it on myself"
sit is not WE'LL" said Rev. Miner,
ssfor the young to be too positive"
''But truth is TRUTH" said Maud. I
aAnd while I'm about it" said Mr..
Miner, now thoroughly exasperated, 81
deem it my duty to demonstrate with
you concerning the extravaganza and I'M
warranted style of diet in which you in
dulge during my absence"
81 don't know what you mean," said
Mrs. Chipley, feebly catching her breath.
''Hasty pudding and milk can't be
called extravaganza" hazarded Maud.
s.Scorched at that" murmured Ma
rian.
'Roast grouse and currant jelly" said
the pastor. "Chicken salad and sponge
cake. And-here again l 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.
sit was the house with the blue door"
serenely uttered Mr.. Miner, as if this
were an incontrovertible argument.
Marian clapped her hands hyster-
ically.
sMamma," she cried; "Maud. Mr.
Miner was the tramp who ate up Miss
Deans company luncheon. That was
just what Francesca Dean told me they
had prepared! And on our butterfly
china tool"
'sIt was the house with the blue door,"
stubbornly replied Mr.. Miner.
"But Joe Dean painted their door blue
todayr' exclaimed Marian. "And /
painted ours green"
The pastor sank Imply into a chair.
ssThen," he said, ''I've got green and
blue paint both on the skirts of my coat,
and I have made a dreadful blunder in
the bargain! And I must go at once and
apologize to the Dean family; but not
until you, my kind friends, have for
given me for my meddling interior
ence."
"But really" said mischievous Maud,
"hasty pudding isn't an extravaganza.
Mrs. Chipley and Marian fastened to
deprecate the pastors humility, and he
went sadly to make his peace with Miss
Francesca Dean.
sit is kind O queer" said Deacon
Philpott, talking the matter over some
days afterward. ''The dominic, he
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"
The deacon, however, was wrong for
once in his life. Pastor Miner did get
married, but it was neither to blue eyed
Francesca nor dark orbed Maud. Like
sensible man he proposed to Widow
Chipley herself, and was. accepted at
once.
'sBut if Mrs. Miner does not object,
he said, with due courtesy, 81 should
like to have the front door painted blue
once more. Home Queen.